Triple negative breast cancers and HPV markers
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Triple negative breast cancers and markers of HPV involvement: study in NHS Dumfries and Galloway
IRAS ID
162290
Contact name
Grazyna Stanczuk
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Dumfries and Galloway
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 27 days
Research summary
This study is a basic science study to enhance and advance understanding and detection of the human papilloma virus (HPV).
There is an accepted relationship between HPV infection (particularly strains 16 and 18) and pre-cancerous changes to the neck of the womb. The virus acts to disrupt the cell life cycle and is now identified in many different cancers. Knowing if cells are infected with HPV would enable clinicians to plan appropriate therapy. Therefore detection of small amounts of the virus would be useful for treatment planning.
This study is designed to use tissue already collected from women with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and test it for HPV markers (p16/Ki67) to determine the expression of this marker in cancer tissue and if the amount of expression is linked to grade of disease. It is also hoped to use the tissue for other detection methods (e.g. RNA for E4, E6 and E7) to find out which method is most useful.
Detection of these markers may be useful in planning and determining disease progression e.g. if a link is made then it may lead to consideration of the use of HPV vaccination for women carrying the BRACA 1 gene.
Vaccination in UK is established for girls in statutory education – however the development of TNBC is likely to occur in non-vaccinated older women. So although there may be benefit it would take a long time to link the data and offer any vaccination to women at risk.
The use of the tissue without consent from the women is proposed since the findings would not affect the treatment and care planning for these women - development of any therapeutic outcomes requires time to develop and would not be available to them during the lifetime of the study.REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
14/WA/1222
Date of REC Opinion
5 Nov 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion