Optimising Mesorectal Irradiation in Early Rectal Cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Optimising Mesorectal Irradiation for Organ Preservation in Early Rectal Cancer (OMEReC study)
IRAS ID
183789
Contact name
MARK T W TEO
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
This research proposal will develop a new radiotherapy treatment approach for early rectal cancers. In the UK, 6000 new early rectal cancer cases are diagnosed each year. This rate is increasing as bowel cancer screening is detecting cases earlier. Standard treatment for early rectal cancer involves major surgery removing the whole rectum with very good cure rates. However, there is a high rate of complications, long-term side-effects and a risk of death. Radiotherapy could provide an alternative treatment with fewer long-term side-effects and avoiding the risk from major surgery. However, current radiotherapy technique has been designed for advanced rectal cancer.
This research proposal involves refining a new more targeted radiotherapy for early rectal cancers, treating a smaller area than current radiotherapy for late rectal cancers, to avoid normal organs around the cancer. This is an observational pilot study where patients will receive standard radiotherapy treatment but where additional scans (two MRI scans and two cone-beam CT scans) are done to try improve the targeting of radiotherapy in the future and to understand the benefits of MRI scans in this process. A minimum of 10 patients and maximum of 15 patients will be recruited over an 8 month recruitment period for this study. The study work will be performed retrospectively following completion of treatment and will not alter patients’ treatment.
The results from this research study are needed in order to benefit patients by helping us optimise the best radiotherapy approach to be used in a planned international clinical trial.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/YH/0112
Date of REC Opinion
18 Apr 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion