Generating impact to prevent cancer in people with Lynch syndrome

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is a government organisation that produces guidelines for the National Health Service (NHS). NICE recommends that healthcare professionals should consider prescribing daily aspirin to prevent bowel cancer in people with a genetic condition called Lynch syndrome. Lynch syndrome increases the risk of developing a spectrum of cancers, including bowel. Future national guidance may recommend aspirin for cancer prevention in the general population, similar to Australian recommendations. In my PhD, I investigated the barriers to implementing aspirin for cancer prevention into the NHS. I studied the views of people with Lynch syndrome, the general population, and healthcare professionals. I concluded that coordinated strategies, which address the needs of patients and healthcare professionals, are required to implement aspirin for cancer prevention into the NHS. I identified individuals with Lynch syndrome for whom aspirin was not appropriate, highlighting a need for new cancer prevention initiatives for these people. In the ESRC Fellowship, I will enhance my PhD impact, and further develop my training and publication track record. I will develop a competitive funding proposal, which will secure my position as a future leader in behavioural research.

PhD research event engaging with different audiences
I will host an online event showcasing my PhD findings, focusing on the findings related to people with Lynch syndrome. I will moderate a session for attendees to discuss how to implement the findings into policy and clinical practice. I will invite key stakeholders, including people with Lynch syndrome, research scientists, and representatives from relevant organisations (e.g., Cancer Research UK, NICE). I will share a summary of the event and agreed recommendations for policy and practice through the charity Lynch Syndrome UK, and the British Journal of General Practice.

Publication of final PhD study
I have published three of my four PhD studies in leading health journals. My third study explored the views of the general population on aspirin for bowel cancer prevention. I will submit the study for publication in Preventive Medicine Reports.

Limited new research
In my PhD, I interviewed 15 people with Lynch syndrome to discuss their views on aspirin for bowel cancer prevention. In these interviews, other key preventive approaches were discussed, such as diet and exercise to prevent obesity-related cancers. Weight management could be an important complementary or alternative strategy to aspirin for cancer prevention. I will allocate 20% of the Fellowship to re-analysing these interviews, and conducting 10 new interviews to explore participants' views on weight management to prevent cancer. I will submit the study for publication in Familial Cancer, and present at the International Behavioural Trials Network Conference.

Funding proposal
I will develop a funding proposal to adapt a weight management intervention to prevent cancer in people with Lynch syndrome with overweight or obesity. During the design of the proposal, I will seek out the views of patient representatives, and expert researchers. I will consider several funding schemes, including the ESRC New Investigator Grant. I will submit the proposal by the end of the ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Training
I will undertake training to enhance my research skills, and network with leading international behavioural researchers. I will apply to attend:
- International Agency for Research on Cancer summer school 2024 programme in Lyon, France.
- International Behavioural Trials Network 2024 summer school and conference in Montréal, Canada.
- University of Oxford course: 'Randomised Control Trials Course: A Guide to Design, Conduct, Analysis, Interpretation and Reporting'.

This Fellowship is aligned with the Wellbeing, Health and Communities pathway, which aims to address challenges such as obesity.