Cancer Loyalty Card Study 2 Using Shopping Data to Detect Early Signs of Ten Cancer Types in Adults in the UK

What this Trial Is About

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for about 9.6 million deaths each year. Early diagnosis is crucial to improve outcomes, as it allows treatments like surgery and radiotherapy to be more effective before the cancer spreads. This study focuses on ten types of cancercolon, oesophageal, stomach, liver, bladder, uterine, vulval, ovarian, endometrial, and pancreaticwhich often show vague symptoms that may delay diagnosis and treatment. The study examines whether purchase data from high street retailers Tesco and Boots can reveal changes in buying habits related to symptoms before a cancer diagnosis. It will compare 1,450 recently diagnosed cancer patients with 1,450 control participants without these cancers. Participants must be 18 or older and hold loyalty cards from these retailers. Six years of past purchase data will be collected and analyzed alongside questionnaire responses about health and lifestyle. Participants will complete an online questionnaire and provide informed consent, including agreeing to share their loyalty card data. The study will collect pseudonymised purchase data, focusing on items like pain relief medications. Researchers will assess purchase behaviors over three years to develop risk profiles and predictive models. The study runs through April 2027, with participant data securely managed and optional re-contact for future studies.

Cancer Loyalty Card Study 2 (CLOCS-2)