Epidemiology

In 2004 the University of York initiated the Haematological Malignancy Research Network (HMRN), with NHS clinicians, to address key challenges relating to the causes, treatments and outcomes of haematological cancers and precursor conditions. Covering a population of around 4 million in Yorkshire, the Humber and North Lincolnshire (14 hospitals), HMRN tracks all blood cancer patients through local clinical systems and links to national administrative databases, which yielded immediate local benefits.

HMRN currently has a cohort of 45,000 patients, offering a unique opportunity to conduct multidisciplinary research and supply real-world data for national descriptive statistics and Health Technology Assessments (clinical and cost-effectiveness, and broader impact of healthcare treatments and tests).  

Using the data we obtain we inform researchers, clinicians, patients and the public about the characteristics and outcomes of patients with cancer and our unique datasets yield relevant national and international evidence.

Areas of interest

• Epidemiology of blood cancers; providing unique high quality research on the epidemiology of these complex cancers.
• Patient experience of blood cancers; working with patients and their families to explore individuals experiences of blood cancer from treatment decision making, to understanding the impact a diagnosis has on the patient and their families.
• Cancer and infections in sub-Saharan Africa; with the ultimate goal of facilitating cancer prevention.
• Cancer in children and young people; discovering the causes and monitoring diagnosis, treatment and aftereffects.