The VANGUARD PATH Study

Men with lived experience of prostate cancer are a critical element of our study team, where they are embedded in the Project Study Management Group.

Before the application was submitted, we reached out to the Prostate Cancer UK Patient Representative Network, via the Senior Research Officer at Prostate Cancer UK. We identified three supporters who volunteered to help us ascertain patient and public views on the proposal. We subsequently set up a focus group, which met to discuss the proposal. Also present were two other patient representatives who have worked with the team before. All five participants shared their thoughts and opinions and, after an in-depth discussion, indicated they were very supportive of the proposed research, including the design and approach to governance.

PPIE team members will be active participants in the study, with the power to effect change by taking part in all project board meetings, and by prioritising research questions, voicing concerns on issues and governance, and preparing dissemination and other documents. The PPIE team members make a valuable contribution to the implementation of the study by ensuring the research team benefit from a rounded, patient centric perspective. We actively listen to what our patient representatives tell us about how they are impacted by our decisions in the study. They provide views on the dissemination strategy on the use of AI in cancer diagnostics, and review information and data to identify perspectives particularly relevant to patients and public.

We will also include some men's views, who have no lived experience of prostate cancer in the study, as we need to understand their thoughts from the standpoint of perhaps being tested in the future for prostate cancer.

All PPIE activities undertaken during the study will align with the UK Standards for Public Involvement. 

Future activities will include presentations at meetings, both scientific and otherwise, posters, publications, surveys of patients and clinicians etc.