Prioritising colonoscopy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Phase two prospective interventional multi-site performance evaluation trial of serum Raman spectroscopy and supervised machine learning classification in a colonoscopy surveillance population.
IRAS ID
328257
Contact name
Rhodri Stacey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Background
Further colonoscopy tests are usually required after treatment for bowel cancer or after removal of bowel polyps to detect if the cancer or polyp has returned. Many of these colonoscopies are now overdue after they were paused by the COVID-19 pandemic. At present there is no reliable way to tell if a polyp or bowel cancer recurrence is present, aside from performing the colonoscopy. Delays to appointments increase patient anxiety and worry.
A technique called Raman spectroscopy analysis of blood serum has shown good levels of accuracy for detecting colorectal cancer and polyps in work to date. The aim of this study is to assess the test performance of a Raman spectroscopy analysis for routine use in a real-world setting.
Method
This study will recruit participants awaiting a follow up colonoscopy following bowel cancer or polyp removal from a single university health board. The study will invite participants to have the blood test performed and they will be told the result. This will be compared with a software model created from blood samples from previously recruited patients where the outcome of their colonoscopy was known. Patients having blood test results indicating a high likelihood of a polyp or cancer being present will have the colonoscopy performed with greatest urgency. Those with a low likelihood of polyp or cancer will have a lower priority appointment, although all participants will have their appointments brought forward.
The study will tell us how accurate the blood test is at prioritising colonoscopy so that in future, those at greatest risk of a recurrence of the cancer or polyp will be given priority for a colonoscopy.
Impact
The addition of a cancer specific test such as Raman will help doctors to decide which patients need to be given priority for colonoscopies at times of high demand. It will also help to identify patients who have polyps which are at an early stage and are benign but could develop into cancers in future. These patients can safely wait slightly longer for their colonoscopy to be carried out.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/YH/0186
Date of REC Opinion
18 Oct 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion