Dr. Jyotsna Vohra presented on developing a Policy Research Centre for Cancer Prevention at Cancer Research UK. She discussed the challenges of cancer prevention work, including that success is invisible, advice often changes, and commercial interests may conflict with prevention goals. CRUK established a £6 million Cancer Prevention Initiative to fund prevention research and policy work. The new Policy Research Centre will identify evidence gaps, conduct targeted policy research, and promote interventions for healthier living and reducing inequalities. Some challenges for the centre will be overcoming perceptions that CRUK only focuses on cures and dealing with accusations of interfering in personal choices.

1. DEVELOPING A POLICY
RESEARCH CENTRE FOR
CANCER PREVENTION:
CHALLENGES AND BENEFITS
DR JYOTSNA VOHRA,
Jyotsna.vohra@cancer.org.uk
12th BRCC, Sydney, 13 May 2015

2. Preventable Cancers UK
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3. Challenges of Prevention
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‒ Success is invisible
‒ A lack of drama makes prevention less interesting
‒ Prevention is full of statistics – no emotional attachment
‒ There is usually a long delay before rewards appear
‒ Advice is inconsistent or changes
‒ Avoidable harm is accepted as normal
‒ Commercial interests may conflict with disease prevention
‒ Advice might conflict with personal, religious, or cultural beliefs
(Fineberg, 2014)
“The idea of preventative medicine is faintly un -
American. It means, first, recognising that we
are the enemy “
-Chicago Tribune, 1975

4. Cancer Prevention Initiative
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£6 million
Bupa Foundation/CRUK
National
Leadership
Innovation Action Sustainability
Cancer
Prevention
Champion
&
International
Advisory Board
“Sandpit
Workshops”
Grants up to
£20,000
Cancer
Prevention
Fellowships
Policy Research
Centre for
Cancer
Prevention

5. Prevention at CRUK
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Policy & Information
Strategic Research
Funding
Fundraising & Marketing
Press and
Comms
Tobacco control
Non- tobacco policy
PAC
Local
PAC
Population
Research
Committee
CTAAC – Funded
Chemoprevention
Studies
Race For
Life
Dryatholon
London
Marathon
Innovations
IAB
Champion Fellowships
Innovations
BUPA/CRUK CPI
Policy
Research
Centre
Primary Care
engagement
Statistics
Cancer
Awareness
Roadshows
Health
information
Health
Marketing
PPE
PoD
ED & CI
PD

6. Policy Research Centre for Cancer Prevention
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Mission: To provide high quality research evidence that
supports the development of policy to promote healthy
living and improving the environments that support
health
Vision: A healthier population who avoid more
preventable cancers

7. Benefits
• Identify the evidence gaps and carry out work that is responsive
(evidence synthesis, evaluations and modelling)
• High quality, targeted and translatable policy research
• Promote key interventions that will lead to a healthier lifestyle
overall
• Ensure that inequalities are considered in all work
• Sustainability of prevention policy research at CRUK
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8. Challenges again!
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• CRUK has the reputation of research to cure
• ¾ survive – where does prevention fit?
• Accusations of the “Nanny State”
• Interference with fundraising - mixed messaging
• Developing a research agenda that fits
• External vs internal agendas

9. What are we doing?
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• Socioeconomic Status in Childhood and Cancer in Adulthood:
A Rapid-Review
• Effect of participating in Race for Life on behaviour and/or
awareness of the links between cancer and physical activity
• Raising awareness of links between alcohol and cancer and
acceptance of policy
• Economic modelling tobacco, obesity and alcohol

10. THANK YOU! cruk.org
Dr Jyotsna Vohra
Head of Policy Research Centre for Cancer Prevention (PRCP)
Cancer Research UK
Email: jyotsna.vohra@cancer.org.uk
Tel +44 20 3469 8186