Fig 1. Ratings of cancer curability today and the estimated benefit from a hypothetical screening blood test.

The x-axis represents expert ratings on how likely they believe a cancer could be “cured” today, defined as the receipt of effective treatment such that a population of individuals who are “cured” would have the same life expectancy as a population that never had the cancer being considered. Curability was rated on a scale of 1 (extremely unlikely to be cured) to 9 (extremely likely to be cured). The y-axis represents expert ratings on the estimated benefit from a hypothetical screening test, defined as the improvement in curability as a result of the test. Improvement in cure was rated on a scale of 1 (not at all likely to increase) to 9 (increase a great deal). Cancers in blue are those experts believed could potentially benefit the most from a hypothetical screening test (those with high curability today in earlier stages and likely to progress). Experts believed cancers in purple may show some benefit from a hypothetical screening test (lower curability today in earlier stages and likely to progress). Cancers in orange were rated as least likely to benefit from a hypothetical screening test (high curability in earlier stages today and progress slowly).