Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma in Portsmouth.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma in Portsmouth: Part A: A prospective comparison of serum and pleural fluid biomarkers in the diagnosis of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Part B: 1. A service description of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma in our local population 2. Development of a Prognostic model for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
IRAS ID
146968
Contact name
Anoop Chauhan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Research summary
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a cancer of the lining of the lung which is caused by asbestos exposure. The UK has the highest death rate from mesothelioma in the world and accounts for approximately 1 in 170 of all deaths in the UK. Due to the nature of mesothelioma, initial symptoms and tests may not confirm the diagnosis resulting in the need for further invasive tests. This can lead to delays in the diagnosis of mesothelioma and planning treatment. Therefore it is important to identify new tests which can help diagnose mesothelioma effectively and quickly.
Biomarkers are proteins which are detectable in a variety of different tissues, associated with pre-cancerous or cancerous states. Biomarkers are used in the clinical diagnosis of several cancer types but to date no suitable biomarker has been identified to diagnose mesothelioma. This study aims to analyse samples of blood and pleural fluid from patients presenting with pleural effusions to Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth with the hope of identifying a biomarker which will be able to distinguish patients with mesothelioma from those without the disease.The average lifespan with MPM is regarded as poor with an average survival of 8-12 months. Rare cases of long survivors are recognised. Factors affecting survival for any disease are important, because they can facilitate more appropriate management decisions tailored to the patient’s needs. With this in mind this study aims to develop a tool which doctors can use to estimate a patients chance of surviving to 6 months when they are first diagnosed with MPM which will aid in the provision of more patient centred care. In order to identify our services strengths and weaknesses and with the intent of service improvement we also plan to review the various components of Portsmouth’s MPM service.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0628
Date of REC Opinion
15 Apr 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion