ENTRUST – Exploring iNteroceptive Targets to RebUild trusT in the body after cancer
Life after cancer is more than physical recovery – it’s also emotional and psychological.
ENTRUST is a five-year research programme, funded by a Wellcome Mental Health Award, dedicated to understanding and addressing anxiety after cancer. Even after successful cancer treatment, many people live with ongoing fears about their health, uncertainty about the future, and a sense of vulnerability. For some, these feelings persist for years, affecting relationships, daily life, and overall wellbeing.
Current treatments for anxiety are rarely designed with cancer survivors in mind. Building on a body of research led by ENTRUST Programme Director Dr Lauren Heathcote, our work has shown that cancer can change the way people relate to and trust their bodies, which in turn can make it harder to overcome anxiety.
Through clinical trials and experimental studies, ENTRUST is testing new ways to help survivors rebuild a sense of safety and confidence in their bodies, and to promote mental health after cancer. This includes exploring how the brain and body together process internal signals, and whether supporting adaptive responses can improve recovery from anxiety.
Our research involves a range of survivor groups, including those living beyond breast cancer and adolescent and young adult cancers.
ENTRUST is an international collaboration led by King’s College London, working closely with Stanford University School of Medicine, University College London (UCL), and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Our Partners
Principal Investigator
Reader in Health Psychology