NIHRDataInsights/HRCSData huggingface dataset:
Title: Molecular Haemopoiesis 17
Funder: Cancer Research UK

Abstract: The Molecular Haemopoiesis Meeting is an annual gathering of the UK research community studying blood cell development and leukaemia. The meeting consists of 10 short talks as well as one keynote longer talk. The programme for this year’s meeting has been uploaded as a supporting document. As in previous years, it contains a mix of molecular and more clinical talks, all with a focus on blood stem cells and leukaemia development. The Molecular Haemopoiesis Meeting has grown into a much valued annual get-together, not just to update on most recent research findings, but also to build new UK-based collaborations. It therefore represents a powerful means to enhance UK-based research into the mechanisms of leukaemia development, with potential future implications in terms of patient diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.


Research activity codes: 2.6 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (AETIOLOGY)
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS
Title: 3rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Scottish Radiotherapy Research Forum
Funder: Cancer Research UK

Abstract: The Scottish Radiotherapy Research Forum (ScoRRF) was established in 2011 with the aim of enhancing the quality and quantity of radiotherapy related research in Scotland. In addition to creating a network of radiotherapy researchers across all relevant disciplines, a major focus of ScoRRF's activity is an Annual Scientific Meeting. The meetings in 2012 and 2013 were attended by 60 - 80 delegates from across Scotland, with representation from all professional groups involved in radiotherapy research and treatment (oncologists, radiographers, physicists, laboratory researchers, radiologists, research nurses)and from all five cancer centres. Feedback from the meeting was extremely positive so we are aiming for a slightly larger meeting this year with space for 100 delegates. The programme has nearly been finalised and will include invited speakers from across Scotland and the UK, an international speaker, in addition to poster presentations to be selected from submitted abstracts. We would be extremely grateful for financial support from Cancer Research UK to help cover costs associated with the venue (University of Stirling) and invited speakers.


Research activity codes: 6.9 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (TREATMENT EVALUATION);5.9 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (TREATMENT DEVELOPMENT)
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS
Title: Hypoxia in soft tissue sarcoma and its effect on prognosis and genomic instability
Funder: Cancer Research UK

Abstract: Background The 5-year survival of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) has remained at ~50% for the last 30 years. Most patients die of metastatic disease. As a rare tumour type with considerable histopathology heterogeneity, it is difficult to recruit large numbers of patients in clinical trials to demonstrate any benefit of new therapies. Progress requires better understanding of the molecular pathology of the disease to identify sub-groups for molecularly/biologically targeted treatments. There is evidence that hypoxia in STS is associated with an increased likelihood of metastases and decreased disease-specific survival. There is also evidence that tumour hypoxia drives genetic instability and a metastatic phenotype. Biomarkers of tumour hypoxia may be useful in identifying subgroups of STS patients with an increased risk of metastases who could benefit from early systemic therapy or had an increased likelihood of responding to specific interventions in biomarker driven clinical trials. Identification of the genetic changes in STS associated with hypoxia could highlight targets for novel interventions. Aims (1) To evaluate tumour hypoxia markers in the largest ever cohort of ~250 patients with STS of the extremities with prospectively collected clinical outcome data, treated with current surgical and radiotherapy techniques. (2) To generate pilot data for a PhD application investigating the relationship between hypoxia and genomic instability and identifying molecular alterations for novel targeted agents in combination with hypoxia-modifying therapy. Methods The study involves samples collected prospectively from patient enrolled in the VORTEX trial in adults with extremity STS (319 patients registered and 210 randomised to two volumes of post-operative radiotherapy. Protein expression of hypoxia markers (HIF-1a, HIF-2a, CA9, Glut-1) will be assessed using immunohistochemistry. In ~250 registered patients, expression will be linked with survival following surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy ignoring randomisation status (not expected to influence survival). Pilot data will investigate: (i) genomic instability (copy number variation) in tumours with high versus low hypoxia using next generation sequencing (allowing for further future analysis of drugable genetic changes); and (ii) established sarcoma (CINSARC) and hypoxia (metagene) signatures. How results will be used Short-term: to generate pilot data for a PhD application. Long-term: to design a biomarker driven trial personalising the treatment of patients with extremity STS.


Research activity codes: 4.2 EVALUATION OF MARKERS AND TECHNOLOGIES
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS
Title: Clinical Training Award Cycle 2
Funder: Cancer Research UK

Abstract: Clinical Training associated with the Oxford Cancer Centre. The Oxford Cancer Research Centre builds on the city's long history of groundbreaking scientific research, bringing together world-class scientists, doctors, nurses and radiotherapists to speed progress in beating cancer. The Centre is a partnership between Cancer Research UK, the University of Oxford and the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. Researchers at the Centre are studying many different types of cancer. In particular, they are focusing on breast, skin, gastrointestinal and urological cancers, which covers bladder, prostate, kidney and testicular cancers. Radiotherapy research is a particular strength of the Oxford Centre, spearheaded by scientists at the Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology - created to be the largest group of doctors and scientists specialising in radiotherapy research in the country. Another key strength is research into the genetic and lifestyle factors that increase the risk of cancer, building on decades of experience in this area. Oxford scientists first showed that smoking causes cancer more than 40 years ago, and researchers in the city have made many more major discoveries in understanding the causes of the disease. Other areas of expertise at the Oxford centre include research into the faulty genes and molecules that lie at the heart of cancer. Researchers will also be investigating ways to improve cancer diagnosis, as well as searching for 'biomarkers' to help doctors predict the effectiveness of cancer treatment. A major aim of the Oxford centre is to bring benefits to cancer patients faster than ever before. To achieve this, the University has established a new Department of Oncology next door to the new Oxford Cancer Centre at the Churchill hospital in the city. This will help to build stronger links between researchers working in the lab and doctors caring for cancer patients, speeding up the creation of new treatments. Finally, the centre is designed to be part of the community in and around Oxford. Working with our Local Engagement and Development team, researchers will engage with local people to raise awareness of cancer and the world-class research on their doorstep.


Research activity codes: 2.6 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (AETIOLOGY);5.9 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (TREATMENT DEVELOPMENT)
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS
Title: Medical Engineering Centres Annual Meeting and Bioengineering14, Imperial College London, 10-11 September 2014
Funder: Cancer Research UK

Abstract: This Conferences and Meeting Support Award is made to Imperial College's Cancer Engineering initiative, which is a collaboration between Imperial's CRUK Centre and its Faculty of Engineering and aims to bring together biomedical scientists/clinicians and physical scientists/engineers to forge new approaches to cancer research. The award supports attendance of early career researchers at the Medical Engineering Centres Annual Meeting and Bioengineering14, a major biomedical engineering conference being held at Imperial College London on 10th - 11th September 2014; the UK’s largest ever gathering of Biomedical Engineers, Bioengineers and Medical Engineers, with participants from leading academic centres and the MedTech industry. Cancer engineering is an area of strategic priority and growth for the national UK network of leading biomedical engineering institutions that are involved with organising and participating in the conference. At this year's conference we have included for the first time a focussed session on "Cancer Engineering and Technologies", in addition to other sessions with a significant cancer research component, such as "Biomedical Imaging". A selection of presentations to be made by researchers at the CRUK-supported event is provided below: - Ultrasound Mediated drug Delivery for Pancreatic Cancer (Hasnaa) - Enhancing bone repair by fine-tuning intracellular protein degradation by a putative anti-cancer target (Sandra Loaiza) - Application of Gold Nanorods for Photothermal Effect in Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Tissue (Mohan Singh) - Harnessing laser-plasma accelerated ion beams using Gabor lenses for medical applications (Christopher Hughes) - Directed assembly of a capillary bed on a microfluidic chip (Zhaoying Li) - Molecular Ultrasound Imaging of Mouse Tumour Models (Marta Braga) - Ovarian cancer DNA methylation biomarkers in cell free DNA from blood (Kirsty Flower) - An in vitro blood vessel model for studying trans-endothelial migration dynamics of breast cancer (Cristina Bertulli) - Sensing and profiling of circulating cell-free nucleic acids with fluorogenic PNA probes: A high-throughput and minimally invasive approach for early-stage diagnosis and improved prognosis of cancer (Gavin AD Metcalf)


Research activity codes: 6.9 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (TREATMENT EVALUATION);5.9 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (TREATMENT DEVELOPMENT)
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS
Title: Evolving Sexual Health eLearning Resources for Further Education Professionals to use with young men: a feasibility study
Funder: Cancer Research UK

