Cancer survival using further data from audits, RTDS and HES - v2
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Factors associated with inequalities in cancer survival, using National Cancer Registry data linked to national Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data, clinical audit data available from the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme, national primary care data and data from the national Radiotherapy Dataset (RTDS).
IRAS ID
111683
Contact name
Michel P Coleman
Contact email
Research summary
Socioeconomic and geographic gradients exist in cancer survival in England [1]. We (the Cancer Survival Group) aim to study why and how inequalities arise in cancer survival in England, by looking at diagnosis and treatment pathways. Research has shown that inequalities in survival for many cancers are only partially explained by differences in stage of disease and co-morbidity at the time of diagnosis. For example, the characteristics of the General Practitioner and the GP Practice that cancer patients attend can influence time to diagnosis, tumour staging and treatment options. For treatment, the timing and dose of radiotherapy that patients receive are important prognostic factors that influence survival. Results of such studies will help identify inequalities in cancer diagnosis and treatment pathways, which will in turn assist health services to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in cancer survival.
Data from population-based cancer registries are often incomplete for key variables such as stage and treatment information [2]. We plan to analyse routinely collected population based datasets on individual tumour records linked to the core cancer registry datasets. Clinical audit data contain detailed demographic, stage and treatment data for patients diagnosed in England. The NHS National Radiotherapy Dataset (RTDS) contains detailed information on the type, dose and fractionation.
[1] Rachet B, Woods LM, Mitry E, Riga M, Cooper C, Quinn MJ, et al. (2008) Cancer survival in England and Wales at the end of the 20th century. Br J Cancer, 99 (Suppl. 1):2-10
[2] Walters S, Maringe C, Butler J, Brierley JD, Rachet B, Coleman MP. Comparability of stage data in cancer registries in six countries: lessons from the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership. Int J Cancer 2013;132:676-85
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/0610
Date of REC Opinion
28 May 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion