Peninsula scientists to implement Policy Research Unit for early cancer screening and diagnosis

A team of researchers from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry are part of a wider group of researchers from leading institutions that will implement a -4.7m Policy Research Unit dedicated to achieving early cancer screening and diagnosis. The funding is provided over five years by the Department of Health and will be led by Queen Mary, University of London.

Other collaborators in the project include Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kings College London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Hull York Medical School and the University of Durham.

The aim of the Unit is to undertake research to underpin the earlier diagnosis of cancers, thus enabling more successful treatment and better survival rates. Currently the UK has poorer survival rates from some cancers than many of its European counterparts.

The remit of the Policy Research Unit will include:

• Studies of cancer awareness and survival
• Studies of GP responses to cancer symptoms
• Expansion of case control estimation of the benefits of the cervical screening programme to the breast and bowel screening programmes
• Assessment of interventions to enhance cancer awareness, improve access to screening and promote diagnosis at an earlier stage

The team from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry will focus on the early diagnosis aspect of the project.

They will begin by examining breast, uterus and cervix cancers and identify two issues: what are the symptoms that really matter, and which symptoms should make a GP "sit up and take notice".

Once the symptoms have been so identified, the team will then quantify them by allocating a percentage risk to each symptom.

The team will also provide a research service to the Department of Health when policies are being considered.

Professor Willie Hamilton, Professor of Primary Care Diagnostics at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, commented: "This is a very exciting opportunity that could lead to cancer survival rates and outcomes for cancer patients in the UK improving significantly. The early diagnosis of cancer is one of my and my team's leading areas of research, and we are looking forward to adding our skills and expertise to the work of the Policy Research Unit."