Durham, NC — June 19, 2026
Duke Cancer Institute has announced the formation of a new, multidisciplinary working group dedicated to advancing the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of precancers. The initiative, called PRELUDE (Precancer Research for Early Lesion Understanding, Diagnosis, and Evaluation), brings together approximately 60 members from across Duke Cancer Institute’s departments.
The group was formed in recognition that precancers represent an increasingly important opportunity to intervene early in the cancer pathway. While early intervention holds significant promise, much remains unknown about how and when to intercept cancer development in ways that maximize benefit to patients while minimizing harm.
A Cross-Disciplinary Approach
What sets PRELUDE apart is the breadth of expertise its members bring to the table. The group includes specialists from a wide range of disease sites, including:
- Brain
- Breast
- Colorectal
- Head/neck
- Liver
- Lung
- OB-GYN
- Pancreas
- Prostate
- Melanoma
- Thyroid, and others
Members also represent diverse research disciplines, including epidemiology, biomarker development, biostatistics, artificial intelligence, genomics, and immunology.
Goals of the Initiative
PRELUDE aims to facilitate and conduct cross-cutting research that enables a more targeted approach to understanding the relationship between cancer hallmarks, precancer initiation, and the potential for interception before disease progresses to an invasive stage. The group’s leadership believes this work has the potential to be both groundbreaking and practice-changing for patients and families at risk for cancer.
Get Involved
Duke Cancer Institute welcomes interest from individuals and organizations who would like to learn more about how they might contribute to this new initiative. Those interested in arranging a conversation are encouraged to contact Thomas Lynch, PhD, at thomas.lynch2@duke.edu.
