By 2030 four million people in the UK will be living with the long-term consequences of cancer, but currently, there is very little research on the problems they face and how these can be tackled. To help them live better lives, more focused research is needed.

NCRI identified that undefined research priorities have been a barrier to research in this area. The 2015 NHS Independent Cancer Taskforce report recommends defining research priorities on long-term patient needs and survivorship issues and to identify mechanisms that enable this research to happen. To address this research barrier the NCRI completed a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership exercise to identify research priorities that matter most to people affected by cancer and health and social care professionals.

The NCRI Living With and Beyond Cancer (LWBC) Group has also been established to ensure an efficient and aligned approach to LWBC research and promote greater levels of high-quality research in this area. The group has a strategic role, providing oversight of the research landscape and proactively identifying where gaps in research exist. Individual workstreams will identify new opportunities and develop new trials within their focus areas.

Focus areas:

  • Malignancy of unknown origin/cancer of unknown primary
  • Acute care and toxicities
  • Late consequences
  • Advanced disease and end of life care
  • Methodology