Help GPs to detect brain tumours earlier
Type of activity: Online interview
Organised by: Queen Mary University of London
Location: Online via Zoom
Time commitment: One-off online interview that will last between 30 minutes and 1 hour.
Payment and Expenses: Each participant will receive a £60 retail voucher via email as a thank you for their time.
Looking for: People affected by brain cancer (including loved ones).
Closing date: Friday 28 February 2025
Opportunity Information
About the project
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London are exploring the support GPs get around making decisions for urgent referral for a brain scan for a possible brain tumour. Research has identified that brain health tests could detect subtle changes in brain health. Also, blood tests are in development that could detect signs of a brain tumour.
Researchers want to know whether patients who have been diagnosed with a brain tumour think these tests would be an acceptable approach for deciding which patients should or should not be offered a brain scan.
Hearing the views of patients who have been through the diagnosis pathway will add valuable insight into how the pathway could be improved to support earlier diagnosis of brain tumours, and to reduce patient anxiety and stress.
About the interview
You’ll be asked to share your experience of the diagnosis pathway, and your experience of primary care received. The discussions will last between 30 minutes and 1 hour. The interviews will be audio-recorded to ensure that everything that is discussed is included in the report however, they will ensure confidentiality and anonymity.
The discussion will focus on the experience of being diagnosed with a brain tumour, including any visits to a GP before being diagnosed. The discussion will also cover two examples of tests of brain health and blood tests, to ask how acceptable these tests would be to patients who have experience of the diagnosis pathway.
Who they’d like to speak to
The researchers are looking for patients aged 18+ who have been diagnosed with a brain tumour in the past 5 years and who had experience of going to their GP with possible symptoms of the brain tumour even if that is not what led to a diagnosis. The researchers are also keen to hear from loved ones who had experience of the diagnosis pathway.
The researchers are keen to get a wide range of views from across England. Brain tumours are diagnosed slightly more often in men than women, so the researchers are particularly keen to talk to male patients, though all views are encouraged and valued.
Want to get involved?
For more information or to ask any questions, please contact the lead researcher, Laura Standen, via email (l.standen@qmul.ac.uk) or phone (07932 976561). For interested participants, an information sheet and consent form will be provided.
External opportunities
In addition to our internal patient involvement activities (opportunities run by Cancer Research UK), we share patient involvement activities from other charities and organisations.
This opportunity has been organised by an external organisation, to take part you’ll contact and work with them directly.
If you wish to share any positive or negative feedback about your experience with any external groups, we'd love to hear from you. Please email us at involvement@cancer.org.uk.