The Challenges of Cancer and Disability Study (CoCaDS)

If you live in Wales, have a physical disability and have had cancer, you are invited to take part in an interview-based study. The aim is to improve cancer care for people with disabilities.

CoCADS Summary: 

The Welsh Government’s cancer plan states that services need to be planned and delivered around the patient and their individual needs. However, there is evidence that cancer patients with pre-existing physical disabilities experience both poorer care and greater barriers to accessing care than those without a physical disability. This specific group of cancer patients may be at a disadvantage but we know little about their needs.

In this project, we aim to explore the experiences of adults with pre-existing physical disabilities, who have had the additional experience of being diagnosed with cancer. We will focus both on any challenges they may have faced and any strategies they have employed to help them overcome them. To do this, we will use a combination of individual and group interviews, both face-to-face and through other means (e.g. telephone), and we will involve people from across Wales.

The information we will collect will help us identify a priority list of needs. This list will be further explored with our project advisory groups, who will help us determine ways to raise professional and organisational awareness of needs, through, for example, the development of bespoke training/ raising awareness resources, prompt tools for use in practice and summary guidance. As this project is a partnership between people affected by cancer, clinicians and academics, the exact form of the training resource will depend on the findings. We envisage the resource might include on-line or hard copy information, patient leaflets, virtual or face to face training.

Lead researcher: Dr Dikaios Sakellariou, Cardiff University

Co-researcher: Dr. Sally Anstey

Start date: June 2017
Duration: 12 months
Funding amount: £26,342

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2 Responses to The Challenges of Cancer & Disability Study – invitation to take part

  1. Kate says:

    Hi, I have ME and other physical disabilities, as well as experiencing cancer. Could I please hear more about the research and taking part please?

    1. wames says:

      Hi Kate, we know only what we reported so I suggest you contact the researchers directly to find out more. Well done for wanting to take part. Jan