PhD in Medicine

In the UK prostate cancer is the second most common cancer (with an estimated 55,000 men diagnosed each year) and 12,000 men die from prostate cancer each year. There is ongoing debate about the choice of several prostate cancer treatments including the use of prostatectomy, radical radiotherapy and hormonal treatments including bicalutamide. Northern Ireland (NI) is the most deprived country in the UK, with the average NI income around 15% lower than the rest of the UK, and consequently there is a need to investigate the impact of socioeconomic inequalities on prostate cancer. /nThe research project aims to use routinely collected health records to:/n1) investigate prostate cancer treatment patterns in NI;/n2) compare outcomes and adverse events between treatment strategies in prostate cancer patients;/n3) investigate socioeconomic inequalities in prostate cancer stage, treatment, and outcomes. /nThe study will use statistical methods to investigate routinely collected health records on a large cohort of prostate cancer patients from NI. The study could help inform treatment strategies for prostate cancer patients by quantifying outcomes and adverse events. The study could identify socioeconomic inequalities which would allow recommendations to be made and/or interventions to be developed to improve outcomes in disadvantaged patient groups.