Cancer research

  • from first symptoms to diagnosis, treatment and follow-up

Background

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in Denmark. Approximately 35,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Advances in diagnostic methods and treatment have improved survival, and the number of people living with or beyond a cancer diagnosis continues to increase. Today, more than 400,000 people in Denmark are living with or after cancer, and this number is growing by approximately 4% annually.

Timely diagnosis and high-quality follow-up are essential to improving outcomes for people affected by cancer, including the early detection of recurrence. As most cancers are first identified when patients present with symptoms in general practice, our research examines the entire cancer pathway — from the first signs and symptoms to diagnostic investigations, treatment and follow-up. We place particular emphasis on the role of general practice in cancer diagnosis and survivorship care, as well as on the impact of fast-track cancer pathways.

Our research is grounded in medical and epidemiological approaches and strengthened by interdisciplinary perspectives that combine diverse theoretical frameworks, research methods and academic disciplines. This enables us to address complex challenges in cancer diagnosis and care from multiple perspectives.

The research group collaborates closely with hospital-based oncology departments and researchers in organisational studies, psychology, anthropology, sociology and health economics. Through these multidisciplinary collaborations, we aim to generate knowledge that can improve cancer pathways, strengthen clinical practice and support better outcomes for patients.


Selected publications

  • Anaemia of inflammation and cancer risk according to comorbidity in patients aged 40-89 years: a Danish cohort study. BMC Cancer. 2025 Oct 15;25(1):1589. doi: 10.1186/s12885-025-14978-0.
  • Psychiatric disorders and the cancer diagnostic process in general practice: a combined questionnaire and register study exploring the patients' experiences in Denmark. doi.org/10.1080/02813432.2023.2296944.
  • Diagnostic pathways for breast cancer in 10 International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP) jurisdictions: an international comparative cohort study based on questionnaire and registry data. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059669.
  • Unplanned cancer presentation in patients with psychiatric disorders: A nationwide register-based cohort study in Denmark. doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2022.102293.
  • A nationwide register-study of healthcare utilisation in the year preceding a colorectal cancer recurrence diagnosis. doi.org/10.1111/ecc.13494.
  • Diagnosing pancreatic cancer in general practice: a cross-sectional study on associations between suspicion of cancer, urgent referral and time to diagnosis. doi.org/10.1080/02813432.2022.2036491.
  • Fear of cancer recurrence at 2.5 years after a cancer diagnosis: a cross-sectional study in Denmark. doi.org/10.1007/s00520-022-07335-5.
  • Healthcare use in the year preceding a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer: a register-based cohort study in Denmark. doi.org/10.1080/02813432.2022.2069730.
  • Routes to cancer diagnosis for patients with pre-existing psychiatric disorders: a nationwide register-based cohort study. doi.org/10.1186/s12885-022-09598-x.

Collaboration

The research group collaborates closely with hospital-based oncology departments and with partners in organisational research, psychology, anthropology, sociology and health economics.


Projects

  • Advanced care planning in lung cancer
  • Cancer and mental illness
  • Cancer among the elderly
  • Cancer recurrence
  • Fear of cancer recurrence
  • Haematological cancers
  • Handling cancer risk in general practice
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Recurrent gastric cancer
  • Routes to cancer diagnosis for migrants in Denmark