Ex-ViSION: Ex-Vivo Study on Imaging of Oesophageal Neoplasia

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Ex-vivo study on resected tissue specimens to validate novel endoscopic imaging techniques for detection of early oesophageal neoplasia (Ex-ViSion study)

  • IRAS ID

    239559

  • Contact name

    Massimiliano di Pietro

  • Contact email

    md460@mrc-cu.cam.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of Cambridge

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    18/EM/0069, East Midlands – Nottingham 2

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    4 years, 0 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    Cancer of the oesophagus (gullet) has been increasing in incidence. Individuals who suffer from acid reflux can develop changes in their oesophagus called Barrett's oesophagus. Barrett's may further develop into a type of oesophageal cancer called adenocarcinoma. Currently patients with Barrett's oesophagus are monitored using a camera test (endoscopy) to detect changes in cells (dysplasia) which are signs of early cancer. By detecting dysplasia early, these areas can be removed during endoscopy before cancer progression.
    Detecting these changes is difficult using current endoscopy. This study is aimed to test new techniques to detect dysplasia, using a new type of endoscopic camera, called MITA (Multimodal Imager for Tissue Analysis). This camera uses different techniques to detect changes in molecules within cells, tissue and blood vessels which represent dysplasia.
    We will also be testing a another new endoscope which combines two techniques to detect changes in sound waves emitted by the tissue after illumination with light. The new endoscope, called MOHES (MSOT/OCT Hybrid Oesophageal Scope), will produce high resolution 3D images of the oesophageal tissue at different depths.
    We will test these new endoscopes on samples of oesophageal tissue from patients with known dysplasia or cancer who are having removal of this tissue as part of their diagnosis or treatment. The samples are tested after removal from the body ("ex-vivo"). The majority of samples will be from patients undergoing removal of abnormal tissue by endoscopy, in a procedure called endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). A small proportion of tissue samples will be from patients undergoing surgical removal of oesophageal cancer, from a procedure called an oesophagectomy.
    By testing this new techniques on ex vivo samples, we hope in the future it can be used in patients during endoscopy to diagnose dysplasia early and remove cells before they progress to cancer.

  • REC name

    East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    18/EM/0069

  • Date of REC Opinion

    21 Mar 2018

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion