While cancer has traditionally been classified by its tissue or organ of origin, advances in molecular science have transformed our understanding of the disease. Researchers are increasingly leveraging these biological insights to develop targeted therapies based on the underlying drivers of cancer, rather than its location alone.
鈥淲e now have a greater understanding of the behaviour of different segments of each cancer based on their underlying biology, meaning we can design better medicines,鈥� says Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President of Oncology Haematology R&D at the biopharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca. 鈥淲e also better understand how to leverage the immune system. And we can diagnose cancers earlier, which makes a big difference to the chances we can offer patients.鈥�
The long-term ambition at AstraZeneca is to one day eliminate cancer as a cause of death. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a stretch goal,鈥� says Galbraith. 鈥淏ut the idea is that we can transform cancer treatment, step by step, to improve long-term outcomes for patients.鈥�
Cancer remains a leading cause of death globally, killing around 10 million people every year. One reason it is so difficult to beat is that every form of cancer is different, both in terms of the underlying genomic aberrations and the cell-surface proteins that treatments must target. Tumours are not static targets but rather complex, dynamic populations of cells capable of mutating and adapting to evade and resist treatments.
The long-term ambition is to one day eliminate cancer as a cause of death
All of which is transforming the way oncologists think about research and development. Future progress will depend not only on advances in individual therapies, but on how different approaches are combined into transformative regimens that improve patient outcomes.
This approach is the first pillar of AstraZeneca鈥檚 strategy of building a diverse portfolio of therapeutic approaches that can attack cancer from multiple angles, with the ultimate aim to combine these therapies to achieve deep and more durable responses.
Conventional approaches such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy kill tumour cells directly. Newer therapies, such as antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) and radioconjugates (RCs), do the same, but deliver toxins more precisely to minimise damage to surrounding tissues.
However, there are also therapies that have emerged that kill cancer cells indirectly by mobilising the body鈥檚 own immune system to attack the cancer cells. They include immune checkpoint inhibitors, which help T-cells recognise tumours, as well as T-cell engagers that bring immune cells into contact with cancer cells.
鈥淭hese technologies expand the range of immune-sensitive tumour types,鈥� says Galbraith. 鈥淥ne area where they can be particularly well used is after you have debulked the cancer using direct cell-killing technologies like ADCs.鈥�
AstraZeneca鈥檚 approach is to develop these therapies in parallel. 鈥淚f you can use a combination of surgery, an ADC, and immune activation through a T-cell engager, then you’ve hit the cancer from multiple angles and stand the best chance that it can be fully cleared,鈥� says Galbraith. 鈥淲e look early at combination potential, and we design development plans not just for monotherapy approval but for combination regimens.鈥�
The second pillar of AstraZeneca鈥檚 strategy is to treat cancer earlier, which may improve survival outcomes. One way to address this is with earlier detection through screening. 鈥淢any countries have established screening programmes for cancers such as breast cancer, and an increasing number are introducing lung cancer screening. However, many cancers, including pancreatic and ovarian cancer, still lack effective screening options,鈥� says Galbraith. New technologies are beginning to close this gap, including blood tests that detect circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), fragments of genetic material shed by tumours into the bloodstream. By identifying ctDNA from multiple cancer types, these simple blood tests offer a less invasive way to detect cancer earlier and help guide more personalised treatment decisions.
Beyond ctDNA, emerging biomarkers are enabling a more detailed understanding of cancer earlier in its course. Multimodal approaches鈥攊ntegrating molecular, genetic and imaging data鈥攁nd analysing them with artificial intelligence (AI) can generate a more comprehensive tumour profile. These advances are helping to drive precision medicine, ensuring the right treatment reaches the right patient at the right time.
The final pillar of AstraZeneca鈥檚 strategy uses transformational technologies, big data, and digital tools to reimagine the entire R&D pipeline鈥攆rom drug discovery to patient monitoring and delivery.
One of the biggest opportunities is computational pathology, which allows greater precision compared to traditional, manual pathology approaches. Quantitative Continuous Scoring (QCS), for instance, allows for a much deeper understanding of how drugs interact with tumours. QCS measures things that are not visible to the human eye, such as how much of a drug鈥檚 payload is internalised into the cell. 鈥淭hat is a key part of how antibody drug conjugates work,鈥� says Galbraith. 鈥淏y measuring this process, QCS can provide a deeper understanding of which tumours are most likely to respond to treatment.鈥�
The idea is we can transform cancer treatment, step by step
Another opportunity comes from multimodal foundation models, which can analyse text, images and other data types together to generate deeper insights. Through partnership with tech companies Tempus and Pathos, AstraZeneca is helping build the largest multimodal foundation model in oncology.
鈥淢ultimodal foundation models have the potential to transform oncology R&D by unlocking insights from diverse, high-dimensional data at unprecedented scale, says Galbraith. 鈥淭hrough our collaborations, we aim to help accelerate clinical development, improve trial decision-making, and ultimately increase the probability of success for patients.鈥�
Another area of focus is digital health tools. AstraZeneca鈥檚 global healthtech business, called Evinova, has a platform that allows patients to answer questionnaires and share health information from their mobile phones. 鈥淒igital health technologies are helping to reshape clinical research by bringing trials closer to patients,鈥� says Cristina Duran, President, Evinova. 鈥淏y capturing real-time patient insights and reducing barriers to participation, these tools can deliver a more patient-centred trial experience, while enhancing data quality and the ability to catch potential issues earlier.鈥�
What ties all these advances together is that each has the potential to amplify the benefits of the others. Detecting cancer earlier transforms what is possible with treatment. Combining different kinds of therapies potentially produces better, more durable responses. And deeper analysis of tumour biology feeds back into both, allowing clinicians to more effectively tailor therapies to patients and may enhance patient experience and outcomes. 鈥淥verall, it has the potential to transform cancer treatment,鈥� says Galbraith.
Find out more about .
This article was paid for and co-developed by .
Veeva ID: Z4-85387 Date of preparation July 2026
