I’ve heard that the researchers will require access to my body or tissues after I’m dead – is this true?
No, this is not true. The epidemiological study conducted by the NRPB/HPA researchers is an approved ‘medical research’ study but there are many types of medical research studies and they do not all require specific examination of body tissues. This epidemiological study is a records-based long-term follow-up study. This means that the details about an individual’s cause of death or their cancer incidence are provided through information sources that already exist. These sources are death certificates and cancer registrations, records which are routinely collated for all of the UK population.
