Prevent Cancer Foundation: Leading the Charge in Prevention & Early Detection

This article was developed in part from a recent interview with Prevent Cancer Foundation CEO Jody Hoyos, who shared insights on the evolving landscape of cancer prevention, early detection, and the role oncology providers and industry partners play in advancing this critical work.

In oncology, we often meet patients at critical turning points. A diagnosis has been made. A treatment plan is underway. Important decisions are in motion. Yet long before those moments, there is another window of opportunity that can shape outcomes in meaningful ways: prevention and early detection.

For 40 years, the Prevent Cancer Foundation has focused exclusively on that upstream space. “Our mission is empowering people to stay ahead of cancer through prevention and early detection,” Hoyos shared. “We have been focused on that work for four decades, and it remains the right place to be.”

As the only U.S.-based nonprofit solely dedicated to prevention and early detection, the Foundation works in a space that complements and strengthens the efforts of community health organizations, oncology providers, researchers, and industry partners.

Prevention is not separate from cancer care. It is an essential part of the continuum.

Where Innovation Meets Human Behavior

Scientific advancement in early detection continues to move forward. New technologies are emerging. Screening options are expanding. At the same time, human behavior remains one of the most important factors in whether screening actually happens.

“We can advance technology all day long,” Hoyos said, “but if people do not feel supported, informed, and confident about screening, it will not move behavior. How you communicate matters.”

The Foundation’s annual Early Detection Survey reinforces this reality. Seventy-three percent of people report feeling scared or worried about cancer screening. That fear is understandable. Screening can bring clarity, but it can also bring life-changing news.

“At the same time,” Hoyos noted, “when people understand the benefits of early detection, they are much more likely to get screened. Awareness changes behavior.”

In fact, 73 percent of individuals say they are more likely to pursue screening when they understand its benefits. For providers and industry partners, this highlights the importance of consistent, evidence-based messaging that supports informed patient engagement.

A Four-Pillar Approach

The Prevent Cancer Foundation advances its work through four pillars: research, education, outreach, and advocacy. Each pillar touches a different part of the prevention landscape, yet all connect back to improving patient outcomes.

〉Catalyzing Research

Early-stage research often needs seed funding before it can compete for large federal grants. Over a nine-year period, the Foundation awarded 83 research grants and fellowships totaling 8.3 million dollars. Those investments helped recipients secure 28 million dollars in additional funding and generate 848 peer-reviewed publications.

This kind of catalytic support helps sustain the long-term innovation pipeline in prevention and early detection. In a shifting funding environment, that continuity matters.

〉Expanding Public Education

Through its Early Detection Equals Better Outcomes campaign, the Foundation reached 35 million people last year across television, radio, and digital platforms. Public education at this scale may feel removed from day-to-day clinical practice, but its impact often shows up in exam rooms when patients arrive with questions and greater understanding.

The most common reason individuals report not getting screened is a lack of awareness. Closing that gap benefits everyone involved in care delivery.

〉Strengthening Community Connections

Local organizations play a critical role in building trust and connecting people to screening services. To support this work, the Foundation launched the Community Exchange, a digital hub that brings together community health leaders to share resources, access training, and identify funding opportunities.

Community-level engagement has become even more important in recent years. In 2025, only 51 percent of U.S. adults reported having a routine medical appointment or cancer screening in the previous year. That represents a 10 percentage point drop from 2024. During the same period, skepticism toward the healthcare system increased by 38 percent among respondents.

These trends affect providers, health systems, and industry partners alike. Rebuilding trust requires consistent engagement, clear information, and accessible pathways to care.

〉Advancing Policy for Access

As screening technologies evolve, policy must evolve alongside them. For years, the Prevent Cancer Foundation has led advocacy efforts to create a clear pathway for Medicare coverage of multi-cancer early detection tests, recognizing that innovation only improves outcomes when patients can access it.

That work reached an important milestone just recently with the signing of the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act (H.R. 842/S. 339) into law on February 4, 2026. The legislation establishes a pathway for Medicare to cover FDA-approved, blood-based, multi-cancer early detection tests. With more than 400 congressional co-sponsors and support from over 550 organizations, the bill reflected broad bipartisan and stakeholder alignment around the importance of expanding early detection options.

Beginning as early as 2028, Medicare will be able to cover tests capable of detecting multiple cancer types from a single blood sample, complementing existing screening modalities and strengthening early detection efforts for seniors. The Foundation’s sustained leadership in this space underscores the importance of aligning scientific innovation with reimbursement policy to ensure meaningful patient impact.

The Foundation continues to focus on improving clarity around reimbursement for prevention-focused discussions in clinical practice.

“If providers cannot bill for conversations about prevention, lifestyle, and behavior, it becomes much harder to prioritize that time,” Hoyos explained. “We need a regulatory and legislative path that supports prevention in practice.”

When reimbursement structures align with prevention, providers are better positioned to integrate these conversations into care.

Innovation with Perspective

The screening landscape continues to expand. Colonoscopy remains the only preventive colorectal screening modality that can remove precancerous polyps. At the same time, blood-based colorectal cancer tests and self-collection HPV testing provide additional options for individuals who might otherwise delay screening.

According to survey data, 42 percent of individuals say they would prioritize screening if less invasive tests, at-home options, or faster results were available.

“Options matter,” Hoyos said. “If someone is not going to get screened under the current model, then having additional pathways may help us reach them.”

For oncology providers and pharmaceutical innovators, thoughtful integration of new tools requires balancing clinical standards with patient accessibility and preference.

A Shared Investment in the Future

Prevention and early detection have historically received less funding relative to their long-term impact.

“Prevention and early detection are the most effective ways to improve public health, and yet they remain chronically underfunded,” Hoyos said. “If we want healthier populations and stronger engagement in care, we need to invest in keeping people well.”

For pharmaceutical and healthcare partners, collaboration in prevention may include supporting evidence-based public education initiatives, elevating community organizations that connect patients to care, and sustaining research pipelines focused on early detection.

These efforts reinforce clinical care. They strengthen the broader oncology ecosystem.

Measuring Progress Upstream

Measuring prevention success is not always straightforward.

“When you are working upstream, success can be difficult to quantify,” Hoyos reflected. “How do you prove you prevented something? The return on investment in prevention is a long game.”

The Foundation evaluates reach, behavior trends, and clarity of public understanding. In one survey year, reported lung cancer screening rates appeared unusually high. Further investigation revealed that some respondents believed a routine stethoscope exam counted as lung cancer screening. Clarifying definitions became part of the solution.

Accurate understanding supports accurate action.

Ultimately, the most meaningful indicators are the stories. Individuals who chose screening after learning more about its benefits. Communities that gained access to services. Partnerships that helped close awareness gaps.

Moving Forward Together

The future of oncology will continue to be shaped by therapeutic advances and precision medicine. Alongside these developments, prevention and early detection remain steady drivers of progress.

The Prevent Cancer Foundation’s work complements the goals of providers and pharmaceutical partners by strengthening awareness, supporting innovation, and expanding access.

Earlier engagement creates more options. More options create better outcomes. And that is a goal shared across the oncology community.