The clinical benefit of undertaking cancer research includes access to the most novel and innovative cancer therapies. It has led to new drug treatments, a greater understanding of how to prevent cancer, new ways of delivering treatments and new surgical techniques. Cancer clinical trials are critical to advances in the understanding and treatment of cancer and to ensure patients have the opportunity to access world-class cancer treatments.
There is evidence to suggest that clinical research activity is a driver for high-quality cancer care with better outcomes for patients who are treated in research-intensive hospitals (National Institute for Health Research, 2014).
We have highlighted four of our current trials below:
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The FOxTROT Programme is a collection of trials looking at the treatment of bowel (colon) cancer that has not spread elsewhere in the body (locally advanced cancer).
Traditionally, the treatment for locally advanced colon cancer would be surgery to remove the tumour then chemotherapy after surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy) to kill any remaining cancer cells, where advised. Results from the FOxTROT1 trial turned this on its head. Giving chemotherapy prior to surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) as well as after surgery was shown to be safe, reduce complications following surgery, and reduce the chance of the cancer returning. This is now a standard treatment option in the UK for fitter patients.
Colon cancer becomes more common as we get older (the average age at diagnosis is 71). These patients, and those with additional significant medical problems, may not be well enough to receive adjuvant chemotherapy. FOxTROT2 is recruiting older (over 70) newly diagnosed patients and newly diagnosed patients at a higher risk of complications after surgery to see if giving neoadjuvant chemotherapy leads to fewer side effects.
Colon cancer is the 2nd most common cause of cancer death in the UK. FOxTROT3 is recruiting fitter newly diagnosed patients to see if giving more intensive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (three drugs rather than two) can reduce the change of the cancer coming back while being safe.
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Poetic-A is recruiting postmenopausal women diagnosed with operable early-stage hormone-sensitive breast cancer. Hormone-sensitive breast cancer, for example ER positive and HER2 negative, is made up of cells stimulated by oestrogen. Although postmenopausal women do not produce oestrogen from their ovaries, they do still make a small amount by turning other hormones into oestrogen. Women can be given anti-hormone therapy (endocrine therapy, or ET) to keep oestrogen levels low and prevent the cancer from growing.
Some women however, are at higher risk of their cancer becoming resistant to these treatments. Poetic-A is a phase III multicentre trial that assesses whether a new drug, abemaciclib, can be given to make treatment more effective than giving endocrine therapy alone. The trial aims to personalise care by looking at biological markers of risk, such as Ki67, to target treatment for women who are less responsive or resistant to endocrine therapy and are therefore at higher risk of breast cancer coming back.
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Myeloma XV (RADAR) is recruiting patients newly diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (MM) who are able to have a stem cell transplant. MM, also known as Myeloma, is a cancer that affects the bone marrow, spongy tissue found inside some bones that produces blood cells. Over 5,500 patients are diagnosed with MM each year in the UK. MM is an incurable relapsing-remitting cancer, meaning there are periods where the disease is active (relapsing) and requires treating, followed by periods where treatment may not be required (remitting). Significant progress has been made in developing new lines of treatment over the past 15 years. Newly diagnosed patients now survive on average 5-6 years, with 37% of men and 28% of women surviving 10 years. Currently all MM patients are given the same treatment, this UK-based Phase III study is investigating the personalisation of MM care. Some patients will have genetic markers that suggest their cancer will be more difficult to treat. These higher-risk patients, along with those whose cancer has not responded well to initial treatment, are offered more intensive therapy to extend the remitting period, while lower risk patients can receive reduced treatment with the aim of reducing side effects
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SWFT is the first site in the West Midlands to open the Cancer Vaccine Launchpad (CVLP).
Many people live with the knowledge that their cancer might come back. Cancer vaccines are personalised to each patient, they are designed to train an immune system to recognise a cancer and destroy it if it tries to come back.
CVLP will attempt utilise the mRNA vaccine technology and clinical trials methodology developed during the Covid-19 pandemic for the benefit of the those affected by cancer. It will optimise the pathways for patients to access cancer vaccine trials across the UK and accelerate the development of this next frontier in cancer treatment.
The first patients in South Warwickshire to benefit will be those with colorectal (bowel) cancer. They will be given the opportunity to enrol in BioNTech's BNT122-01 trial at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (more info: https://bnt122-01.digitrial.com). Over time, cancer patients will be able to access multiple trails across different types of cancer.
We are also recruiting to the following trials: COSMOS (Smouldering Myeloma), Cutaneous Tumour (Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Keratoacanthoma), Mithridate (Polycythemia vera), MyMelanoma (Melanoma), PETReA (follicular lymphoma), Rudy (Acute Myeloid Leukaemia), Prelude (Breast cancer-related lymphoedama), REMoDL-A (Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma) and UKAITPR (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura).
For more information please visit, Be Part of Research or contact us directly.