Biomarker analysis in GEP-NETS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Biomarker analysis for the early detection of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours using samples in a nested case-control study
IRAS ID
214820
Contact name
Stephen Pereira
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2016/09/73, UCL Data Protection Registration Number
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
The number of people diagnosed with cancer continues to increase and current global figures estimate 12.7 million new cancer cases and 7.6 million annual deaths from cancer. Survival figures from Cancer Research UK show that the single greatest impact on cancer survival is the stage at which the cancer is detected.
Despite marked improvements in overall cancer care over recent decades, investigations into neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) have sometimes lacked urgency due to their reputation for being slow-growing tumours. The average 5-year survival rate for NETs is 42% but this varies largely on site/grade of the primary tumour. Surgery is usually the only curative option for patients with localised disease. Patients with advanced NETs benefit from a combination of surgery and adjuvant interventions. Diagnosing NETs can be challenging for a number of reasons: NETs can arise in multiple locations, including areas difficult to access such as within the midgut. The primary tumour is often small and may evade detection through imaging. Symptoms are often non-specific and can be mistaken for conditions such as diabetes. Some NETs may remain asymptomatic for years, with symptoms presenting only after they have metastasised. These factors can contribute to a delay in diagnosis for many patients, approximately 50% of patients already have either regional or distant metastases at diagnosis.
Currently no screening methods exist in the general population for the early detection of NETs. Chromogranin A (CgA) is an acidic glycoprotein expressed in secretory vesicles of neuroendocrine cells. It has been extensively studied in NETs, being the main blood-based biomarker routinely used in the management of patients diagnosed with NETs and as a diagnostic aid.
This project aims to analyse multiple biomarker profiles of pre-diagnosis samples from Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours (GEP-NET) cases already collected during the United Kingdom Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS) trial.
REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/1995
Date of REC Opinion
3 Nov 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion