Fluid-based genomics for solid tumours v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Is fresh fluid the future? Feasibility study of cytological and ctDNA sampling, and utility for routine molecular biomarker testing of gynaecological and prostate cancers.
IRAS ID
347806
Contact name
PERSEPHONE DU PARCQ
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Synnovis Analytics LLP
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Diagnosing and treating cancer relies on the ability to perform a variety of tests, ranging from non-invasive scans, to invasive tissue samples collected from the body during surgery. Tissue samples can only be collected from patients well enough to undergo the procedure and able to attend specialist clinics or hospitals, and if the cancer is accessible.
A type of test performed looks at DNA, which acts as an instruction manual in cells, telling them how to behave properly to keep us healthy. When these instructions go wrong it can cause cancer, and we can look at and target these errors to treat cancer. Sometimes DNA from cancer tissue samples can’t be analysed because the chemicals used on the sample for some tests impact the success of other tests, meaning that a treatment can’t be identified. The samples might also not show new changes that cancers make that can affect how a treatment works. Cancer cell DNA also often travels in the body fluids as circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) or cells, and can be collected through blood tests or from fluid build-ups.
NHS England recognise the impact of these poor quality samples on patient care and have previously engaged the South East Genomic Laboratory Hub to expand on previous work to see if there could be further improvements to patient care.
This study will collect these samples, and see if they can provide better quality information than is usually collected from chemically-treated tissue, allowing patients to get the best treatment options and most appropriate support with less impact on their quality of life.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/EM/0246
Date of REC Opinion
23 Oct 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion