Multi-morbidity, frailty and an ageing cancer population – Harnessing health data to personalise decision making.
Supervisors:
Professor Russell Petty, School of Medicine (University of Dundee)
Prof Peter Hall, Institute of Genetics and Cancer (University of Edinburgh)
Dr Mark Baxter, School of Medicine (University of Dundee)
Professor Chim Lang, School of Medicine (University of Dundee)
Summary:
The number of older adults with a diagnosis of cancer is increasing – by 2035, two in every three patients diagnosed with cancer will be aged 65 and older. As individuals age, they tend to experience an increase in health issues (co-morbidities) along with a decline in physical fitness and resilience, commonly referred to as frailty.
Older age, underlying health conditions, and frailty are all linked to lower cancer survival rates as well as a higher chance of side effects from treatments. Currently, it is difficult to accurately predict the risks and benefits of treatment. This is primarily due to the exclusion of older adults and those with co-morbidities or frailty from clinical trials that inform treatment decisions. As a result, both healthcare providers and patients face significant challenges in determining the most appropriate course of action.
This project seeks to address this unmet research need by making use of existing electronic healthcare data. Specifically, the aim is to use existing health data to create personalised decision aids that doctors can use in clinical practice to improve patient outcomes and health service efficiency; both in general practice and hospital settings.