Experiences and outcomes of people receiving immunotherapy for cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The experiences and outcomes of people receiving immunotherapies for cancer
IRAS ID
216937
Contact name
Mark Middleton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
The use of immunotherapies is a relatively novel approach for treating cancer. Since 2012 cancer immunotherapies have received marketing authorisation by the European Commission. Currently in the UK, immunotherapies are used to treat adults over the age of 18 who have skin cancer (metastatic melanoma), some types of lung cancer and kidney cancer and their use is increasing.
Immunotherapies are given in the same way as many traditional chemotherapies, through a drip in an outpatient unit at a hospital or in the patient's own home. However immunotherapies have different side effects, and durations of treatment.
This study aims to investigate the outcomes and experiences of patients receiving immunotherapies reported by patients through conducting approximately 30 qualitative in-depth, semi-structured interviews. These interviews will explore the participants’ perspectives, experiences, quality of life, functional status, side effects and symptoms of receiving immunotherapies.
Once the results of these interviews have been analysed key aspects of the participants’ experiences will be identified, with the aim of producing a patient reported outcome measure (PROM). A PROM is essentially a questionnaire that can be given to patients to directly report their quality of life and experiences of receiving a treatment. This will assist healthcare professionals in identifying the patients’ needs and prevent them from missing problems important to the patient.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EM/0214
Date of REC Opinion
7 Jun 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion