In this episode of Health in Hyperdrive, host Dominic James is joined by Dr Lennard Lee to explore one of the most exciting shifts in modern medicine: how data, genomics, artificial intelligence and vaccines are coming together to transform the way we understand and treat cancer. With half the global population expected to face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, the need for bold, innovative solutions has never been more urgent. Dr Lee explains why cancer is still one of the most difficult diseases to treat, and how research, technology and smart policy are starting to make a real difference.

Over the past decade, cancer care has made remarkable progress. In the UK, five-year survival rates have risen to 56 percent, thanks to advances in immunotherapy, earlier detection through blood-based screening and AI-powered diagnostics. National programmes like the NHS Galleri trial and the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad are helping to bring these breakthroughs into everyday clinical care, offering patients more personalised and effective treatment options.

Dr Lee explains how four powerful forces of data, genomics, artificial intelligence and vaccines are converging to create a new era of cancer medicine. Together, he and Dominic look ahead to a future where cancer care is more proactive, precise and accessible, and where a diagnosis no longer carries the fear it once did.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lives

• Why cancer remains one of the hardest diseases to treat

• The importance of research and policy in driving progress

• The Galleri trial: a single blood test for 50 types of cancer

• The rise of personalised cancer vaccines and how they work

• What it takes for national leadership in new treatment paradigms

• How AI supercomputing is accelerating cancer vaccine discovery

• The convergence of data, genomics, AI and vaccines

• Envisioning 2035: a future where the fear of cancer is gone

About Lennard

Dr. Lennard Lee, Associate Professor, University of Oxford; Chief Medical Officer, Ellison Institute of Technology, Oxford, UK  and a national leader in cancer innovation.

He co-founded the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad and led the record-breaking Galleri trial. With over 50 peer-reviewed publications and multiple national awards, Lennard’s work bridges research, policy, and patient care.

Links

Lennard’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennardlee

Ellison Institute of Technology - https://www.eit.org/

AI Supercomputer for cancer vaccines - https://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/news/researchers-granted-ai-supercomputing-award-to-accelerate-cancer-vaccine-work

WHO Cancer facts - https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer

BBC report on the Galleri test for 50 types of cancer - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c205g21n1zzo.amp

Health in Hyperdrive website - https://www.future-centric.com/health-in-hyperdrive

@DomJamesHiH socials - TikTok / X / Insta / YouTube

Produced by Explosive Brands - https://www.explosivebrands.com/