Why Early Cancer Detection Must Come First
In this compelling interview, Dr. Azra Raza challenges the traditional focus of oncology, arguing that early cancer detection should be the central pillar of cancer research and treatment. Sharing her personal journey as an immigrant and oncologist, Dr. Raza critiques the widespread reliance on animal models and late-stage therapies, advocating instead for the study of human tissue and the identification of disease at its earliest stages. Her lifelong work in hematologic malignancies, particularly myelodysplastic syndromes, underscores the urgency of this shift. By focusing on “the first cell” rather than the last, she highlights how early intervention could dramatically reduce suffering and improve survival—raising critical questions about current priorities in cancer care and the persistent challenges in cancer treatment.
Episode Contents:
About the Guest
Dr. Azra Raza is Professor of Medicine and Director of the MDS Center at Columbia University, renowned for her groundbreaking cancer research and clinical insights.
Key Takeaways
- Early detection offers the best chance to cure cancer before it becomes aggressive.
- Most existing cancer models fail because they don’t represent real human biology.
- Dr. Raza has collected 60,000 human tissue samples to support real-world research.
- Cancer treatments haven’t significantly evolved in decades for many adult cancers.
- A paradigm shift toward studying the first cancer cell could transform outcomes.
Condensed Transcript
Q: What drove your focus on early detection in cancer care?
Dr. Raza: I realized early in my career that the same treatments curing children weren't working in adults. This raised fundamental questions about our model systems. If children's bodies don't represent adult biology, how can mouse models? To truly understand and treat cancer, we must study human tissues—and we must catch the disease before it becomes aggressive.
Q: Why are current models and treatments failing?
Dr. Raza: Most drugs are tested in models that don't reflect human biology. We implant human cancer cells into immune-compromised mice, treat them, and then expect the same drugs to work in people. That’s why 95% of clinical trials fail. We need to pivot to studying patients directly and focus on the earliest moments of disease.
Q: What’s your vision for improving outcomes?
Dr. Raza: I’ve spent decades collecting over 60,000 human tissue samples from patients to track the natural history of blood cancers. We must aim to detect the "first cell" before cancer becomes irreversible. This is true not just for cancer but for many chronic diseases—our bodies mask dysfunction until it's too late.
About the Series
AI and Healthcare—with Mika Newton and Dr. Sanjay Juneja is an engaging interview series featuring world-renowned leaders shaping the intersection of artificial intelligence and medicine.
Dr. Sanjay Juneja, a hematologist and medical oncologist widely recognized as “TheOncDoc,” is a trailblazer in healthcare innovation and a rising authority on the transformative role of AI in medicine.
Mika Newton is an expert in healthcare data management, with a focus on data completeness and universality. Mika is on the editorial board of AI in Precision Oncology and is no stranger to bringing transformative technologies to market and fostering innovation.