Targeted intensive community-based campaign to optimise cancer awareness
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN14801566 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN14801566 |
| IRAS number | 297568 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | IRAS 297568 |
- Submission date
- 27/05/2021
- Registration date
- 03/06/2021
- Last edited
- 27/01/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Cancer
Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
A public awareness campaign has been developed to help people living in deprived communities recognise vague cancer symptoms (e.g. persistent tiredness) and get advice from their GP. The 6-month campaign will spread positive messages on local media including buses, radio and Facebook, and with trained cancer champions who will encourage people living in deprived communities to go to the GP with vague symptoms. This study will test whether the campaign can be delivered, whether the public thought the campaign was acceptable, and whether the campaign reached people in the local community. The researchers also need to find out whether they can collect the data needed for a future trial to test if the campaign works. This will include: how many patients agree to complete a questionnaire to measure how long they took from spotting a symptom to visiting the GP; whether the researchers can access hospital data such as the number of patients referred for suspected cancer, and whether they can estimate the costs of the awareness campaign. Finally, the researchers will bring together a group of experts to help them decide whether they should do a larger trial to test whether the campaign can encourage people to seek help sooner with vague symptoms. The findings will be used to improve cancer services in Wales and the UK.
Who can participate?
Adults 18 and over who are referred to the M/RDC clinic in the intervention or control area in July – Dec 2021.
What does the study involve?
Participants are allocated to the two groups depending on where they live. In the intervention group, a targeted public awareness campaign designed to help people living in deprived communities recognise and act on vague cancer symptoms will spread positive messages on local media including buses, radio and Facebook, and trained cancer champions will encourage people living in deprived communities to go to the GP with vague symptoms. The control group does not receive any intervention. The total duration of the intervention is 6 months and there is no follow-up data collection.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants’ valuable input will allow the researchers to understand if they can deliver a public awareness campaign to help people recognise vague cancer symptoms and get advice from their GP. This may benefit others in the future. It is possible that some people may find it upsetting answering questions about being referred to the Multidisciplinary/Rapid Diagnostic Centre (M/RDC) clinic and their symptoms. Another possible disadvantage is that the researchers will be asking participants to give up their time.
Where is the study run from?
Cardiff University (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
November 2020 to May 2023
Who is funding the study?
Cancer Research Wales (UK)
Who is the main contact?
1. Gwenllian Moody
moodyg@cardiff.ac.uk
2. Pamela Smith
smithp18@cardiff.ac.uk
Contact information
Scientific
Neuadd Meirionnydd
Heath Park
Cardiff
CF14 4YS
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0001-9296-9748 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)2920 687 164 |
| brainke@cardiff.ac.uk |
Scientific
Neuadd Meirionnydd
Heath Park
Cardiff
CF14 4YS
United Kingdom
| ORCID ID |
0000-0002-8079-2540 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)29 2068 7639 |
| mccutchangm@cardiff.ac.uk |
Public
Neuadd Meirionnydd
Heath Park
Cardiff
CF14 4YS
United Kingdom
| ORCID ID |
0000-0002-2000-4944 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)2920687257 |
| moodyg@cardiff.ac.uk |
Public
Neuadd Meirionnydd
Heath Park
Cardiff
CF23 5QS
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 (0)29206 87695 |
|---|---|
| smithp18@cardiff.ac.uk |
Study information
| Study design | Mixed-methods feasibility and acceptability study |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Non randomised study |
| Study setting(s) | Hospital |
| Study type | Other |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a Participant Information Sheet |
| Scientific title | TIC-TOC (Targeted Intensive Community-based campaign To Optimise Cancer awareness): feasibility of a symptom awareness campaign to support the Multidisciplinary/Rapid Diagnostic Centre referral pathway in a socioeconomically deprived area |
| Study acronym | TIC-TOC |
| Study hypothesis | In the proposed research, the researchers will conduct a feasibility study to determine the acceptability and feasibility of delivering and evaluating an intensive, multi-faceted community-based symptom awareness campaign alongside the Multidisciplinary/Rapid Diagnostic Centre (M/RDC) pathway in an area of high socioeconomic deprivation. If the SMG concludes that it will be feasible to conduct a later definitive trial, they will make this recommendation to the SSC who will then decide on whether this should be conducted. The information gathered for the feasibility study will be used to inform a protocol for that trial. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Approved 29/06/2021, London - West London & GTAC Research Ethics Committee (The Old Chapel Royal Standard Place Nottingham NG1 6FS; +44 (0)207 1048 007; westlondon.rec@hra.nhs.uk), ref: 21/LO/0402 |
| Condition | Public awareness campaign to recognise and act on vague cancer symptoms |
| Intervention | Participants are allocated to the two groups depending on where they live (i.e. to which M-RDC clinic they are referred, if they live in Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board then they are in the intervention, if they live in Swansea Bay University Health Board then they are in the control). In the intervention group, a targeted public awareness campaign designed to help people living in deprived communities recognise and act on vague cancer symptoms will spread positive messages on local media including buses, radio and Facebook, and trained cancer champions will encourage people living in deprived communities to go to the GP with vague symptoms. The control group does not receive any intervention. The total duration of the intervention is 6 months and there is no follow-up data collection. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure | The proportion of completed self-report patient interval data questionnaires, collected at a single timepoint |
| Secondary outcome measures | To assess the feasibility of data collection in relation to: 1. Self-reported patient interval measured using the Cancer Symptom Interval measure (C-SIM) during the questionnaire (one timepoint) 2. Patient quality of life measured using the EQ-5D-5L during the questionnaire (one timepoint) 3. Implementation costs and healthcare resource use measured using the Client Service Receipt inventory (CSRI) during the questionnaire (one timepoint) 4. Demographic information collected during the questionnaire (one timepoint) 5. Individual and area-level deprivation measured using education and postcode during the questionnaire (one timepoint) 6. Smoking and comorbidities including personal experience of cancer measured during the questionnaire (one timepoint) 7. Awareness of campaign messages and contamination in the comparator area measured during the questionnaire (one timepoint) 8. Acceptability of routine data collection measured during the questionnaire (one timepoint) 9. Symptom recognition and help-seeking barriers measured using the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM) during the questionnaire (one timepoint) |
| Overall study start date | 01/11/2020 |
| Overall study end date | 31/05/2023 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Mixed |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 189 |
| Total final enrolment | 106 |
| Participant inclusion criteria | Participants will be eligible to take part in the questionnaire if they are: 1. Aged 18 years or over 2. Live in the intervention or comparator sites 3. Have been referred to the M/RDC in the intervention or comparator sites Participants will be eligible to take part in the patient qualitative interviews if they are: 1. Aged 18 years or over 2. Live in the intervention or comparator sites 3. Have been referred to the M/RDC in the intervention or comparator sites Participants will be eligible to take part in the cancer champion qualitative interviews if they are: 1. Aged 18 years or over 2. A cancer champion for the TIC-TOC study Participants will be eligible to take part in the primary care interviews if they are: 1. Aged 18 years or over 2. A primary care practitioner working in the intervention area Participants will be eligible to take part in the public or healthcare professional focus groups/interviews if they are: 1. Aged 18 years or over 2. Live in the intervention area if a member of the public or work in the intervention area if a healthcare professional |
| Participant exclusion criteria | 1. Non-English speakers 2. Unable to provide informed consent |
| Recruitment start date | 23/09/2021 |
| Recruitment end date | 31/12/2021 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Kingdom
- Wales
Study participating centres
Albert Road
Pontypridd
CF37 1LB
United Kingdom
Seaway Drive
Seaway Parade Industrial Estate
Baglan
Port Talbot
SA12 7BR
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
University/education
McKenzie House, 7th Floor
30-36 Newport Road
Cardiff
CF24 0DE
Wales
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 (0)29 2087 5834 |
|---|---|
| resgov@cardiff.ac.uk | |
| Website | http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/ |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/03kk7td41 |
Funders
Funder type
Charity
Government organisation / Trusts, charities, foundations (both public and private)
- Alternative name(s)
- Ymchwil Canser Cymru, CRW
- Location
- United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 31/03/2025 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Planned publication of main study results in a peer-review journal |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are/will be available upon request from Gwenllian Moody (moodyg@cardiff.ac.uk). All data requests will be considered on an individual basis. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protocol article | 12/10/2022 | 30/05/2023 | Yes | No | |
| HRA research summary | 28/06/2023 | No | No |
Editorial Notes
27/01/2025: The intention to publish date was changed from 31/01/2025 to 31/03/2025.
11/11/2024: The intention to publish date was changed from 30/11/2024 to 31/01/2025.
14/06/2024: The intention to publish date was changed from 31/05/2024 to 30/11/2024.
30/05/2023: The following changes have been made:
1. The target number of participants has been changed from 264 to 189.
2. The final enrolment number has been changed from 52 to 106.
3. The publication and dissemination plan has been changed from "1. The researchers will be publishing a protocol paper in due course. 2. Planned publication in a peer-review journal" to "Planned publication of main study results in a peer-review journal".
4. Publication reference added.
11/05/2023: The total final enrolment was added.
27/09/2021: The recruitment start date was changed from 02/08/2021 to 23/09/2021.
15/07/2021: The recruitment start date was changed from 01/07/2021 to 02/08/2021.
01/07/2021: The ethics approval has been added.
28/05/2021: Trial's existence confirmed by Cancer Research Wales.
