Publications by authors named "C Conefrey"
Background: Oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery may be a better option than mastectomy, but high-quality comparative evidence is lacking. The aim of the ANTHEM study (ISRCTN18238549) was to explore clinical and patient-reported outcomes in a multicentre cohort of women offered oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery as an alternative to mastectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction.
Methods: Women with invasive/pre-invasive breast cancer who were offered oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery with volume replacement or displacement techniques to avoid mastectomy were recruited prospectively.
Background: Although the challenges of recruiting to randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are well documented, few studies have focused on the impact that the communication between recruiters and patients has on patients' participation decisions. Recruiters are thought to influence patient decision-making, but the mechanisms by which this occurs are unclear. The aim of this research was to investigate how patients interpret and use the information conveyed to them by healthcare professionals (HCPs) in trial participation decisions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery may allow women with early breast cancer to avoid a mastectomy, but many women undergo more extensive surgery, even when breast-conserving options are offered. The aim of the ANTHEM qualitative study was to explore factors influencing women's surgical decision-making for and against oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of women who had received either oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery or a mastectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction to explore their rationale for procedure choice.
Article Synopsis
- The study reviewed UK cardiovascular disease randomized controlled trial protocols to assess how many use eligibility criteria that could unfairly exclude ethnic minority participants.
- Of 70 trial protocols analyzed, a significant majority required written consent and often mandated English language proficiency, which could limit EM participation.
- The findings suggest that existing protocols need to be revised to adopt more inclusive criteria, considering ethnicity and other identities to enhance diversity in clinical trials.*