The X PRIZE Foundation has been awarded planning grants to explore the possibilities of a Cancer X PRIZE Suite. In designing the prizes in this suite, we use these guiding principles, in addition to the principals that guide all of our X PRIZEs:

1. Prizes will stimulate innovation in directions perpendicular to existing financial resources and incentives. Billions of dollars per year are spent by the pharmaceutical industry on oncology drug development. Many more billions of dollars are made by this industry on therapies that have already been approved. Prizes constructed to reward success in further drug development would have minimal impact.
2. The Cancer X PRIZE Suite will include incentives covering all of cancer prevention, diagnosis and therapy. Ideally, prizes in each of these domains should be linked together in some manner (e.g., an innovation in detection/imaging that enables a new therapeutic paradigm).
3. Tobacco cessation should have a prominent position in our cancer suite. Smoking is by far the number one preventable risk factor for cancer and is the “low hanging fruit” in the fight against cancer.

The X PRIZE Foundation's cancer planning work is assisted by a Cancer Advisory Council made up of some of the world's most esteemed experts. They suggest areas of focus, screen concepts, review proposed rules and recommend ways to link the prizes into a powerful, synergistic sequence. Our Advisory Council spans thought leaders from academia, advocacy, industry, media, finance, and philanthropy.