Please let Katie know if you are willing to participate in her research. Limited space! Details below.

My name is Katie, and I am doctorate student at the University of Nottingham. As part of my research training, I am aiming to explore how people cope under the watch and wait pathway. I plan to do this by talking with people under watch and wait to hopefully learn what is helpful and unhelpful whilst waiting. Participation would involve talking with me via the telephone or Microsoft teams for up to an hour on up to two occasions.

You are able to take part in this if:  

·       You have a diagnosis of haematology cancer (any kind) and are at least six months post-diagnosis.

·       You are assigned to the “watch and wait” pathway.

·       You are aged 18 or above.

·       You live in the UK.

If you, or somebody you know, might be are interested in this, please get in touch via the email address katie.russell@nottingham.ac.uk and I can share some further information with you for you to have a look at.

Plain English Summary 

“Psychosocial need” is a phrase used to describe a person’s wish for support for anything that underlies their psychological wellbeing. There are many different psychosocial needs, but some examples are:  

• Understanding your illness 
• Having support available 
• Not being able to do things you used to do 

These needs are really important to help people feel well in themselves. There is evidence to suggest that the more unmet needs a person has, the more likely they are to experience psychological distress such as depression or anxiety. 

The aim of this research is to develop a deeper understanding of the psychosocial needs of people living with haematology cancer under the “watch and wait pathway” in the UK. Haematology cancer affects people’s bones, blood, and lymphatic system (a system of tubes in the body that help drain fluid). Individuals are placed on the watch and wait pathway when the cancer is slow-growing and does not cause symptoms or pain. Typically, individuals will have yearly or bi-yearly check-ups with their doctor to monitor their health. The researchers are interested in: 

• What are these individuals’ psychosocial needs? 
• When are they met? 
• How do they change over a six-month period?  
• Are the needs identified the same as those identified by people living with other cancer illnesses? 

Very little is understood about what support is needed for people living with cancer under watch and wait. Understanding needs further will help identify areas of support needed. Future research can use the findings to understand how to support people better. 

To answer the questions above, we will interview 12-15 adults living with haematology cancer under watch and wait. To learn about change over time, participants who took part in the first interview will be invited to a second interview six months later. Each interview is expected to last about an hour.