Hilary Lindsay

Summary: To re‐evaluate chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) epidemiology in the era of modern therapy, data were extracted from the English National Cancer Registration Dataset (NCRD). A total of 34 427 consecutive diagnoses of CLL were recorded (2014–2022), the largest European dataset on record. In addition to known associations with age, gender‐ethnicity, multivariable analysis showed incidence rate ratio (IRR) variations with government region (IRR ranging from 0.78 to 0.94 vs. London), socioeconomic deprivation (1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.10] for most vs. least deprived quintile) and IRR fall in successive calendar years (0.70 [95% CI 0.67–0.73] for 2022 vs. 2014). With a median follow‐up of 74.4 months, 36.9% of patients had died, including 13.6% from blood cancer. 1‐, 3‐ and 5‐year overall survival (OS)/net survival rates were 90%/94%, 78%/87% and 67%/81%, respectively. Age, male gender, comorbidity and socioeconomic deprivation were independently associated with shorter OS and cause‐specific survival (CSS), with OS‐hazard ratio (HR) of 1.42 (95% CI 1.34–1.50) and CSS‐HR of 1.28 (1.16–1.41) for the most versus least deprived quintiles. In addition, government region was independently associated with CSS, with HRs relative to London ranging from 0.84 (0.74–0.96) to 1.12 (0.99–1.27). Our findings reveal previously unreported disparities in CLL incidence and survival based on place of residence.

Background Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a common adult blood cancer. There is no cure, but a third of people never require treatment and new targeted drugs have improved outcome. Understanding the experience of living with CLL is important for clinicians, health care providers and researchers. Methods This was an open internet-based survey of people with CLL, conducted by people with CLL. It was advertised via email and social media. Findings 1,009 people completed the survey. Respondents were more likely to be women (526, 52% female; 482, 48% male) and were younger at diagnosis (574, 57% Conclusions Fatigue is a key problem for people with CLL. CLL impacts on the physical and emotional aspects of quality of life.

The paper reports on qualitative research carried out with qualified accountants who have made the move into Higher Education, to explore their perceptions of the knowledge and skills, attitudes and behaviours needed by accountants new to academia who wish to develop as researchers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 professionally qualified accounting academics. Template analysis, based around the cognitive, intrapersonal and interpersonal dimensions of learning, enabled quotes from the interviewees to be used to underpin the new Researching Accountant Development Framework (RADF). All three dimensions proved key to successful transition. Accountants needed the relevant knowledge and skills and an understanding of themselves and the opportunities provided by an academic environment. The literature shows the benefits arising from qualified accountants moving into academia and the challenges they may face. The findings in this research and the resultant RADF will help accountants succeed in that transition and develop their research capabilities.

Since 2004, professional accountancy bodies in membership of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) have been required to adopt mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) schemes. This research explores the learning activities of members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) which introduced an output-based CPD scheme in 2005. To do so, a survey was carried out among its members. The findings show that the ICAEW's output-based scheme has given responsibility for learning to the individual. With the exception of those not currently in work, both formal and informal learning activities are perceived as being equally relevant. However, accountants are far less likely to describe their informal learning activities as CPD. In an environment where careers are likely to last longer and to involve more transitions, learning activities still primarily focus on competence in the current role rather than on developing skills to support future careers.