Although great strides have been made in cancer treatment and diagnosis, in many types of cancer these aspects are still underdeveloped. In this interview, Julia Schnabel, PhD, of Kings College London, London, UK, discusses how the latest cancer imaging methods could help understand a cancer at an earlier stage, identifying the best treatment course quickly, saving time and money spent on ineffective therapies, ideally before symptoms even appear. This interview was recorded at the 2017 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference, held in Liverpool, UK.