Expression pattern of Neurotensin and receptors in colorectal cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Expression pattern and clinicopathological relevance of Neurotensin and its receptors in colorectal cancer
IRAS ID
223925
Contact name
Paris Tekkis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Title: To investigate the expression of Neurotensin marker on the tissue and blood of patients with polyps(precursor of bowel cancer) or confirmed bowel cancer
Cancer of the large bowel and rectum (last 20cm of the colon) is the third commonest cancer worldwide affecting 1.2 million new cases diagnosed in 2012. This cancer is potentially curable if the disease is detected at an early enough stage. If, however, it is detected in its most advanced stage, then the five-year survival rate is only 5% and a cure is unlikely.
Currently we use clinical history, examination, faecal occult blood test (FOBT), sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy and virtual colonoscopy as diagnostic and screening tools. Although the endoscopies and virtual colonoscopies are more accurate, they are uncomfortable and have potential risks to the patient (perforation, bleeding, contrast or sedative reaction). So far, serum markers like carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 are only used to monitor response to treatment and detect recurrence. High levels of these markers are also found in other conditions and are therefore not useful as screening or diagnostic tools.
Our aim, is therefore to investigate the expression of a marker called Neurotensin (NT) and its receptors (NTSR1 and NTSR3) on adenomas(precursor to bowel cancer) and colonic carcinomas (large bowel cancers) and correlate this to the blood neurotensin expression to test our hypothesis that this marker can be used as a diagnostic/prognostic marker.The study will include 2 centres (Royal Marsden Hospital and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital) where both blood and tissue samples will be collected from patients who are above 18 years old, who are referred for colonoscopy or have large bowel cancer diagnosed but are not on treatment.
The PhD student conducting the study has already gained a 50,000GBP grant and the study will start in September of 2017 and will last 2 years.
REC name
East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EE/0379
Date of REC Opinion
8 Nov 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion