Impact of Socioeconomic factors on outcomes in Head and Neck Cancer v1

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Study assessing the impact of socioeconomic factors on Head and Neck cancer patients undergoing Surgery in North Central and North East London

• IRAS ID

  330227

• Contact name

  Clare Schilling

• Contact email

  clare.schilling@nhs.net

• Sponsor organisation

  UCLH

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  N/A, N/A

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  
  The Whitehall study (Marmot Report) demonstrated that health inequalities exist in society and can lead to adverse health outcomes. Understanding the socioeconomic factors that contribute to health inequalities is paramount to improving cancer care.

  The incidence of head and neck cancer (mainly cancer of the tongue and throat) is rising in the UK. There is a high morbidity and mortality associated with head and neck (H&N) cancer, and several studies have noted wide variation in outcomes across socioeconomic groups. Addressing health inequalities may reduce disease burden, improve treatment response, and increase survival.

  As a single site specialist tertiary centre (University College Hospital, UCLH), we treat H&N patients from North Central (NCL) and North East London (NEL). This work is being undertaken to gain a greater understanding of the socioeconomic variation across the network and understand how this impacts patients in order to target resources to where they are needed most.

  The primary aim of our study is to identify health inequalities within in our H&N cancer network.
  We will use retrospective data to map the pathways of patients that have been treated surgically over the past two years at UCLH. In parallel we will prospectively invite patients to participate in questionnaires prior to starting their treatment which will collect detailed information about their socioeconomic status.

  Secondary aims will be to assess whether these socioeconomic factors influence cancer staging at presentation, pre-treatment health status, as well as the rate of complications after treatment (morbidity). Long term aims of the study will include looking at inequality in cancer survival.

• REC name

  Wales REC 4

• REC reference

  25/WA/0173

• Date of REC Opinion

  25 Jun 2025

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion