PaNACeA
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A TRANSLATIONAL STUDY IN GASTROENTERO-PANCREATIC NEUROENDOCRINE TUMOURS (GEP-NETs) TO VALIDATE AND ASSESS A NOVEL MOLECULAR CLASSIFICATION
IRAS ID
194534
Contact name
Naureen Starling
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Marsden NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are a rare and mixed group of tumours with widely varying appearances and behaviours. This study will focus on Gastroenteropancreatic NETs (GEP-NETs) involving the pancreas, the stomach and the bowel.
The 2010 WHO classification divides NETs into Grade 1, 2 and 3 disease according to various features seen down the microscope and an assessment of how quickly the tumour cells are multiplying. Published data has shown a significant difference in survival between different grades of NET, with Grade 1 patients having the best survival and Grade 3 patients the worst, and treatment decisions are based on these grades. Patients with grade 3 disease are treated more aggressively, usually with immediate chemotherapy. Patients with grade 1 and 2 disease are often treated in a less aggressive way, often with watchful waiting in the first instance.
More recently, it has been suggested that there is a significant range of behaviour within these grades, particularly within Grade 2 patients. In clinical practice some patients have Grade 2 tumours which behave more like Grade 3 tumours and perhaps should be treated more aggressively upfront. There is an unmet need for an improved way of distinguishing between those patients whose disease may remain stable for a long time versus those patients whose disease is more aggressive and would tend to progress rapidly.
Using new molecular technologies, for example looking at changes in DNA and RNA seen in tumour samples, Dr Anguraj Sadanandam’s group has divided pancreatic NETs into 3 distinct molecular subtypes. The aim of our study is to establish if dividing pancreatic NET patients into these groups can provide useful information about how aggressively a patient’s disease will behave and potentially be used to guide treatment decisions, rather than relying on the grade of disease alone as we do at present.REC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0984
Date of REC Opinion
27 May 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion