SYMPLIFY
Research type
Research Study
Full title
SYMPLIFY - Observational study to assess a multi-cancer early detection test in individuals referred with signs and symptoms of cancer.
IRAS ID
299310
Contact name
Mark R. Middleton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN10226380
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 30 days
Research summary
Cancer is easier to treat if it is diagnosed early. The NHS has developed rapid referral pathways to allow cancers to be diagnosed earlier, but this requires us to run tests on a lot more people than turn out to have cancers. This creates worry for some people and may not be the most efficient use of NHS resources. A significant proportion of cancers are still diagnosed via other routes, often when it is too late to cure them. We know that the DNA from cancers can be detected in the blood early on and want to use this to detect cancers earlier than we do now. In this study we want to check the performance of one test, called a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test. We will do this in people sent to one of 5 rapid referral pathways by their GP because they have symptoms that might be due to cancer. People taking part in the study will have their diagnostic test(s) in the normal way, but will also give a blood sample and permission for us to check their health records later to see if they were diagnosed with cancer and what appointments and other tests they had. At the end of the study, having tested the blood with the MCED test, we will understand more about how well it works in this group of people, and expect that this will help us to design another trial where we check how to use the test to decide who needs rapid referral to look for a possible cancer and what tests to use following a positive MCED result.
REC name
London - Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/LO/0456
Date of REC Opinion
22 Jun 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion