Advanced head and neck cancer in relation to travelling time
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Do patients who travel further present with more advanced head and neck cancer?
IRAS ID
280242
Contact name
M Turner
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Aberdeen
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Rural patients with head and neck cancers may have significantly worse survival than those who live close to the hospital. Patients with lung and bowel cancers who live far from the hospital have been shown to have a worse prognosis than those living near the hospital, despite starting treatment more quickly. This could be because they have more advanced disease when they first present at the hospital. Head and neck cancers present differently to most other cancers, usually with painless ulcers in the mouth and throat. Therefore the negative rural effect may be stronger in this group of patients because their disease can become more advanced before presentation. Identifying this effect, and understanding the strength of this effect, will help us to design referral pathways in the future which minimise the disadvantages
suffered by rural patients.REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NE/0265
Date of REC Opinion
11 Nov 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion