ICBP Resources

Research tools

The CanStaging+ tool is available at http://canstaging.org providing online (and offline, for limited online-service settings) access to up-to-date rules and standards in a free, intuitive, and open-source software to support better recording and increased completeness and quality of population level staging data. The tool automatically calculations T,M,N stage data based on raw information entered, and will provide a range of stage groups when data entered is limited. In addition to stage group, essential TMN, FIGO, and Dukes calculations can also be provided. Images and flowcharts are available to assist with manual stage classification as well as education.

The ABC tool

The Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer (ABC) questionnaire is an internationally validated tool. The tool was tested in all participating countries with minor variations included to allow for differences in cultural and health systems.

The ABC tool is available for use by interested researchers. Please contact the ICBP Programme Management team (icbp@cancer.org.uk) for more information.

Read about the development of the ABC tool (2012)

Download the ABC tool

Survey to assess factors affecting primary care and cancer diagnosis

As part of the ICBP, researchers at the University of Oxford (United Kingdom) developed an online survey which was used to assess differences in healthcare systems, as well as how physicians respond to patients who present with symptoms within their working environment. This survey has since been carried out in New Zealand.

Development of an online survey to assess factors affecting cancer diagnosis (2014)

Further information about the survey is available from the ICBP Programme Management team (icbp@cancer.org.uk).

Patient, primary care and treatment specialist surveys

Using validated patient, primary care physician (PCP) and cancer treatment specialists (CTS) questionnaires, ICBP researchers will report the first robust international comparison of time intervals from first symptom(s) until start of treatment.

By asking newly diagnosed patients (3-6 months after diagnosis), PCPs and CTSs about the patient’s journey from symptom onset until treatment, the research team aim to provide new insights into:

Specific time intervals and details of a patient’s route to diagnosis and treatment.
The number of times a patient saw a health care professional before diagnosis.
The nature of any referrals and diagnostic tests carried out.
Associations between these factors and a range of patient outcomes (including survival and stage at diagnosis).

Development of the international surveys sent to patients and their physicians (2016)

Below are samples of the survey sent to breast cancer patients, primary care practitioners and cancer treatment specialists in England. Researchers who wish to carry out this survey in their country should first contact the ICBP Programme Management team (icbp@cancer.org.uk) as these surveys exist and have been validated in other languages.

Breast cancer patients

Primary care practitioners

Cancer treatment specialists

ICBP reports and other communications

Reports

Our showcase reports provide an update on progress within the partnership, including findings, the impacts of our research and ongoing studies. These reports provide an overview of the partnership at certain points in time.

ICBP: Evidence for policy and practice (2016)

ICBP: Showcasing our findings and impacts (2014)

ICBP in other publications and communications

ICBP work often feeds in to the work of other organisations, including in publications, blogs and other forms of communications. Here we have provided a selection:

Building an Evidence-Based Approach to Improving Cancer Outcomes (EFPIA View 2017)

How to improve cancer survival: Exploring England’s relatively poor rates (The King’s Fund 2011)