ICANEQUAL is a UK wide partnership. It aims to help us better understand the current liver cancer care pathway and how it can be improved to address inequalities.
Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. The number of people being diagnosed with, and dying from, liver cancer has increased over the past 10 years.
Early diagnosis and quick treatment are known to improve results for patients. However, inequalities still exist in how people get treatment. These inequalities affect underserved groups. Such as people experiencing social disadvantage or living in remote and rural communities.
We do not know why these inequalities exist. Until we understand more about how and why they happen, they will be very difficult to reduce.
The purpose of this partnership is to build a Community of Expertise in liver cancer. This will help researchers to understand the problem and to reduce inequalities in liver cancer diagnosis and treatment.
This partnership will work closely with charities, including The British Liver Trust, and other community and patient groups. It will include communities that are rarely involved in liver cancer research but are most harmed by the current inequalities.
Public and patient partners will be involved in the design and conduct of the partnership engagement as well as any later research.
The British Liver Trust have contributed to the development of the ICANEQUAL proposal. With suggestions on the partnership design and training needs. We are supporting the ICANEQUAL team in the co-production of patient information and involving diverse voices in addressing cultural sensitivities.
ICANEQUAL will run three workshops:
- Workshop 1: September 25th 2023 (9 am -12, Virtual)
- Workshop 2: November 27th 2023 (9 am -12, Virtual)
- Workshop 3: February 26th 2024 (9 am -12, Virtual)
Workshops will include people that have been diagnosed with liver cancer. As well as charities, community and patient groups, medical professionals, and public health professionals. People taking part will discuss their experiences of liver cancer diagnosis and treatment and problems faced by underserved populations. Possible solutions to these problems will also be discussed.
These discussions will help to:
- Build a Community of Expertise. Including charities, community groups, patient groups, researchers, healthcare professionals, professional bodies and employing organisations.
- Better understand how people seek and are given care and identify the gaps for underserved populations.
- Provide a firm foundation of knowledge and partnerships. This will help design and run clinical trials to improve liver cancer survival rates.
The findings will be shared with workshop participants, communities, academics, healthcare professionals and policy makers. This will be done through public engagement activities. The findings will also be published in relevant medical journals.
ICANEQUAL is funded by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR 154865).
For further information, you can contact Dr Sheela Tripathee Tel: 01224 438127 Email: Sheela.tripathee@abdn.ac.uk.