CCL17 and the early diagnosis of Hodgkin Lymphoma (CANDEL-STIC)

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  CCL17 AND the Early diagnosis of Hodgkin Lymphoma - a feasibility STudy In the primary Care setting (CANDEL-STIC)

• IRAS ID

  271522

• Contact name

  Ruth F Jarrett

• Contact email

  ruth.jarrett@glasgow.ac.uk

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  305093, University of Glasgow Project Number

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 6 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  Classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is one of the commonest cancers in young people. The disease usually presents with enlarged lymph glands in the neck and more generalised symptoms including tiredness, fever, night sweats and itchy skin. Since cancers are rare in young people, symptoms are often attributed to more common diseases, including glandular fever, whose management traditionally follows a ‘watchful waiting’ approach. The cancer diagnosis is often delayed leading to unnecessary illness and anxiety, spread of disease, and distrust of doctors. Blood samples from most people with untreated cHL contain high levels of a molecule called CCL17. We believe that a blood test for CCL17 could be used to identify cHL patients when they first visit their GP with symptoms suggesting possible cHL. A high CCL17 level would prompt hospital referral for further, streamlined investigations, thus speeding up the diagnosis.
  In a previous study, CANDEL, we investigated CCL17 levels in young people referred to hospital with a neck lump or symptoms suggesting cHL. We examined 125 patients and five had raised CCL17 levels; four were subsequently diagnosed with cHL and the fifth had sarcoidosis, a disease also associated with raised CCL17 and requiring hospital referral. None of the patients with normal CCL17 levels had cHL. All eighteen newly diagnosed cHL patients in CANDEL had raised CCL17 levels. We now want to perform a larger study in primary care but need more data on how best to recruit patients in this setting. The present study is a feasibility study in which we will compare recruitment methods and collect data on participant numbers. We will measure blood CCL17 levels in all participants and communicate results to GPs. In cases where CCL17 is raised, the GPs will be contacted by clinical members of the study team to discuss patient management.

• REC name

  West of Scotland REC 5

• REC reference

  20/WS/0036

• Date of REC Opinion

  25 Feb 2020

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion