“If taking a cancer prevention medication meant someone could spend more time with their children, that's what matters. That's what we're hoping to achieve with Yorkshire Cancer Research.” – Dr Steph Archer’s experience

For Dr Steph Archer, putting people at the heart of cancer research is essential. Before any new treatment or breakthrough can make a difference, researchers must first understand the needs and experiences of the people they aim to help.  

Now, the health psychologist and University of Cambridge researcher is putting that philosophy into practice by leading a pioneering study giving people with an inherited risk of cancer the opportunity to shape a bold new approach to cancer prevention.  

Thanks to funding from Yorkshire Cancer Research, the PARP Inhibitors for Cancer Risk Reduction in Carriers (PARCC) study, will explore whether a class of drugs known as PARP inhibitors, already used to treat certain cancers, could become a new option for preventing cancer in those who carry particular genetic variants linked to an increased risk of the disease. 

Steph’s passion for research began with a clear ambition to help people live healthier, better lives. She completed her PhD in gynaecological cancer in 2013, dividing her time between research at the University of Derby and supporting people with cancer in the gynaecological department at the Royal Derby Hospital. Her work focused on identifying ways to improve care and support for women following surgery for breast and gynaecological cancers.

Steph said: “I've always been interested in people’s health and wellbeing. At first, I thought about being a doctor or a nurse, but I realised I was particularly drawn to understanding how people think, feel and make decisions about their health. Throughout my career I've worked within medical teams, which has given me wonderful opportunities to see how research affects clinical practice and, most importantly, the people coming into clinics every day.”

After working at Imperial College in London to explore ways to improve safety and quality in healthcare, Steph moved to Cambridge, where her research focused on predicting cancer risk and identifying ways to address that risk to suit the needs and experiences of people. 

Around 175,000 adults in England – including nearly 17,000 in Yorkshire - are estimated to carry inherited variants in genes called BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2, which increase the likelihood of developing cancers including breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancer.  

For people living with these genetic variants, options for reducing that risk can be limited and involve major surgery or hormone-blocking medicines, which may not be suitable for everyone. For men at higher genetic risk of prostate or pancreatic cancer, there are currently very few, and in some cases no, options available to reduce that risk.

Over the next two years, the PARCC study will involve 5,500 people, including approximately 1,300 people from Yorkshire, to understand how they feel about PARP inhibitors becoming a new option to help prevent cancer. This includes investigating the benefits, risks and practical considerations that would matter most to them when considering taking this type of cancer drug.

The research will begin by analysing data from the EMBRACE study, a large-scale cancer prevention study which involved more than 10,000 people across the UK who carry BRCA gene variants. Steph and her team will examine patterns in the choices people have already made to manage their cancer risk, particularly around taking risk-reducing cancer medication.

The next phase of the research will involve a series of surveys and interviews with people in Yorkshire and beyond designed to understand how they make decisions about cancer prevention treatments. This includes exploring what information they would want before joining a clinical trial, which benefits they would consider worthwhile, and what side effects or practical challenges they would be prepared to accept.

Steph said: “Ultimately, this research is about making sure people have the information they need to make decisions around cancer prevention. By understanding what matters most to people at different stages of life and in different circumstances, we can help ensure future clinical trials and treatments are designed with their needs in mind. 

With the PARCC study set to involve at least a quarter of participants from Yorkshire, Steph believes the region is the ideal place to carry out this vital research because of its diverse communities, unique cancer challenges and the health inequalities people in the region face.

She said: "People experience cancer differently, depending on their backgrounds and circumstances. If we want to develop clinical trials and treatments that work for everyone, the research can't be shaped by the experiences of just a few communities in the parts of the country where research has traditionally taken place.  

Having previously collaborated with researchers in Leeds and across Yorkshire, Steph was keen to ensure the project delivers benefits for the communities whose fundraising helps make the work of Yorkshire Cancer Research possible.  

She said: "One of the things I really value about Yorkshire Cancer Research is how connected everything feels. Researchers, fundraisers, volunteers and supporters all feel part of the same community and united by the same cause.

“I was actually wearing my Yorkshire Cancer Research socks when I found out the funding for this project had been awarded! It made the news even more special.” 

By working with people with an inherited risk of cancer, alongside researchers and clinicians from Yorkshire and across the UK, Steph hopes to complete the two-year PARCC study equipped with the vital knowledge needed to understand if, when and under what circumstances people would consider taking PARP inhibitors to reduce their cancer risk. The findings will be crucial in determining whether a clinical trial testing PARP inhibitors as a cancer prevention treatment could be developed in the future.

Steph said: “While the study will last for two years, I hope we will have an early indication within the first year of whether people with these inherited genetic variants are generally supportive of taking PARP inhibitors to help prevent cancer. This will enable early discussions with key experts and partners about what a clinical trial could look like, and how best it can benefit people.”

“Before we get to that stage, however, we need to understand whether this is something people would actually want and under what circumstances they might consider taking it. Once we know that, we'll have a much clearer idea of how a future clinical trial could be designed and developed.” 

She said: "Treatment research is vitally important, but if we can prevent cancer from developing, or delay it for people at high risk, that's a real opportunity to change lives."

She concluded: "Ultimately, this study is about understanding what people need from future prevention treatments and ensuring their voices help shape this hugely exciting next chapter of cancer research. If taking a cancer prevention medication meant someone could spend more time with their children, that's what matters. That's what we're hoping to achieve with Yorkshire Cancer Research.”