Description
Description (EN): More and more people are getting cancer, i.a. because the population is getting older and a larger proportion lives with cancer as a chronic disease. The increase in cancer patients puts a strain on hospital systems in terms of quality of care, number of patients treated, availability of highly specialized staff and treatment costs. To meet the big challenges, new treatments and products need to be developed.
The goal of Changing Cancer Care (CCC) is to change cancer diagnostics and treatment to meet the enormous challenges through:
- Development of 4 innovative diagnostic and treatment methods, including liquid biopsy and calcium electroporation, thereby reducing the cost of cancer treatment.
- Definition of 2 adapted nursing education and a blueprint of centralized and future-oriented nursing skills so that caregivers can handle both new cancer treatment methods and the use of health technologies to support staff and patients, and design new processes, such as shifting roles between physicians, nurses and patients.
- Shifting focus from cancer treatment in hospital departments to diagnostics (e.g., blood analysis) and treatment near or in the patient's home and greater involvement of cancer patients in treatment and care, resulting in higher patient satisfaction and treatment quality, as well as better health economics.
With its broad cancer treatment network CCC takes advantage of the great potential of parallel collaboration between epidemiologists, physicians, nurses, scientists and companies in the program region in a.o. 7 departments of the 5 largest (university) clinics in the program region, 2 cancer registries and higher nursing education institutions.
CCC also takes advantage of the great potential that results from the symbiosis of research and commercial interests, which relates to products to be developed in the project: e.g. an improved blood cell device or a new electrode design for calcium electroporation for commercialization in the program region. The project also creates a great opportunity to increase the attractiveness of the partner clinics and program region for highly specialized personnel, future research and companies in the healthcare industry.
Read more Description (DA): Flere og flere mennesker får kræft, bl.a. fordi befolkningen bliver ældre og mere lever med kræft som en kronisk sygdom. Stigning i kræftpatienter sætter højt pres på hospitalssystemerne hvad angår behandlingskvalitet, antal af behandlede patienter, tilstedeværelse af højt specialiseret personale og behandlingsomkostninger. For at imødekomme de store udfordringer, er der både brug for nye behandlingsmetoder og produkter.
Changing Cancer Care (CCC)‘s mål er at ændre kræftdiagnostik og -behandling for at imødekomme de store udfordringer, gennem:
- Udvikling af 4 innovative diagnose og behandlingsmetoder, som bl.a. liquid biopsy og calcium elektroporation, og dermed reduktion af omkostninger ved kræftbehandling.
- Definering af 2 justerede sygeplejeuddannelser og en blueprint af centrale, fremtidsrettede sygeplejekompetencer, så sygeplejersker kan håndtere både nye kræftbehandlingsmetoder og anvendelse af velfærdsteknologier til støtte for personale og patienter og skabe nye processer, eksempelvis for forskydning af roller mellem læger, sygeplejersker og patienter.
- Flytning af fokus fra kræftbehandling på sygehusafdelinger til diagnostik (f.eks. blodanalyse) og behandling tæt på eller i patientens hjem og mere inddragelse af kræftpatienter i deres behandling og dermed højere patienttilfredshed og behandlingskvalitet samt bedre sundhedsøkonomi.
Med sit brede kræftbehandlingsnetværk udnytter CCC det store potentiale af samarbejdet mellem epidemiologer, klinikere, sygeplejepersonale, universitetslærere og virksomheder på tværs af programregionen på bl.a. 7 afdelinger af de 5 største (universitets-) sygehuse i programregionen, 2 kræftregistre samt højere uddannelsesinstitutioner for sygeplejersker o.a.
CCC udnytter yderligere det store potentiale, der ligger i symbiosen mellem forskning og erhvervsinteresser i forhold til produkter, der skal udvikles i projektet, så som en forbedret blodmåleapparat eller et nyt elektrodedesign til calcium elektroporation til kommercialisering i programregionen. Der er stor mulighed for dermed at øge attraktiviteten af partnersygehusene og programregionen for højt specialiseret personale, fremtidige forskningsprojekter og virksomheder indenfor sundhedsteknologi.
Read more Description (DE): Immer mehr Menschen erkranken Krebs, u.a. weil die Bevölkerung zunehmend älter wird und ein größerer Anteil mit Krebs als chronischer Krankheit lebt. Der Anstieg von Krebspatienten belastet die Krankenhaussysteme in Bezug auf die Behandlungsqualität, die Anzahl der behandelten Patienten, die Verfügbarkeit von hochspezialisiertem Personal und die Behandlungskosten. Um die großen Herausforderungen zu meistern, müssen neue Behandlungsmethoden und Produkte entwickelt werden.
Ziel von Changing Cancer Care (CCC) ist, die Krebsdiagnostik und –behandlung zu ändern, um den enormen Herausforderungen begegnen zu können, durch:
- Entwicklung von 4 innovativen Diagnose- und Behandlungsmethoden, einschließlich Flüssigbiopsie und Calcium-Elektroporation und dadurch Senkung der Kosten der Krebsbehandlung.
- Definition von 2 angepassten Pflegeausbildungen und eine Blaupause der zentralen und zukunftsorientierten Pflegepersonalkompetenzen, so dass Pflegepersonal sowohl neue Krebsbehandlungsmethoden als auch die Verwendung von Gesundheitstechnologien zur Unterstützung von Personal und Patienten hantieren können und neue Arbeitsgänge entwerfen können, zum Beispiel für die Verschiebung der Rollen zwischen Ärzten, Pflegepersonal und Patienten.
- Verschieben des Fokus von der Krebsbehandlung in Krankenhausabteilungen hin zur Diagnostik (z.B. Blutanalyse) und Behandlung in der Nähe oder in der Wohnung des Patienten und eine stärkere Einbindung von Krebspatienten in Behandlung und Pflege und damit höhere Patientenzufriedenheit und Behandlungsqualität sowie besserer Gesundheitsökonomie.
Mit seinem breiten Krebsbehandlungsnetzwerks nutzt CCC das große Potenzial der parallelen Zusammenarbeit zwischen Epidemiologen, Ärzten, Pflegepersonal, Wissenschaftlern und Unternehmen in der Programmregion in 7 Abteilungen der 5 größten (Universitäts-) Kliniken der Programmregion, 2 Krebsregistern und Höhere Ausbildungsinstitutionen für Pflegepersonal u.a.
CCC nutzt außerdem das große Potenzial, das sich aus der Symbiose von Forschung und kommerziellen Interessen ergibt und das Produkte betrifft, die im Projekt entwickelt werden sollen: z.B. ein verbessertes Blutmessgerät oder ein neues Elektrodendesign für Calcium Elektroporation zur Kommerzialisierung in der Programmregion. Mit dem Projekt entsteht auch die große Chance, die Attraktivität der Partnerkliniken und der Programmregion für hochspezialisiertes Personal, zukünftige Forschung und Unternehmen aus der Gesundheitsbranche zu erhöhen.
Read more Achievements (EN): The Danish-German collaboration on innovation and cancer research is moving forward and all work packages have produced significant results during the last year, despite the Covid-19 pandemic which has influenced all activities of Changing Cancer Care in 2020.
It´s no big surprise that Covid-19 has had huge consequences for all work packages, and many delays have occurred. Among other things, the pandemic has caused stop for patient recruitment for research protocols; cancelled meetings and conferences; closed boarders between Denmark and Germany; and all the other effects of the pandemic which has hit all the project partners in CCC.
This soon became clear for the CCC lead partner, and for this reason an application was made to prolong most work packages another six months, which was approved by the Interreg Secretariat. Thanks to the prolonging and the ability of all work packages to adapt to this new situation, all the various activities within CCC are nevertheless moving ahead as planned.
Despite the difficult conditions, two CCC general assemblies were held in spring and autumn as video conferences with good discussions as well as a high number of participants.
WP2 has also been very active in sending out newsletters to all project partners and updating both the homepage and Facebook profile of CCC on a regular basis. The project partners seem to have appreciated this effort since there was positive feedback on the internal communication within CCC in the Kienbaum evaluation survey.
Towards the public, there have been a number of both national and international press articles, which have focused on various aspects of the different work packages in CCC.
A number of scientific publications based on the Danish-German collaboration also appeared in scientific reviews in 2020. Some of them also including network partners and building on results from previous projects (see WP2 report for details).
For each of the four main goals of CCC, the major achievements in 2020 are in headlines:
New forms of cancer diagnostics and treatments:
- More than 150 patients were included in the study of “Liquid biopsy”, a research article based on the results so far was published, and more publications are planned for 2021.
- 7 patients with cancer tumors in the skin were treated with the innovative methods of “Calcium Electroporation” in Næstved. The protocol was approved in Vejle where one patient has been treated, and in Lübeck the German protocol was handed in.
- The new protocol for spinal cord compression radiotherapy has been hit hard by the delays due the full stop for all research activities caused by Covid-19. In order to speed up the Danish contribution, is was decided by the LP to replace Odense by Vejle Hospital as the Danish partner for this protocol, and by the end of 2020 the new protocol was already approved in Vejle.
Still, this study has already resulted in another scientific publication, and further publications are expected in the coming year.
Patient experience
- The Danish National Cancer Patient Questionnaire has been adapted to use in the German health care system in general and taking changes related to Covid-19 into consideration too. This has caused attention from the Charité Hospital in Berlin, which is planning to use the questionnaire for breast cancer patients.
- The protocol for the population based cancer survey in Schleswig-Holstein was approved.
- Two new protocols were approved, both for the research of the experiences of patients receiving radiotherapy under WP5.3 in Lübeck, as well as for a study of the experience of cancer patients in Zealand who during the Covid-19 pandemic have been subject to an extended use of telephone consultations.
- A pilot version of the “Cancer Atlas” showing breast cancer incidence in Denmark is now ready.
Blood test in patients´ home
- In the beginning of 2020, CCC decided to use the innovative HemoScreen device for the blood tests in patients´ homes, and a leasing contract for another 8 HemoScreen devices was agreed. The new device was tested and validated at Department of Clinical Biochemistry at SUH in Køge, and network partner Lennart Friis-Hansen took active part in this process.
- In summer 2020, the protocol was approved and shortly after feasibility self-testing with both health care professionals and breast cancer patients were conducted.
- By the end of the year, recruitment of the first breast cancer patients to perform their own blood tests at home started.
Next generation nursing
- A new curriculum for nurses in oncology was finalized in 2020 in both Denmark and Germany.
- The Danish curriculum, which consists of 6 teaching session and a final exam, was tested by project partner Absalon in a study course for 10 oncology nurses.
Use of the CCC Network
- Lennart Friis-Hansen from Department of Clinical Biochemistry at Bispebjerg Hospital has been a very active partner in developing the blood test in cancer patients´ homes. In collaboration with the partners from CCC, he contributed to two scientific publications in 2020 too.
- In 2020, the Pediatric Department at the University Hospital in Kiel joined CCC as a new network partner with particular focus on blood test in patients´ homes. This has led to the design of the new network project “HomeHemo”, where the Pediatric Department in collaboration with the Hematology Department at SUH in Roskilde will investigate possible home blood tests for blood cancer patients.
- The Gynecological Department at the Charité Hospital in Berlin, which is interested in using the German questionnaire developed in WP6, might turn out to be a new network partner. This would contribute to expand the effects of the research from the CCC project beyond the program region.
For the overview over the total output indicators for CCC in 2020, see Appendix1.
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Website: https://changingcancercare.eu/
Delivered Outputs (DA): Antal virksomheder, der modtager støtte;
Antallet af virksomheder som deltager i grænseoverskridende transnationale eller interregionale forskningsprojekter;
Antal virksomheder, der deltager i grænseoverskridende strategiske partnerskaber;
Antal forskningsinstitutioner, der deltager i grænseoverskridende eller interregionale forskningsprojekter
Read more Delivered Outputs (DE): Anzahl der Unternehmen, die gefördert werden;
Zahl der Unternehmen, die an grenzübergreifenden, transnationalen oder interregionalen Forschungsvorhaben teilnehmen;
Anzahl der Unternehmen, die an grenzüberschreitenden strategischen Partnerschaften beteiligt sind;
Anzahl Forschungseinrichtungen, die an grenzüberschreitenden oder interregionalen Forschungsprojekten teilnehmen
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Thematic information
Specific Objective:
Increase in product, process and social innovations in the identified fields of strength of the programme area
Thematic Objective:
(01) strengthening research, technological development and innovation by:
Investment Priority:
(01b) promoting business investment in R&I, developing links and synergies between enterprises, research and development centres and the higher education sector, in particular promoting investment in product and service development, technology transfer, social innovation, eco-innovation, public service applications, demand stimulation, networking, clusters and open innovation through smart specialisation, and supporting technological and applied research, pilot lines, early product validation actions, advanced manufacturing capabilities and first production, in particular in key enabling technologies and diffusion of general purpose technologies
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