The CLOCS project at Imperial College London spearheaded a pioneering study exploring the potential of leveraging loyalty card data for early detection of ovarian cancer symptoms. This innovative approach might pave the way for timely medical interventions, improving survival rates.
Helping the team at Imperial confidently and securely gather participants was a key part of our strategy in this project. It then followed through to website delivery and handover for long term support.
Methodology:
The study encompassed 273 women's purchasing data over six years from two UK retailers, particularly focusing on over-the-counter medicine purchases. The researchers discerned a significant uptick in pain and indigestion medication purchases among those later diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Findings:
An increase in specific medication purchases was observable up to eight months prior to diagnosis, highlighting a potential early warning system. The subsequent early identification could significantly enhance treatment options and survival rates.
Implications:
This study underscores the potential of utilising everyday data in early disease detection, heralding a new chapter in preventive medicine. Further research could extend this methodology to other cancers, thereby broadening the horizons of early detection and treatment.