Abstract: Young men are identified as a particularly hard to reach group and engaging them to consider their high-risk sexual behaviour and the rise in human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers is both challenging and important. High-risk sexual behaviour increases the transmission of this common, sexually transmitted infection with the highest incidence in young people in the UK. Men with persistent infection of oncogenic HPV types may develop head and neck, anal, or penile cancers. The incidence rates of which have increased in UK countries. There is evidence of low knowledge and awareness of HPV among men, although no such studies have been undertaken in Scotland or the UK. The aim of this project is to investigate the challenges and feasibility of developing a set of sexual health eLearning resources concerning lifestyle and behaviour to prevent cancer for FE professionals to use with young men in an educational setting. The awareness, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of young males around HPV and cancer will be assessed. This is an exploratory, qualitative study taking a targeted approach to examine the perspectives of young males (many from deprived backgrounds) on HPV and the links with cancer. In tandem, the study will examine the perspectives of FE Professionals and Health Education Groups on the scope for eLearning resources to assist in the engagement of young men on these issues. Subject to ethical approval, this qualitative, feasibility study will involve in-depth paired interviews and mini focus groups with young males and interviews with FE professionals, using purposive sampling to maximise sample diversity, target specific groups and include a range of ages from 15-24 years. The development of a semi-structured interview schedule will be informed by a review of the current literature. Discussions will be recorded, transcribed verbatim and systematically compared using nVivo10 and following framework analysis principles. Key outputs from this study are to (i) establish what gaps exist in the knowledge and awareness of sexual health for young men and (ii) explore the scope for the development of a targeted intervention to reduce knowledge gaps and encourage higher sexual health awareness. The results of this research would be used to inform a full research proposal for the development of a set of eLearning resources for use by FE Lecturers to inform boys of the cancer risks incurred by high-risk sexual behaviour, thus potentially encouraging attitude and behaviour change (including practising safer oral sex and increased condom use).


Research activity codes: 3.1 PRIMARY PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS TO MODIFY BEHAVIOURS OR PROMOTE WELL-BEING
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS
Title: Growing Grandchildren
Funder: Cancer Research UK

Abstract: Background: Seven million grandparents look after their grandchildren every week, with around 44% of children regularly looked after by grandparents. Tensions have been identified around divergent child-rearing practices particularly relating to diet and secondhand smoke (SHS). Consequently, grandparents are positioned as poor role models, which may limit the positive experiences that are to be gained across families from intergenerational parenting. Few interventions have been carried out with parents and grandparents to address child-rearing practices that might impact on children’s health. Aims The aim of this study is to use the MRC’s framework for complex interventions to rigorously develop a logic model and evaluation plan to examine the impact of grandparents’ child-rearing practices on their grandchildren’s health and to facilitate a dialogue between parents and grandparents. Methods: This aim will be achieved via three key phases: a structured literature review, a qualitative component and logic model development. The structured review will include a comprehensive search strategy, with explicit inclusion/exclusion criteria facilitating identification of relevant literature. Studies will be synthesised using the EPPI-Centre approach, which allows for multiple study designs to be incorporated within a single review. We will interview parents and grandparents living in areas of high deprivation (n=30) about the challenges of divergent child-rearing practices in relation to SHS and children’s diets. Key stakeholders will also be interviewed (n=10) to discuss their experiences of working with families on SHS and diet, and their views on potential strategies to engage parents and grandparents in a dialogue about these issues. Interviews will be audiorecorded and transcribed. Data will be analysed thematically using Atlas.ti. The results from the literature review and interviews will be used to identify potential strategies to engage parents and grandparents in a dialogue around SHS and diet. These findings and strategies will be fed back at a stakeholder event, which will aid the development of a logic model and evaluation plan. Families will also have an opportunity to provide feedback on strategies to determine their potential for use in a pilot intervention through a focus group (n=6). How the results of this research will be used: Results will be used to address a gap in the literature, and to develop an intervention through a logic model and evaluation plan to work with parents and grandparents to improve health outcomes. The pilot intervention will be the basis of a future funding application.


Research activity codes: 2.3 PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS
Title: Lessons from citizen led community participation and prevention: How does parkrun UK create active and inclusive physical cultures?
Funder: Cancer Research UK

Abstract: Background This project will explore parkrun’s unique citizen-led approach to engaging local communities in physical activity (running). In an era when sedentary lifestyles have become a social norm, our research asks what contributes to the success of parkrun UK? We also want to know whether non-traditional participants from diverse social backgrounds are engaged. Focusing on five sites across Ireland, Scotland and England we will use surveys and in-depth interviews with parkrunners and organisers. We will use a participatory action research approach to ‘work with’ parkrun and community organisations in each site to identify who participates (and who does not), the meaning and benefits of participation, organisational culture, event format, inclusive philosophy, and the innovative use of digital media. Our research will explore the role of parkrun in enabling individuals to engage in and sustain pleasurable or meaningful change their physically active lifestyle practices and identities (and any further changes in risk from smoking, alcohol, inactivity, social isolation and overweight etc). The lessons learned from this citizen-led movement will provide insights into inclusive strategies and joined up approaches to physical activity and preventative health that can better connect local sport, health promotion, community organisations and government sectors. Aims The research will identify the processes and components (organisational culture, event format and participant experience) of parkrun’s citizen-led approach that contribute to its success as a form of community based physical activity. Methods The participatory action framework typically involves five phases in the research process that we will follow over 12 months;1)refining the research questions; 2) building trust; 3)collecting data; 4) analysing data; 5) communicating the results for action. We will focus on 5 parkrun sites (Mile End or Islington, London; Swindon; Belfast, Glasgow & Aberdeen) to conduct an online survey with these parkrunners and complete indepth interviews with 40 (and 5 head office staff). How the results of the research will be used This research will explore what could be further enhanced to reach more citizens from non-traditional running backgrounds (low income, culturally diverse, older adults, women, people with disabilities and those experiencing health related issues from overweight, smoking and recovery from cancer). Our research will have an immediate impact on the five case study sites, broader application to the parkrun organisation as a whole and identify generalisable factors that can contribute to physical activity in cancer prevention more broadly.


