Proteomic and genomic analysis of hepatopancreaticobiliary cancers
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Proteomic and genomic assessment of hepatopancreaticobiliary cancers
IRAS ID
174008
Contact name
Daniel Palmer
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Liverpool Health Partners
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Cancers of the liver, bile ducts and pancreas are tumours with a particularly dismal prognosis. Surgery is the only proven therapeutic option for these cancers. Chemotherapy has a limited role in treatment and is usually reserved for incurable patients. Many patients may be treated with surgery or toxic chemotherapy with no benefit. Recent developments have suggested that better understanding of the changes within tumour cells may allow better selection of which patients will benefit from treatment, as well as identifying potential new treatment options.
Liverpool has an international reputation in the clinical management of these diseases, with the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and Aintree University Hospital being 2 of the highest volume surgical centres in Europe for pancreas and liver/bile duct cancer. Using existing scientific techniques and expertise already established within our group, we aim to explore the underlying genetic and cellular make-up of these tumours in an effort to better identify which patients will benefit from which treatments. The accuracy of these techniques are highest on fresh tissue specimens. We therefore aim to collect as many fresh tissue samples as possible during the study. However, as these tumours are relatively rare we also plan to confirm any findings identified from the fresh tissue samples using alternative techniques in a large collection of historical specimens. Although these techniques are slightly less sensitive, the much larger number of specimens involved will compensate for this. As these samples are older, we will also have information of patient survival after treatment.
This research may help to create a shift in the way these cancers are treated in the future, and will help improve the personalisation of therapies for patients with these diseases.REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0477
Date of REC Opinion
30 Jul 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion