NAEDI is the product of three organisations, Department of Health, Cancer Research UK and National Cancer Action Team, combining their resources to promote activities aimed at increasing early diagnosis rates for cancer.

The initiative offers guidance to prevention and awareness projects coordinated nationally. This is in addition to making resources and expert advice available for local programmes (LAEDI) specific to a community or disease area. The long term aim is to generate a collection of successful sustainable projects, suitable for sharing throughout the country.

The regional lung cancer campaign which took place between 10 October and 13 November 2011, has been evaluated by the Department of Health.

The use of television, radio and press activity has played a major role in encouraging patients with signs and symptoms such as a cough for more than three weeks, to visit their general practitioner.

The full report can be viewed for further information.

The first NAEDI Research Conference took place on 17th and 18th February 2011. It saw presentations from leading researchers in the cancer awareness, screening and early diagnosis fields and spanned research from epidemiology to primary care to behaviour change. Click here to access the details of the conference.