ADR Wales News. Published 31/03/2024
A new Data Insight from members of the ADR Wales Major Societal Challenges research team lays the groundwork for future cancer research to reduce health inequalities and guide cancer prevention and early detection interventions.
The study assessed the feasibility of linking cancer service data, including screening and diagnosis records, with additional administrative data within the SAIL Databank with the aim of understanding how cancer incidence and cancer screening patterns differ across different groups of people. The team used data sources that screened for breast and bowel cancer, the most common and fourth most common cancers in the UK. Ultimately, the information can be used to guide public health policies to reduce cancer’s impact on communities.
Study findings suggest that sociodemographic factors may influence cancer screening participation, with some indications that single individuals, those with lower education, and those from more deprived areas could be less likely to engage in screenings. While these patterns warrant further investigation, they may provide useful insights for informing targeted interventions to improve screening uptake and, consequently, cancer prevention and early detection.
The findings from this research will be used to inform data opportunities as part of the new Cancer Data-Driven Detection programme (CD3). CD3 is a £10 million programme that will allow scientists to access and link datasets together and build models of individual cancer risk. It is funded by Cancer Research UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). As part of the programme, ADR UK is also providing funding to support linking administrative and health data to understand the cancer incidence in Wales. By using several sources of data, the project will identify patterns and inequalities in cancer occurrence and screening.
Dr Roberta Chiovoloni, lead author of the Data Insight, said, “Our research highlights the critical role sociodemographic factors play in cancer screening participation, with insights drawn from administrative data such as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census data, which offers unique information not easily found elsewhere. By understanding the social and environmental factors that influence screening attendance, we can help guide targeted interventions to improve uptake, giving more people access to early detection and better cancer outcomes.”
Professor Ashley Akbari, ADR Wales co-lead for the Major Societal Challenges research theme and a co-applicant and co-lead of the CD3 data lab, added, “Through these innovative and previously not possible linkages, it is now possible to start to evaluate and identify opportunities across the whole longitudinal pathway from screening, through to diagnoses and service utilisation and outcomes, looking at information from the health service as well as wider cancer specialist and administrative data within the SAIL Databank. Utilising linked data allows us to see the impacts on a person’s wider health and wellbeing, leading to opportunities that may allow us to identify improvements in cancer services and outcomes for people across the UK.”
Professor Antonis Antoniou, CD3 Director, said, “The success of the CD3 programme hinges on linking multiple health and administrative datasets, including screening data that have historically been difficult to access for research. The SAIL Databank will be central to CD3, and this pilot study demonstrates the potential of our approach. It lays the foundation for the extensive risk modelling planned within CD3, which aims to improve cancer prevention and early detection efforts. “
Dr Emma Gordon, Director of the ADR UK Strategic Hub, said, “This report signals the start of how ADR UK will be contributing to the CD3 programme. Everything we do is focused on using linked administrative data to improve people’s lives through research. The findings from this initial study give us tantalising glimpses into the potential for using administrative data in this context. I am really looking forward to seeing how this research develops over the coming years, towards actionable outcomes that improve early detection and diagnosis of cancers.”
Read the announcement of the Cancer Data-Driven Detection (CD3) programme
Read more about the ADR UK-funded project in Wales
Read news story on the ADR Wales website
