Research, evaluation and monitoring

The first NCRI/NAEDI call for expression of interest was announced towards the end of 2009 and outline applications were invited until January 29th 2010. Full applications were reviewed by the committee in September 2010. 

A second research call was announced at the end of 2010. The deadline for applications was 1st April 2011. For more information visit the Funding and Research website.

The special supplement to the British Journal of Cancer, Diagnosing Cancer Earlier: Evidence for a National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative, was published in December 2009. The supplement brings together evidence underpinning activity in awareness and early diagnosis of cancer and features some of the novel work presented at the NAEDI launch conference in November 2008, as well as a selection of other papers. Authors featured in the supplement include Richard Neal, Willie Hamilton, David Weller and Michel Coleman.  

Download a summary of the NAEDI supplement here.

This programme is working to identify the root causes of survival differences between countries/jurisdictions with comparable health care systems and high quality cancer data. The hope is that the programme will generate actionable insights which will help all partners improve cancer survival outcomes.  

The programme has 5 modules of work planned to explore the underlying reasons for the delays in diagnosis and treatment and differences in the quality of treatment across the partnership:

• Module 1: comparing updated, routinely available data from cancer registries and clinical databases relating to cancer across the partnership
• Module 2: exploring differences in population awareness, attitudes and beliefs about cancer
• Module 3: exploring differences in primary care systems, the interface with secondary care, and general practitioner awareness and behaviours
• Module 4: exploring relative contributions of different factors to diagnostic delays
• Module 5: exploring reasons for survival differences based on data from module 1 and the extent to which variation in the application of evidence-based treatments influence survival rate differences

For more information go to the page on the ICBP, which includes information on the jurisdictions involved.

The first paper arising from the programme was published in the Lancet on 22nd December 2010. The paper stems from module 1 and presents updated survival comparisons for the participating countries. Read the abstract. 

An initial study was commissioned to establish the potential costs and benefits of earlier detection, focusing on breast, lung, colorectal, prostate and skin cancers. In the longer term, the aim is to produce a comprehensive economic case, based on evidence from relevant studies and pilots currently underway, and on more detailed models of specific cancers.