PRECISE
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Precision Cancer In Scotland (Scottish Ecosystem)
IRAS ID
330525
Contact name
DA Cameron
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 20 days
Research summary
One of the fundamental hallmarks of cancers is a high level of mutations in the genes within the cancer. It has been increasingly recognised that the natural history of the cancer, and its response to therapy, differs according to the number and type of mutations. Various genomic targets have been identified as drivers of cancer, and some have led to the development of targeted treatments for these specific genomic alterations.
Across the world, assessment of the genomic alterations in a cancer is becoming a standard approach in academic medical centres. It is currently less clear what the true health service and individual patient benefit is of such routine genomic analysis. There is a lack of evidence that routine testing of patients will influence their care.
This study aims to address this by offering testing to 100 patients with poorer outcome diseases and collect their outcomes via routine NHS data. Each participant will provide a blood sample for the Foundation One Liquid CDx test, which examines pieces of the cancer’s DNA which are found circulating in blood, and searches for mutations in a broad range of genes which are known to drive cancer.
The study will establish a framework for blood samples to be obtained and molecular profiles generated, reported and discussed by national Molecular Tumour Board (MTB) in clinically useful timeframe. It will measure the time from blood draw to molecular report availability in the local electronic health record, and assess if the timeline could allow molecular data to be clinically useful.
Participants will be recruited from clinics in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee, and will require a screening visit and blood sample collection. Consent will be obtained to collect data from routine health records to follow up on patient outcomes at 6 weeks post-report.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
24/WS/0007
Date of REC Opinion
22 Jan 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion