54 min
Episode 11: Reimagining a future where everyone survives cancer, with Dr Bhavagaya Bakshi of C The Signs THE IMPACT INTERVIEW
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- Entrepreneurship
This is my second conversation with a startup that is part of the 2021 cohort of the ‘AI for Social Impact Programme’ – which is a partnership between Social Tech Trust, Microsoft and Microsoft for Startups. Social Tech Trust is a UK charity that supports purpose driven ventures using technology to make a positive impact on people’s lives – which is exactly the focus of this podcast, so I’m delighted that we’ve teamed up for this latest series.
My guest today is Dr Bhavagaya Bakshi, co-founder and CEO of C The Signs
C the Signs is a multi platform digital tool primarily for doctors to support early identification of patients at risk of cancer.
Now it almost goes without saying the huge problem this technology is addressing, but it’s worth emphasising nonetheless:
Today, it’s a fact that 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. The rate of Survival depends enormously on the stage of the disease when it’s diagnosed. At stages 1 or 2 when the cancer is still confined, over 80% of patients will survive to 10 years. But in the later stages of the disease, stages 3 or 4, the chances of the patient surviving fall to less than 20% at 5 years.
Diagnosing cancer is extremely difficult. Unlike other conditions, there is no single symptom or even a test that points towards a potential cancer diagnosis. Cancer is a collection of over 200 different diseases, each with their own signs, symptoms and risk factors, which are really hard to identify at the first GP appointment.
C The Signs uses AI and advanced algorithms to translate complex research and guidelines into a simple and intuitive journey for the user. Covering the entire spectrum of cancer and cross-referencing multiple diagnostic pathways, C the Signs can identify which cancer or cancers a patient is at risk of and the most appropriate next step – all in less than 30 seconds.
Which all sounds pretty amazing.
Bea is a qualified GP, having trained at Imperial and King’s College London and also worked in health policy and Health IT policy for a number of years, working on shaping the digital transformation within the NHS. She launched the business in 2017 with her co-founder Miles Grayling, who she met when both junior doctors.
This is my second conversation with a startup that is part of the 2021 cohort of the ‘AI for Social Impact Programme’ – which is a partnership between Social Tech Trust, Microsoft and Microsoft for Startups. Social Tech Trust is a UK charity that supports purpose driven ventures using technology to make a positive impact on people’s lives – which is exactly the focus of this podcast, so I’m delighted that we’ve teamed up for this latest series.
My guest today is Dr Bhavagaya Bakshi, co-founder and CEO of C The Signs
C the Signs is a multi platform digital tool primarily for doctors to support early identification of patients at risk of cancer.
Now it almost goes without saying the huge problem this technology is addressing, but it’s worth emphasising nonetheless:
Today, it’s a fact that 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. The rate of Survival depends enormously on the stage of the disease when it’s diagnosed. At stages 1 or 2 when the cancer is still confined, over 80% of patients will survive to 10 years. But in the later stages of the disease, stages 3 or 4, the chances of the patient surviving fall to less than 20% at 5 years.
Diagnosing cancer is extremely difficult. Unlike other conditions, there is no single symptom or even a test that points towards a potential cancer diagnosis. Cancer is a collection of over 200 different diseases, each with their own signs, symptoms and risk factors, which are really hard to identify at the first GP appointment.
C The Signs uses AI and advanced algorithms to translate complex research and guidelines into a simple and intuitive journey for the user. Covering the entire spectrum of cancer and cross-referencing multiple diagnostic pathways, C the Signs can identify which cancer or cancers a patient is at risk of and the most appropriate next step – all in less than 30 seconds.
Which all sounds pretty amazing.
Bea is a qualified GP, having trained at Imperial and King’s College London and also worked in health policy and Health IT policy for a number of years, working on shaping the digital transformation within the NHS. She launched the business in 2017 with her co-founder Miles Grayling, who she met when both junior doctors.
54 min