Understanding patient pathways to care in oral cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
“Understanding patient pathways to care in oral cancer”
IRAS ID
131259
Contact name
Helen Smith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Brighton and Sussex Medical School Research Governance and Ethics Committee
Research summary
Oral cancer is an important health problem. It is reported to be the eighth most common cancer worldwide. The number of cases is increasing; in 2009 over 6,000 people were diagnosed and treated in the UK. Unfortunately there has been no improvement in survival following treatment over the last few decades. Approximately half of those patients diagnosed within the UK do not survive for longer than five years even with treatment. A significant number of patients present with advanced cancer. This necessitates complex treatment and associated significant complications and poorer outcomes.
Late presentation and delay in diagnosis appear to be two of the key factors related to this poor survival. A recent study has shown that early detection improves survival rates. The mouth is readily accessible and relatively easy to examine but, despite this, only one third of oral cancer cases are diagnosed in the early stages.
There is evidence that earlier diagnosis can be achieved through ‘opportunistic screening’ for oral cancer when patients are being seen for other medical problems, however it is unclear which health professionals should undertake this. It is important to gain a better understanding of the ‘patient journey’, especially in the vital few months leading up to diagnosis. It is also important to discover whether there are real opportunities to diagnose people earlier.
This study aims to improve our understanding of the pathways that lead to a diagnosis of oral cancer. It will involve interviewing patients with a recent diagnosis of oral cancer, and exploring their experiences and recall of events in the 12 months prior to diagnosis. We will also review relevant case-notes from within primary care (general medical practice and/or dental practice) to relate the patient’s experience to the one recorded by the health care professionals they’ve met.REC name
London - London Bridge Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/1382
Date of REC Opinion
9 Oct 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion