IMPACT OF CHEMOTHERAPY ON CARDIORESPIRATORY RESERVE
Research type
Research Study
Full title
IMPACT OF NEO-ADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY ON CARDIORESPIRATORY RESERVE IN OESOPHO-GASTRIC CARCINOMA
IRAS ID
172690
Contact name
Rhona Sinclair
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle Joint Research Office
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
THE IMPACT OF NEOADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY ON CARDIORESPIRATORY RESERVE IN PATIENTS WITH OESOPHAGOGASTRIC ADENOCARCINOMA.
The best management for patients with treatable oesophageal and gastric adenocarcinoma is a combination of pre and post-operative chemotherapy, and curative cancer surgery. The many effects that chemotherapy has on the body can often be detrimental; this is often particularly problematic if chemotherapy is given before surgery. These effects include cardiorespiratory complications which may affect a patient’s ability to proceed with potentially curative surgery or hamper their recovery thereafter. Furthermore, it is not clear when is the best window of opportunity to proceed with surgery following chemotherapy.
This research project will look at the effects of chemotherapy prior to surgery in patients with oesophageal or gastric cancer treated in the Northern Oesophagogastric Cancer Unit, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The effects of chemotherapy on the body including the heart, lungs, circulatory system will be measured objectively by the use of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) after completion of chemotherapy. A baseline exercise test will be carried out before chemotherapy; fortnightly tests are carried out after completing chemotherapy up until the time of surgery. Quality if Life, physical fitness, nutrition and sarcopenia (muscle loss) will also be studied in order to assess how all of these factors might act in combination after chemotherapy.
These tests will allow us to achieve a better understanding of how health and fitness are affected by chemotherapy. One of the questions we would like to address is the optimal timing of a curative operation after chemotherapy; thereby possibly reducing the postoperative morbidity that can be associated with poor cardiorespiratory function at the time of surgery.
It is hoped that this research will imporve understanding within this patients group and help us to improve experiences and outcomes. The results may be more generalisable to other cancer groups in the future.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NE/0276
Date of REC Opinion
27 Aug 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion