Interaction Between Cancer and Stroke at Aberdeen University on FindAPhD.com

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Prof Peter Murchie, Dr M J Macleod No more applications being accepted Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

Aberdeen United Kingdom

About the Project

The interplay between cancer and stroke is little researched but potentially important as survival from both conditions increases[1,2]. Current knowledge suggests people with cancer are doubly disadvantaged by stroke, with increased risk and poorer outcomes. Misconceptions of each condition may influence management of the other, reducing numbers receiving evidence-based care.

The student will:

Conduct systematic reviews to determine if stroke incidence is higher in Scottish cancer patients and, if so, what factors are associated with the increased risk.

Establish a linked population dataset of Scottish cancer and stroke data[3,4] to:

(i) investigate the impact of a prior cancer diagnosis on subsequent incidence of strokes and consequent outcomes.

(ii) investigate whether people affected by cancer are managed differently when they develop a stroke.

(iii) develop and validate a clinical prediction model to estimate the probability of stroke in individual cancer patients to facilitate decisions around interventions/referrals to secondary care.[5].

During the project the student will work with supervisors to seek funding to enable the creation of the first national research platform of cancer and stroke patients from linked multisource electronic health records. The potential impact of outputs would be on guidelines and policy around management of this significant group of patients.

Funding Notes

This project is part of a competition funded by the Elphinstone Scholarship Scheme. Successful applicants will be awarded full tuition fees (UK/EU/International) for the duration of a three year PhD programme. Please note that this award does not include a stipend.

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-study/elphinstone-phd-scholarships-266.php#life-sciences-and-medicine

This award is available to high-achieving students. Candidates should have (or expect to achieve) a minimum of a First Class Honours degree in a relevant subject. Applicants with a minimum of a 2.1 Honours degree may be considered provided they have a Distinction at Masters level.

References

(1) Office for National Statistics: Cancer survival in England: Patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2014 and followed up to 2015. http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/cancersurvivalinenglandadultsdiagnosed/2010and2014andfollowedupto2015 (Accessed 05/12/16).

(2) Lee S, Shafe ACE, Cowie MR. UK stroke incidence, mortality and cardiovascular risk management 1999–2008: time-trend analysis from the General Practice Research Database BMJ Open 2011;1:e000269 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000269.

(3) Turner M, Barber M, Dodds H, Dennis M, Langhorne P, Macleod MJM on behalf of the Scottish Stroke Care Audit. The impact of stroke unit care on outcome in a Scottish stroke population, taking into account case mix and selection bias. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry doi. 10.1136/jnnp-2013-307478.

(4) Cancer Statistics – ISD Scotland. http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Cancer-Statistics/ (Accessed 05/12/16).

(5) Keogh C, Wallace E, O’Brien KK, Galvin R, Smith SM, Lewis C, Cummins A, Cousins G, Dimitrov BD, Fahey T. Developing an International Register of Clinical Prediction Rules for Use in Primary Care: A Descriptive Analysis. Ann Fam Med 2014;12:359-366. doi: 10.1370/afm.1640.

Where will I study?

Aberdeen University

The University of Aberdeen is the fifth oldest university in the UK and boasts over 500 years of research and teaching excellence.

Interaction Between Cancer and Stroke

Aberdeen University School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition