Biomarker discovery in multiple myeloma: case-control study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Biomarker discovery in multiple myeloma serum samples from UKCTOCS biobank using Topological Oligonucleotide Profiling (TOP) Technology
IRAS ID
189135
Contact name
Usha Menon
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCL
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 2 months, 17 days
Research summary
Despite our improved understanding of cancer biology the number of people being diagnosed with cancer continues to increase. Healthcare systems are facing an unprecedented challenge to meet the medical needs of the population while controlling costs. Survival figures from Cancer Research UK show that the single greatest impact on cancer survival is the stage at which the cancer is detected. Survival for some of the most common types of cancer has been recently reported to be more than three times higher when the disease is diagnosed in the earlier stages. Current national cancer screening programmes such as for cervical, bowel and breast cancer have been shown to offer improved outcomes due to earlier diagnosis of cancer. An ideal diagnostic would be a blood based biomarker which may have greater acceptability, lower costs and improved compliance in screening.
The aim of this project is to undertake discovery experiments for novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of multiple myeloma using pre-diagnosis serum from the UKCTOCS biobank in collaboration with Caris Life Sciences, USA. The samples used from the multiple myeloma cancer cases will be close to diagnosis and then at intervals up to four years prior to diagnosis which will give the project the best chance to identify those markers which are upregulated early in the course of the disease. Where available a post-diagnosis sample up to 1 year after the diagnosis of multiple myeloma will be used for comparison.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SC/0622
Date of REC Opinion
6 Oct 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion