Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for Head and Neck Cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers for Head and Neck Cancers
IRAS ID
312622
Contact name
Amir Zaki Abdullah Zubir
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 3 months, 30 days
Research summary
Head and neck cancers (HNC) are amongst the top ten most cancer incidence worldwide and the number of cases has been increasing over the last two decades and no improvement in prognosis for 30-40 years. The disease has historically been linked with excessive smoking and alcohol in older patients. However, recently a major aetiological role for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) has also been shown to contribute to the disease development. The majority of HNC are squamous cell carcinoma with the most common sites being the oral cavity, the larynx and the oropharynx. In addition to the cancer cells, the tumour microenvironment has now been shown to play an important role in disease progression. While previously, selected biomarkers or pathways associated with HNC have been explored to understand their role in disease progression, the emergence of technologies such as spatial transcriptomics and next-generation sequencing (NGS) has the potential to generate a better and more comprehensive overview of the disease process. By using these methods coupled with bioinformatics analysis, we will be able to better map and understand HNC in detail like never before. The implication will be significant as it can lead to finding new and more biologically relevant or therapeutic markers for HNC to facilitate personalised treatment in patients and improve prognosis.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/SC/0111
Date of REC Opinion
13 Apr 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion