The Sussex Cancer Fund has been supporting a research project by Daisy Neal, looking at how improvements can be made to the care and experiences of older women with breast cancer. We asked Daisy to explain a little more about her work.
Daisy Neal “Our research aims to improve understanding of the factors influencing variations in treatment of breast cancer patients, specifically with a view to improving the care and experiences of older women with breast cancer.
Previous studies have shown that older age is a factor in treatment variations – sometimes these are appropriate but often they are not based on evidence. Early phases of this study have highlighted actions which may reduce age-related variations without any reduction in treatment benefits: prioritising shared decision making, recognising different treatment preferences, and empowering patients to have a say in their treatment.
In the final phase of this project, researchers will work closely with breast cancer healthcare professionals, older current and former patients, to understand how actions to improve decision-making for breast cancer treatment in older women can be implemented and embedded within the healthcare system.”
