CLOCS 1

CLOCS-1 explored the feasibility of using loyalty card data to detect cancer earlier. Ovarian cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women around the world. Sadly, many women are diagnosed too late to receive treatment because the symptoms can be vague or mistaken for other everyday issues. Often, women try to manage these symptoms themselves by buying over-the-counter medicines like painkillers or indigestion tablets. 

A recent study found that women who were later diagnosed with ovarian cancer had started buying more of these medicines 10 to 12 months before their diagnosis. As part of the Cancer Loyalty Card Study (CLOCS), researchers are now planning a larger study to see if changes in shopping habits—tracked through store loyalty cards—could help spot early signs of ovarian cancer. This could lead to earlier diagnosis and better chances of recovery.

Study aims and objectives

To assess whether shopping patterns can indicate early symptoms of cancer.

Initial results show promising correlations between purchasing behavior and symptom onset.

• We discovered that women who were later diagnosed with ovarian cancer were more likely to buy pain and indigestion medicines up to 8 months before their diagnosis. This pattern was different from women who didn’t have cancer.
• We also found that purchases of indigestion medicine started to increase as early as 9 months before diagnosis, and these changes were even more noticeable in women with late-stage ovarian cancer.

These findings suggest that changes in shopping habits—like buying certain over-the-counter medicines—could be an early sign of cancer. If we can spot these patterns sooner, it might help people seek medical advice earlier, leading to better treatment options and improved chances of survival.