Cancer analysis game Reverse the Odds is translated internationally

24 November 2014

Reverse The Odds, a cancer cell analysis game commissioned by Channel 4 for the joint Stand Up To Cancer campaign with Cancer Research UK, has been translated internationally to help beat cancer sooner.

The mobile game, which uses the power of the public to analyse real images of cancer cells, was launched in October and is now available in four additional languages – French, Spanish, Italian and German.

Reverse The Odds has already seen more than 2 million cells analysed by citizen scientists. And in the first two weeks alone gamers produced two months’ worth of analysis.*

Players help to speed up this normally time-consuming process, with data being taken from the game and fed back to researchers and scientists working to find new ways to beat cancer sooner. Players progress through different levels by answering questions around how bright the cells are, or how many particular types of cell are present.

In the game, players are on a mission to use their cell evaluation to revitalise the world of tiny creatures called ‘The Odds’. The game’s story tells of a girl who lives in a magical world populated by these creatures who become grey and lifeless when she becomes tired. Players must conquer each level and restore the world from a washed-out wasteland to an amazing colourful wonderland.

The game will be providing data analysis for multiple researchers and different cancer types. Some of the data has come from Dr Anne Kiltie, based at the Cancer Research UK/MRC Oxford Institute, who is using the images to better understand bladder cancer and its treatment.

Dr Kiltie said: “My team and I are working to understand why some patients respond to radiotherapy treatment while for others surgery is their best treatment option. This requires us to analyse thousands of cells, which can be very time consuming. Thanks to people playing Reverse The Odds, we now have results from four times as many samples. This means we can see the results faster and get a clearer picture sooner, speeding up the progress we can make to beat cancer. It’s astonishing to think that something so seemingly simple can make such a vast difference, but it really can. We’re very excited that Reverse The Odds will now be available internationally.”

Colin Macdonald, Games Commissioning Editor for Channel 4, said: “I’m thrilled that we’ve hit the amazing milestone of 2 million slides analysed already, and it’s even more exciting to think how much more can be done as a result of having the game available in players’ local lagnauges”

Hannah Keartland, Citizen Science Lead at Cancer Research UK, said: “Reverse The Odds is a great example of how technology and gaming can be a real force for good and unite the world in a common goal – to beat cancer sooner.

“Without games like this, our scientists would be using their precious time to go through this data by eye. Now mobile users across the globe can help our scientists in their fight against cancer by doing this analysis through a mobile game. “

Reverse The Odds is purely for research purposes and not for any clinical purpose. The game was developed in collaboration with Maverick Television’s Multiplatform team, Chunk and Cancer Research UK.

Players don’t need to worry about getting their analysis wrong; Reverse The Odds is a crowd-sourcing application whereby  the accuracy of the results comes from lots of people looking at each sample and so no-one's diagnosis or treatment can be affected by anyone’s actions.

http://www.channel4.com/reversetheodds

Stand Up To Cancer is now available on 4OD.

 

Notes to editors:

*in two weeks, players had played the analysis section of Reverse The Odds to the equivalent of over two months’ worth of working days.

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Stand Up To Cancer is a joint national fundraising event from Channel 4 and Cancer Research UK

• 2014’s campaign total so far is £15,585,444,15
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About Stand Up To Cancer (U.S. programme and show)

• SU2C is a programme of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, and utilises the assets of this industry to engage the public in unique ways
• In 2008, SU2C launched its first national fundraising telecast in the USA on 3 major networks—the first ever non-emergency fundraiser to be simultaneously broadcast across several major networks, which has become a biennial event
• Over $260m was pledged to SU2C for collaborative cancer research in connection with the first three SU2C telecasts, in 2008, 2010, and 2012
• In 2014, for the first time, a Canadian-inclusive co-broadcast of the SU2C fundraising special aired on four major English-language networks and several other broadcast and cable services in Canada
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About Cancer Research UK

• Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research.
• Cancer Research UK’s pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives.
• Cancer Research UK receives no government funding for its life-saving research. Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on every pound donated.
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• Today, 2 in 4 people survive cancer. Cancer Research UK’s ambition is to accelerate progress so that 3 in 4 people will survive cancer within the next 20 years.
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