Metanephrines in neuroblastoma
Research type
Research Study
Full title
International multicenter observational study to determine the diagnostic sensitivity of plasma metanephrines and urinary catecholamines and metabolites compared to standard evaluation procedures in children with high risk neuroblastoma
IRAS ID
342352
Contact name
Aditi Vedi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, CHUV
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Neuroblastoma is the most common childhood solid cancer outside the brain. Various tests can be used to diagnose and track neuroblastoma, such as checking levels of certain chemicals in patients' urine. These chemicals, called catecholamines and their by-products, are important for diagnosing neuroblastoma and measuring how well children respond to treatment, and detecting relapse. However, they are not accurate or reliable indicators on their own.
New studies are looking at additional chemicals that can be measured in the blood and urine of patients. These could improve diagnosis and predict how well patients respond to treatment, including detecting relapse by a simple blood test. One of these chemicals, called metanephrines, are produced by the adrenal gland and related cells in the body. These are highly accurate markers of phaeochromocytoma, a cancer of the adrenal glands usually seen in adults.
Researchers are exploring whether measuring metanephrines in blood, can also help diagnose and monitor neuroblastoma. Studies in healthy children and in patients with neuroblastoma have led to promising results in detecting the disease. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings and establish standardised methods for testing across different labs globally. This study is an international collaboration aimed at testing the accuracy of measuring metanephrines in children’s blood samples as a way of checking for the presence, response and relapse of neuroblastoma.
Overall, understanding these specific chemicals in the body could lead to better ways of diagnosing and managing neuroblastoma, improving outcomes for children with this cancer.
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NW/0090
Date of REC Opinion
24 Mar 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion