Childhood cancer diagnosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The CHILDHOOD CANCER DIAGNOSIS Study: understanding pathways to diagnosis
IRAS ID
258464
Contact name
Shalini Ojha
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 8 months, 2 days
Research summary
WHY IS THIS RESEARCH NEEDED?
Childhood cancer is the commonest cause of death in the UK and many experience
long delays to diagnosis. Survival rates in the UK are worse than in the rest of Europe. Delayed diagnosis can also lead to poorer long-term health for survivors. We need to understand the pathways to diagnosis for children and young people with all cancers across the UK in order to tailor any interventions to promote early diagnosis and better outcomes.WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS THAT WILL BE ANSWERED?
How long does it take for children/young people in the UK to be diagnosed with
cancer?
Who makes the diagnosis of cancer in children and young people (e.g GP or A&E)?
What factors affect delays in diagnosis?HOW WILL THE RESEARCH BE DONE?
All children and young people in the UK with a new diagnosis of a childhood cancer over a 2 year period will be invited to participate. Data including age, tumour type, referral route and key dates such as date of first symptom onset, date of first contact with healthcare professional and date of diagnosis will be collected. The data will be analysed to understand the factors affecting their journey and time to diagnosis.
HOW WILL THE RESEARCH BENEFIT PATIENTS AND THE NHS?
By identifying groups with longer delays, we can tailor interventions to reduce this. Early diagnosis will improve the chance of survival, reduce the amount of treatment needed for a cure and reduce long term effects on health into adulthood.
HOW WILL THE RESULTS BE SHARED?
The results will be translated and shared through a national public and professional awareness campaign called ChildCancerSmart in collaboration with the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) in order to reduce the time to diagnosis for children and young people across the UK.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/YH/0416
Date of REC Opinion
25 Feb 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion