Download What happens when are `carer` gets colorectal cancer?

Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology PhD Studentship 2015 intake
Please contact the Lead Supervisor with informal enquiries
Title of Project
What happens when a ‘carer’ gets colorectal cancer?
Lead Supervisor
Current post(s)
Dr Penny Wright
Associate Professor in in
[email protected]
Psychosocial Cancer Care
Co-Supervisor(s)
Current post(s)
Dr Amy Downing
Senior Research Fellow
Professor Claire Hulme
Professor of Health
Economics
Section
Patient Centred Outcome
Research
Section
Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Academic Unit of Health
Economics, Leeds Institute
of Health Sciences
Subject Area
Psychosocial Oncology
Project Summary (up to 300 words)
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third commonest cancer (both genders). Incidence
escalates post the age of 50. One year survival stands at 76%. Poorer survival is
related to older age and more advanced disease at diagnosis (1). In an English
CRC survey, 20.6% defined themselves as being a ‘carer’ (paper under review). As
the population ages the number of ‘carers’ increases. Carers report poor
physical/mental health and suspension of attending medical check-ups or
treatment due to lack of time or replacement care(2). However, there is uncertainty
about whether having a caring role impacts on mortality (3). The cost to health and
social care services of providing care is substantial and increasing. This would be
considerably more were it not for the huge contribution made by informal carers.
Therefore, maintaining carer health is important not only for the carer and the
person being cared for but also for society. There is little published concerning
carers who are diagnosed with cancer.
The aim is to explore experiences and outcomes of carers diagnosed with CRC
(common in both genders, occurring in age groups where caring is commonplace
(e.g. caring for children, partners, parents)). If caring has an impact on survival
(e.g. through late presentation) this is likely to be picked up in the first couple of
years post diagnosis. A mixed methods approach will be employed (qualitative,
qualitative, health economic).Routes to diagnosis and treatment choice analyses
will be undertaken on data from linked data sets (e.g. as in the NCIN ‘Routes to
Diagnoses’; Primary Care) to compare carer/non-carer outcomes. Longitudinal
qualitative interviews of newly diagnosed CRC patients with caring responsibilities
will be undertaken to explore in depth the experience of routes to diagnosis,
treatment decision making and the impact on caring. Health economic outcomes
will be examined in both qualitative and quantitative studies.
Techniques associated with project
Literature reviewing.
Statistical analyses of large data sets using standard parametric and nonparametric techniques as required.
Longitudinal qualitative interviewing and analysis using a Framework Analytical
approach.
Health economic analyses using, where possible, linked datasets for quantitative
work and preliminary investigation from interview data of the carer and cared for
costs (individual and societal).
References (up to 3)
1. Downing A, Aravani A, Macleod U, Oliver S, Finan PJ, Thomas JD, et al. Early
mortality from colorectal cancer in England: a retrospective observational study of
the factors associated with death in the first year after diagnosis. British Journal of
Cancer. 2013;108(3):681-5.
2. Carers UK. Facts about carers 2014. Available from:
http://www.carersuk.org/for-professionals/policy/policy-library/facts-about-carers2014.
3. Ramsay S, Grundy E, O'Reilly D. The relationship between informal caregiving
and mortality: an analysis using the ONS Longitudinal Study of England and
Wales. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2013;67(8):655-60.