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.
Kjaer TK, Andersen EA, Winther JF, Bidstrup PE, Borre M, Moller H, Larsen SB, Johansen C, Dalton SO: Long-term somatic disease risk in adult Danish cancer survivors. JAMA Oncology 2019;5:537-545
Ammitzbøll G, Johansen C, Lanng C, Andersen EW, Kroman N, Zerahn B, Hyldegaard O, Wittenkamp MC, Dalton SO: Progressive resistance training to prevent arm lymphedema in the first year after breast cancer surgery: Results of a randomized controlled trial. Cancer 2019;125:1683-1692
Gad KT, Johansen C, Duun-Henriksen AK, Krøyer A, Olsen MH, Lassen U, Mau-Sørensen M, Dalton SO: Socioeconomic Differences in Referral to Phase I Cancer Clinical Trials: A Danish Matched Cancer Case-Control Study. J Clin Oncol 2019;37:1111-1119 doi: 10.1200/JCO.18.01983
Christensen NL, Rasmussen TR, Hansen KH, Christensen J, Dalton SO: Comorbidity and early death in Danish stage I lung cancer patients – an individual approach. Acta Oncol 2020;59:994-1001
Degett TH, Christensen J, Thomsen LAA, Iversen LH, Gögenur I, Dalton SO: Nationwide cohort study of the impact of education, income and social isolation on survival after acute colorectal cancer surgery. BJS Open 2020;4:133-144
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
Bidstrup PE, Johansen C, Kroman N, Belmonte F, Duriaud H, Dalton SO, Andersen KG, Mertz B. Effect of a Nurse Navigation Intervention on Mental Symptoms in Patients With Psychological Vulnerability and Breast Cancer: The REBECCA Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Jun 1;6(6):e2319591
Langballe R, Dalton SO, Jakobsen E, Karlsen RV, Iachina M, Freund KM, Leclair A, Nielsen AS, Andersen EW, Rosthøj S, Jørgensen LB, Skou ST, Bidstrup PE. NAVIGATE – Improving survival in vulnerable lung cancer patients through nurse navigation, symptom monitoring and exercise: study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial. BMJ Open 2022;12(10):e060242
Salem H, Kazak AE, Andersen EW, Belmonte F, Johansen C, Schmiegelow K, Winther JF, Wehner PS, Hasle H, Rosthøj S, Bidstrup PE: Home-based cognitive behavioural therapy for families of young children with cancer (FAMOS): A nationwide randomised controlled trial. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021;68(3):e28853
Løppenthin K, Dalton SO, Johansen C, Andersen E, Christensen M, Pappot H, Petersen L, Thisted L, Frølich A, Mortensen C, Lassen U, Ørsted J, Bidstrup PE: Total burden of disease in cancer patients at diagnosis – A Danish nationwide study of multimorbidity and redeemed medication. British Journal of Cancer 2020;123(6):1033-1040
Høegh BL, Bidstrup PE, Karlsen RV, Friberg AS, Albieri V, Dalton SO, Saltbæk L, Andersen KK, Horsboel TA, Johansen C: Follow-up strategies following completion of primary cancer treatment in adult cancer survivors. The Cochrane Collaboration 2019; (11):CD012425
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 work - Team Science to Society
Our aim is to contribute to improving the quality of the cancer trajectory for patients and relatives by mapping current practice, and bridging research and society.
Our work centers on analyses, as well as quality-/development projects that test or implement evidence-based tools or practice models. In addition, we advise patient representatives of the Danish Medicines Council, conduct research evaluation, contribute to layman reports of cancer statistics and research follow-up, and lead the ‘Patient and Public Involvement in Research Panel’ at the Danish Cancer Institute.
We are a team of consultants with a multidisciplinary background, and this combination of competencies provides us with a strong scientific and methodological foundation, and with substantial insight into clinical practice. Our work is deeply rooted in a scientific approach. We collaborate with both internal partners across departments and external partners across healthcare sectors and professions and we involve both patients and relatives.
We disseminate results where relevant, e.g. reports, papers to the public and healthcare professionals, scientific posters or articles. Furthermore, our work contributes with relevant knowledge to the Danish Cancer Society’s political work, to ensure improved cancer trajectories, healthcare services, and quality of life after cancer.
To maintain this focus, we engage in a wide range of tasks including:
- Analyses and mapping of different aspects of the cancer trajectory
- Quality, development, and implementation projects
- The Patient and Public Involvement in Research Panel, Danish Cancer Institute
- Counselling the patient representatives of the medicine council on the cancer drugs at each medicine council meeting
- Research evaluation and layman reports of cancer statistics, e.g. contributions to the annual reports: “The Danish Cancer Institute’s research report” and “Cancer in Denmark”
Team Leader: Ditte Hartington
Ditte Hartington has a MSc in Health Science and has worked in different areas of the healthcare system – both as physiotherapist and consultant. She started at the Danish Cancer Institute in 2021.
Staff Team STS
Key funding
Knæk Cancer
Danish Cancer Society Scientific Committee