Cancer Survivorship
The group Cancer Survivorship is a recent merger, consisting of three teams working with different aspects of life with and after a cancer disease
Our research - Team Survivorship and Inequality in Cancer
In Survivorship and Inequality in Cancer (SIC), we investigate the influence of social inequality in cancer outcomes and the physical, psychological and socioeconomic consequences and late effects in cancer survivors. We conduct large-scale population-based studies using registry data and/or questionnaire data, and we develop and test interventions to improve treatment and late effects among high-risk patients in order to ensure that all patients – independently of who they are - reach the best possible health, functional level and quality of life after cancer.
Examples of ongoing projects:
- Socioeconomic differences in somatic and psychological late effects after cancer
- Socioeconomic differences in early diagnosis, access to cancer treatment and to rehabilitation and palliative care
- Early death among early-stage cancer patients
- Risk and timing of somatic, psychological and social late effects after cancer
- The role of physical exercise in cancer treatment and prognosis
Our approach to research ranges from qualitative studies examining perspectives of patients and relatives, to population-based registry studies, questionnaire surveys, and randomized controlled trials testing care interventions.
Group Leader: Susanne Oksbjerg Dalton
Susanne Dalton's research focus on the influence of social inequality in cancer outcomes and on physical, psychological and socioeconomic consequences and late effects in cancer survivors. She conducts large-scale population-based studies using registry data or questionnaire data, and develops and tests interventions to improve treatment and late effects among vulnerable cancer patients. This work, she now takes one step further as Head of the National Research Center for Equality in Cancer (COMPAS) working on development and test of interventions to improve cancer outcomes among at-risk patients.
Susanne Dalton graduated from University of Copenhagen as an MD in 1998 and as PhD from the same institution in 2002. She has been working at the Danish Cancer Society Research Center (formerly the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology) from the beginning of her career, and was appointed head of group in 2012. In 2018, she was appointed Professor at the Department of Oncology, Zealand University Hospital Næstved, where she from 2019 has been Director of COMPAS; The Danish Research Center for Equality in Cancer.
Susanne Dalton has been awarded the Danish Junior Cancer Researcher Award in 2008 and the Bernhard Fox Memorial Award, International Psycho-Oncological Society, in 2015.
She has organised several international symposia on cancer rehabilitation, performed as guest editor for European Journal of Cancer and Acta Oncologica, and served as member and chair on Danish and international scientific committees.
Susanne Dalton has supervised 14 finalized and 11 ongoing PhD students and 20+ master of public health or medical students.
ORCID: 0000-0002-5485-2730
Key funding
Knæk Cancer
Danish Cancer Society Scientific Committee
The Novo Nordisk Foundation
Our research - Team Psychological Aspects of Cancer
Cancer is a life-threatening disease and getting a cancer diagnosis is for many an existential shock and a life crisis. In the research team Psychological Aspects of Cancer, we focus on documenting physical and psychological symptoms in epidemiological registry-based studies and developing supportive interventions for cancer patients and their families to be tested in clinical trials.
We focus on five main research tracks including:
- Physical, psychological, and sexual late effects of cancer
- Supportive care in cancer
- Psychological late effects of cancer in families
- Psychological support for childhood cancer patients and their families
- Grief in children and in parents
Our aim is to contribute with research relevant to the cancer clinic and most importantly, to provide knowledge that may improve the lives of cancer patients and their families.
We utilize a range of research methods, which include qualitative interviews for developing new supportive care programs, questionnaire studies on cancer patients’ needs, epidemiological registry-based studies on documenting psychiatric medication in cancer caregivers, randomized controlled trials evaluating new supportive care programs and Cochrane meta-analyses evaluating effect of different types of cancer follow-up. We strive to ensure research excellence by:
- Conducting our research in close collaboration with the cancer clinic, municipality rehabilitation programs, counseling services as well as national and international experts
- Involving patients and caregivers in the research especially when we aim to develop new supportive care programs
Our research methods range from e.g., qualitative interviews for developing new supportive care programs, questionnaire studies on cancer patients’ needs, epidemiological registry-based studies on documenting psychiatric medication in cancer caregivers, randomized controlled trials evaluating new supportive care programs and Cochrane meta-analyses evaluating effect of different types of cancer follow-up.
Our aim is to contribute with research relevant to the cancer clinic and most importantly to cancer patients and their families. We strive to ensure this focus by:
- Conducting our research in close collaboration with the cancer clinic, municipality rehabilitation programs, counseling services as well as national and international experts
- Involving patients and caregivers in the research especially when we aim to develop new supportive care programs
Team Leader: Pernille Envold Bidstrup
Pernille Bidstrup is a psychologist, with a PhD in health science. She holds a position as senior researcher, leader of the team on Psychological Aspects of Cancer and is also an external associate professor at the Institute of Psychology, Copenhagen University. Pernille has a strong interest in bridging psychology and health science and in documenting the unrecognized needs of cancer patients and their families.
Our healthcare system has a strong focus on cancer survival. This has meant fantastic improvements in treatment resulting in prolonged life for cancer patients in months and even years: More moments to share with loved ones. While the cancer patient undergoes e.g. surgery, numerous rounds of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, with possible side-effects of pain, fatigue and nausea, the patient may also be a spouse, a lover, a parent, and a friend. In the patient’s and family’s life, a cancer diagnosis may present a strong physical as well as a psychological burden.
Psychology can be an approach for understanding the mechanisms at play for cancer patients and their families. In combination with oncology, nursing, epidemiology and health science it can be a powerful tool to provide evidence for how to best support cancer patients and their families in reaching a new life after cancer.
Pernille Bidstrup can be found on LinkedIn (Pernille Bidstrup) and on X (@PernilleBidstr2)
ORCID: 0000-0002-9704-6800
Staff Team PAC
Key funding
Knæk Cancer - Talented Young Researcher
Childhood Cancer Foundation
Trygfonden
Helsefonden
Novo Nordisk
Our research - Team Science to Society
We work on bridging the gap between science and society, as a team of consultants evaluating a wide range of projects with the patient in focus. Through quantitative and qualitative methods we work with assessment of quality, implementation, and development covering the whole range of patients' contact with the health care system.