For patients and the public
Mission statement
At the INCISE project, we are dedicated to revolutionising bowel cancer screening by developing predictive tools for polyp surveillance. Our mission is to actively involve patients and the public in every stage of our research to ensure it is deeply rooted in real-world experiences and addresses genuine patient needs.
We believe that the insights and perspectives of those with lived experiences of bowel cancer are invaluable. Through our Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) approach, we engage with individuals to shape the design, conduct, and dissemination of our research. By collaborating closely with patients, clinicians, and industry partners, we aim to refine screening guidelines and develop tools that can more accurately predict the likelihood of polyp development, ultimately improving outcomes and preventing bowel cancer.
Our commitment is to work with the public, not just for them, ensuring that our research is transparent, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of the community we serve. Through regular PPI steering group meetings and ongoing engagement, we strive to make a meaningful impact on bowel cancer prevention.
About our research
Bowel cancer screening is used to find cancer and pre-cancerous growths, called polyps, in people who do not have symptoms. The aim is to catch bowel cancer early and prevent it by removing polyps before they turn into cancer. There are guidelines to help clinicians decide who needs a follow-up colonoscopy and when they need it. These guidelines are based on the size and number of polyps, but they are not very accurate. Many people who have one or a few small polyps removed during their first colonoscopy are not scheduled for follow-up, even though they might develop future polyps or cancer later. We need better guidelines to meet the needs of individual patients.
The INCISE project - INtegrated TeChnologies for Improved Polyp SurveillancE – is a University of Glasgow-led collaboration with clinicians and industry partners. Our aim is to transform bowel cancer screening in the UK by developing a tool that can predict which patients with polyps will develop further polyps.
Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)
The INCISE project strongly advocates for Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in research. PPI in research means research that is done "with" or "by" the public, not "to", "for" or "about" them. It means that patients or other people with relevant experience contribute to how research is designed, conducted and disseminated.
We regularly engage with individuals with lived experience of bowel cancer to ensure that our research is informed by real-work experiences and patient needs. We hold PPI steering group meetings three times per year. If you, or a loved one, has lived experience of bowel cancer and you would like to join our PPI steering group, please contact Emma Parsons (Emma.Parsons@glasgow.ac.uk). You can read more about this on the People in Research website.
Public Engagement (PE)
This part of our website is currently under construction. We hope to share our public engagement activities with you soon.