TARGET study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
TArgeting prevention strategies through Risk factor and Genomic profiling of Endometrial Tumours-TARGET study
IRAS ID
364379
Contact name
Sarah Kitson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Womb cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, and the number of diagnoses is rising each year. In theory, we should be able to prevent up to two thirds of womb cancer cases, but we do not yet know the best way to do this. As we have learnt more about womb cancer, we have come to understand that it is not just one disease and we may, therefore, need more than one way to stop different subtypes of womb cancer from forming. This study aims to learn more about how different subtypes of womb cancer develop, to identify new ways of trying to stop this process and to investigate what puts an individual at high risk of a particular subtype of womb cancer. We will ask women of all ages, with a womb, who are able to consent and are attending St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester for the treatment of womb cancer or a non-cancerous gynaecological condition as an inpatient or outpatient to take part in the study. We will ask participants questions about their general health, periods and childbirth and to have urine, blood, a cervicovaginal swab, cervical smear and biopsy of the womb lining taken. Samples can either be taken in the outpatient clinic, on the gynaecology ward or whilst participants are under anaesthesia in theatre if they are already planned to have surgery. If participants are having surgery to remove their womb (hysterectomy), specialist pathology doctors will take samples of normal and cancerous womb lining once the operation has finished and we will use these samples for this study. Participant involvement in the study will last only for the one day on which samples are collected. Pseudo-anonymised samples will undergo DNA extraction and sequencing at the University of Manchester.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
26/WS/0005
Date of REC Opinion
4 Feb 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion