Cancer Australia Research Initiative Targeted Call for Research: Early-Onset Cancer 2025

Early-Onset Cancer (EOC) is a health priority due to its global rise and diverse tumour sub-types, necessitating further research on environmental and genetic interactions. Unique challenges in early diagnosis and management arise from EOC's younger age of onset, often leading to advanced-stage presentations. This will result in more complex cancer management issues throughout the cancer continuum. In contrast, early diagnosis and management will improve EOC survival given the capacity of this population to receive and tolerate more aggressive treatment programs.

Successful applications for this TCR will:

• Enhance understanding of early-onset cancer and develop novel clinical approaches for earlier diagnosis and innovative models of care to ensure effective management for those diagnosed with early-onset cancers.
• Support programs that leverage existing, multidisciplinary, collaborative activities and that are designed to link to enduring and broad-based research infrastructure initiatives that will inform policy and large scale, novel research for early-onset cancer in the future.

The expected outcomes of this TCR are to:

• Improve understanding of EOC: CARI aims to fund targeted, collaborative research into early-onset cancers (diagnosed between adolescence and age 50), particularly those typically seen in older populations, to address rising incidence and complex management challenges.
• Enhance equity and inclusion in cancer research: Research must include strong consumer involvement, especially from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other priority populations, aligning with the Australian Cancer Plan’s equity goals.
• Strengthen multidisciplinary, long-term collaborative research capacity: Funded projects must be multi-institutional, collaborative, and designed to link with enduring research infrastructure, enabling future large-scale initiatives and policy impact.
• Gain greater insight into the causes of EOC: Support studies in molecular epidemiology and translational genomics to investigate the interactions between genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors contributing to the rise in early-onset cancers (EOC), aiming to uncover underlying causes and risk patterns.
• Improve clinical models of care: Develop and evaluate innovative clinical models and diagnostic algorithms tailored to EOC, with a focus on early detection, treatment optimization, survivorship outcomes, and scalable, multidisciplinary care frameworks.
• Enhance capacity building for EMCRs: At least 30% of each research team must consist of early- and mid-career researchers, supporting the development of future research leaders in cancer research.