Research activity codes: 3.1 PRIMARY PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS TO MODIFY BEHAVIOURS OR PROMOTE WELL-BEING
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS
Title: Developing social network support to improve smoking cessation outcomes for pregnant women living in disadvantaged areas.
Funder: Cancer Research UK

Abstract: Smoking rates in pregnancy in the UK remain high and continue to be an important public health issue. Valente (2012) describes social network interventions as ‘purposeful efforts to use social networks or social network data to generate social influence and/or accelerate behaviour change among individuals, communities, organisations, or populations’. The smoking cessation literature tells us that the attitude and smoking behaviour of partners, family and friends are recognised as important barriers to cessation (Hiscock et al 2011, Lu et al 2001, Letourneau at al 2007, Prady et al 2011). However, drawing on social networks to help smoking cessation has mainly centred on the general adult population (Sterba 2011) and remains under researched in pregnancy. The aim of this development study is, therefore, to design an intervention to help pregnant women stop smoking using support from their social network. An ‘action’ research design is proposed where each phase of the research will inform the next. First, a rapid literature review and stakeholder interviews will be conducted. This will then be followed by consultation with pregnant women and their social networks to co-design the intervention. Lastly, a stakeholder workshop will be held where learning from the previous stages will be shared with key stakeholders, who will then help finalise a logic model which will describe the proposed intervention and how it can be evaluated if pilot funding is secured. In terms of impact the ‘products’ of this development study have the potential to improve the quit attempts of pregnant women and maintain abstinence post-partum. A secondary impact is to assess the utility of using social networks to facilitate behaviour change in other risk facts associated with cancer (diet, exercise, alcohol).


Research activity codes: 3.1 PRIMARY PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS TO MODIFY BEHAVIOURS OR PROMOTE WELL-BEING
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS
Title: NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) in Need
Funder: Cancer Research UK

Abstract: NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) in Need. Background Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds face poorer physical and mental health and are more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviours such as smoking, drinking and poor diet. Young adults not in education, employment or training (NEET) may be more likely to participate in such unhealthy behaviours as a result of economic disadvantage and poorer mental health shown to be associated with being NEET. These behaviours put this group at an increased risk of cancer. There is currently very little research attention given to understanding NEETs’ risk of cancer from engagement in unhealthy behaviours and health behaviour change interventions are lacking. Aims 1. To gain a better understanding of NEETs and their lifestyle by investigating their socio-demographic characteristics in comparison to ‘non-NEETs’ and to identify whether they are more likely than non-NEETs to engage in unhealthy behaviours associated with cancer. 2. To engage with NEETs and obtain information on perceived barriers to engagement in healthy behaviours; to generate and explore ideas and the acceptability of ideas for effective behaviour change interventions in this population. Methods Systematic review methods and Big Data will assist in exploring characteristics of NEETs and their engagement in unhealthy behaviours. Health and lifestyle surveys from across the UK will provide information on education, employment and health behaviours for testing the hypothesis that NEETs are more likely to participate in unhealthy behaviours associated with cancer than non-NEETs. Focus groups will allow a bottom-up approach for developing ideas for a behaviour change intervention acceptable to the NEET population by allowing NEETs the opportunity to provide feedback on perceived barriers to positive health behaviour change and ideas for achieving successful behaviour change. How results will be used The overarching aim is to use results from Big Data and focus groups to develop a prototype of an end-user discovery tool for behaviour change relevant to the NEET population for reducing participation in unhealthy behaviours associated with cancer. This project will also highlight which Big Data can be used for further research into risk factors associated with cancer risk in this population. The project will provide information for any future studies on approaches most effective for successful recruitment of NEETs into focus groups. Finally, data and focus groups will advise which unhealthy behaviours should be targeted for reducing cancer risk in this harder to reach group.


Research activity codes: 2.3 PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS;2.2 FACTORS RELATING TO PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS