Prof Glyn Elwyn

Cancer and research avatar

School of Medicine
Cardiff University
Cardiff

The digital age of decision-making

Professor Glyn Elwyn at Cardiff University is pioneering the development of 'online decision explorers' for breast and prostate cancer. These tools will help people make difficult decisions relating to cancer diagnosis and treatment. The questions, information and video clips that make up these web-based aids are designed to guide people through the different options available. By helping people to make well-informed choices, they have the potential to relieve anxiety and improve the well-being of people faced with these life-changing situations.

ProsDex

Professor Elwyn's team have already developed their first online decision explorer called ProsDex. This is designed to help men decide whether or not to have a PSA test, which can detect some cases of prostate cancer.

PSA testing is currently not offered to men as part of a screening programme in the UK as the results can sometimes be misleading. And doctors are still investigating how best to treat men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer.

However, for men that are concerned about this disease and who are considering having the PSA test, this online aid addresses many issues surrounding the test and the implications of a positive result.

ProsDex is now publicly available, and Professor Elwyn's team have been evaluating it in a large-scale trial involving 600 men from South Wales. This study will reveal how useful ProsDex is at providing information and how it affects a man's decision to have a PSA test.

BresDex

Women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer face a difficult decision about their treatment. They can either opt for a full mastectomy or have breast conservation surgery followed by radiotherapy. Both these treatments are equally likely to have a successful outcome.

Professor Elwyn's team are developing another decision explorer called BresDex to help women diagnosed with breast cancer make the choice that is right for them. The team has already completed the development of a prototype of this aid.

By testing BresDex amongst groups of breast cancer patients, the team hope to show that this decision aid can have a positive impact on people's quality of life.

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