EVIDENCE
Research type
Research Study
Full title
EmVI as a Determinant of mEtastasis iN colorectal CancEr
IRAS ID
288231
Contact name
Gina Brown
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Bowel cancer is the fourth most commonly occuring cancer and the second highest cause of cancer deaths in the UK. Despite advances in treatment, over 40% of patients will die within 5 years. This is normally due to spread of the cancer to other organs (called metastases). Much of our current research focuses on use of additional treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy before or after surgery (adjuvant treatment). It is of vital importance that we can accurately identify patients who would benefit from adjuvant treatment. At the moment, the system we use to do this places emphasis on the presence of affected lymph nodes (glands). This is because doctors believe that cancer spreads to other organs through the lymphatic system. However, recent studies have suggested that this is not the case.
We believe that cancer spreads to other organs through the blood stream rather than the lymph node system. Our research will look at the genetic material in tumours and metastases as well as in areas of blood vessel invasion and lymph nodes. The analysis will allow us to build a ‘family tree’ of the tumour and allow us to map the pathway by which the tumour spreads. We will be using tissue samples already collected through a patient’s routine care. If the spread through the blood vessels is proven, this would change the way in which we select patients for treatment and allow development of new treatments to target these pathways.
REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/LO/1257
Date of REC Opinion
20 Nov 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion