Infectious agents and Barrett's oesophagus (Version 1.0)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Infectious agents in progression from Barrett's Oesophagus to Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma. A nested case-control study within the Northern Ireland Barrett’s Register.
IRAS ID
172558
Contact name
Lesley A Anderson
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
The aim of the proposed research is to investigate the role of infectious agents, particularly human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, in the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) and high-grade dysplasia in patients with pre-existing Barrett's oesophagus (BO) using the unique population-based Northern Ireland Barrett's Register. If an infectious agent is linked to the development of OAC it may be possible to implement preventive strategies, such as vaccination, in BO patients. Associations between infections and OAC risk will also be very informative regarding the mechanisms involved in developing these cancers or a subgroup of the cancers. Additionally, as many infection-related cancers confer a better prognosis, the presence of an infectious agent could be used as a prognostic marker or may lead to differential therapy to reduce morbidity and mortality from OAC.
Approval for this study has already been granted for patients who received their biopsy within the Belfast and South Eastern Health and Social Care Trusts, which are being collated at the Northern Ireland Biobank. This application will allow us to study patients across Northern Ireland which is important to ensure non-biased results.
REC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
15/NI/0233
Date of REC Opinion
17 Nov 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion