Cancer and Palliative Care
Mission
The mission of the Cancer and Palliative Care Group is to excel in the promotion of quality and effective cancer and palliative care through the development and utilisation of evidence-based knowledge.
Its main research priorities include:
- Advancing the knowledge and evidence-based practice on cancer and palliative care;
- Development of strategies and interventions for effective cancer prevention among South Asian ethnic minorities and symptom management for patients with cancer and other advanced illnesses; and
- Promoting the knowledge and acceptability of advance care planning and advance directive among the population in Hong Kong.
Key Researchers
Associate Professor
Prof. Dorothy Chan’s research interests focus on cancer prevention and screening, model development, and symptom management for cancer patients after surgery and other related treatments. She has participated in several ethnic minority health-related projects to explore factors associated with their screening behaviours, develop health education materials, and adopt skills such as motivational interviewing to promote cancer screening and prevention. Prof. Chan has been trained in motivational interviewing and is currently a practitioner who conducts motivational interviewing sessions, for example, with older Chinese adults to enhance their faecal occult blood test uptake, and with South Asian women to improve their HPV vaccine uptake. She is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT).
Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Charity Foundation Professor of Nursing / Vice-Director of Education
Assistant Dean (Postgraduate Education), Faculty of Medicine
Prof. Carmen Chan’s integrated scholarship in cancer and palliative care has broadly impacted nursing education, the clinicians, patients, families, and the community. Her key research areas include cancer screening, symptom management, and the promotion of advance care planning. Her research team conducted several large-scale community roadshows and published a health manual to promote advance care planning. By using the concept mapping approach, Prof. Chan has established the first concept map to predict and explain the uptake of advance directive in Hong Kong.
Professor
Assistant Dean (Interprofessional Education), Faculty of Medicine
Prof. Chow Ka Ming’s research focuses on psychosocial care and symptom control for oncology patients, in particular sexuality care for gynaecological and breast cancer patients. Her early studies explored sexual symptoms experienced by patients who had completed gynaecological cancer treatment for gynaecological and breast cancers and highlighted the negative effects of these sexual symptoms on their psychological and functional well-being. Recently, Prof. Chow’s randomised controlled trials supported the efficacy of psychosexual rehabilitation, couple-coping intervention and psycho-educational programmes in improving sexuality and psychosocial care for these patients. She has been trained as a sexuality counsellor at the University of Michigan.
Professor
As a scholar and scientist in cancer care, Prof So’s research substantively influenced knowledge generation which manifested as evidence-based intervention for reducing cancer burden in local and international contexts. She conducted the first study to identify barriers to cancer screening encountered by local ethnic minorities. The findings were translated into an Integrative Multicomponent Programme for promoting south Asians’ Cancer screening upTake (IMPACT) programme for improving South Asians’ access to cancer screening services, and empowering community health workers to facilitate screening uptake among South Asians. Recently, the IMPACT program was recognised by the WHO Western Pacific Innovative Challenges as an innovative solution for various health challenges in the Western Pacific region.
Associate Professor
Prof. Wong Cho Lee’s research focuses on enhancing symptom management for vulnerable populations. Her innovative studies investigate the application of virtual reality interventions to alleviate physical and psychological distress in paediatric patients undergoing medical procedures. Additionally, she participates in various randomised controlled trials that demonstrate the positive effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on psychological distress among advanced lung cancer patients, parents of children with cancer, and other vulnerable groups. She is committed to advancing patient-centred care and improving the quality of life for patients and families facing complex health challenges.
Assistant Professor
Prof. Ankie Cheung’s research focuses on paediatric nursing and cancer survivorship care. She has conducted several trials to promote psychological well-being among paediatric brain tumour survivors and children from low-income families through music-based interventions. Her recent randomised controlled trial supported the efficacy of mobile instant messaging-delivered brief motivational interviewing in promoting regular physical activity among paediatric cancer survivors. She is currently dedicated to designing and evaluating user-centred mobile health technologies to improve symptom management for children at the early stage of cancer survivorship and their caregivers.
Assistant Professor
Prof. Thomas Lam’s research focuses on the development and application of digital health technologies in nursing care and cancer prevention, particularly in the context of colorectal cancer, a significant global and local health concern. He has recently broadened his research interests to cover artificial intelligence in healthcare. His research track record is exemplified by the authoring of over 130 manuscripts and conference papers, including some published in top journals in gastroenterology, nursing, and digital health. His research excellence has been recognised through the receipt of the Young Investigator Award and the Poster of Distinction Award at Digestive Disease Week in the United States.
Assistant Professor
Prof. Marques Ng is a young researcher with a strong interest in nephrology and cancer care, as well as mixed methods research. His previous research focused on symptom clusters and their impacts on patients receiving dialysis therapy. With the support of local and international research grants, his recent studies examine the relationship between biopsychosocial symptoms and health inequities in patients with noncommunicable diseases, especially chronic kidney disease and prostate cancer. He is currently a Council Member of the Hong Kong Association of Renal Nurses.
Research Highlights
Selected Projects
| Project Title | Funding Source | Principal Investigator | Project Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| A brief online compassion-focused therapy intervention for patients with kidney failure: A pilot randomised trial | Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) | NG Shek Nam, Marques | 2024 – 2026 |
| Utilisation of a theory-driven, culturally tailored, social media-based, interactive telehealth intervention to increase longitudinal adherence to repeat faecal immunochemical test screening: A randomised controlled trial | Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) | LAM Yuen Tung, Thomas | 2024 – 2026 |
| Efficacy of a self-determination theory-based smoking cessation intervention plus instant messaging via mobile application for smokers with cancer: A pragmatic randomised controlled trial | Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) | LI Ho Cheung, William | 2023 – 2026 |
| Effects of decision aids on the participation of South Asian women in cervical cancer screening: A randomised controlled trial | Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) | CHAN Ngo Sheung, Dorothy | 2023 – 2026 |
| Effectiveness of theory-based outreach using mobile health technology in colorectal cancer screening uptake: A randomised controlled trial | Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) | LAM Yuen Tung, Thomas | 2023 – 2025 |
| The effectiveness of a multi-media experiential training programme in advance care planning for nurses working in acute care settings | General Research Fund (GRF) | CHAN YIP Wing Han, Carmen | 2023 – 2024 |
| Randomised controlled trial of a multimodal couple-coping intervention to enhance couples’ sexual adjustment after treatment for premenopausal breast cancer | General Research Fund (GRF) | CHOW Ka Ming | 2023 – 2024 |
| Exploring financial toxicity and associated risk factors in patients with end-stage renal disease: A mixed methods study | General Research Fund (GRF) | NG Shek Nam, Marques | 2023 – 2024 |
| Using cultural-relevant education materials to improve knowledge of cervical health and promoting HPV vaccination in secondary school with Chinese and non-Chinese speaking students | Quality Education Fund | CHAN Ngo Sheung, Dorothy | 2023 |
| Effects of smartphone-based chatbot intervention to increase influenza and COVID-19 vaccine uptake among South Asians: a wait-list randomized controlled trial | Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) | WONG Cho Lee, Jojo | 2022 – 2024 |
| Development and evaluation of a symptom management mobile health application with personalised support for children at the early stage of cancer survivorship and their caregivers | Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) Research Fellowship Scheme | CHEUNG Tan, Ankie | 2022 – 2024 |
| A training programme for community health workers in promoting cervical cancer screening among South Asian ethnic minorities in Hong Kong | Knowledge Transfer Project Fund (KTPF) | SO Kwok Wei, Winnie | 2022 – 2024 |
International Research Collaborations
| Harmonising the content, processes and outcome measures of a women’s cancer research programme in Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand, in collaboration with Prof. Alexandra McCarthy from The University of Queensland, Australia |
| Investigating the role of nurse in managing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting – An international survey, in collaboration with faculty members from Australia, Colombia, and mainland China |