Dr Sabrina H Rossi presents findings from 10-Year Survey

Kidney Cancer UK, working with researchers from the University of Cambridge, are putting patients at the centre of research.

In June 2025, Dr Sabrina H Rossi presented findings from a decade-long collaborative study of patient views and experiences to the Cambridge Patient and Public Involvement Showcase Conference, hosted by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The showcase brought together patients, researchers, and clinicians for a day-long conference to share successes and best practice in Public and Patient Involvement (PPI).

Dr Rossi shared outcomes from ten years of Kidney Cancer UK annual surveys, showing patient opinion across the three key areas of diagnostic pathway, access to treatment, and communication and support.

The survey showed that the diagnostic pathway for kidney cancer patients is still complex, with over 30% of respondents reporting a wait of over three months for specialist diagnosis in 2022 and 2023. The percentage of respondents who were offered a clinical trial has been consistently below 15% since 2019. Around diagnosis, patients would like further information, such as information leaflets, and support, for example, access to a dedicated cancer nurse specialist.

Dr Rossi said, “I was delighted to present our results at the PPI Conference. We received excellent feedback from the audience regarding the novel insights that we are able to provide by working with patients over such a long period.”

On the value of patient involvement, Professor Grant Stewart, a collaborator on the project, said, “While we may hear about patients’ experiences incidentally, having evidence from ten years of patient feedback is a powerful driver for change and this will inform research strategy here in Cambridge and beyond.”

The trends identified in this research will inform future care and research strategy – putting patient priorities at the heart of research from its very inception. Kidney Cancer UK, Dr Rossi and Professor Stewart thank all the patients who took the time to complete the annual Kidney Cancer UK survey.

Read the full paper here:
Rossi SH, Fox G, Packer M, Greaves A, Tran M, Charnley N, Oades G, Boleti E, Stewart GD. A decade long insight into patient views on kidney cancer care delivery. BJU Int. 2025;135(2):243-5.

Acknowledgements:
Many thanks to Carley Batley for her help in putting together this piece