Vasculitis IN Colorectal CancEr (VINCE)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Observational study to explore the significance of Vasculitis IN Colorectal cancEr (VINCE)
IRAS ID
254376
Contact name
Hollie Bancroft
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Colorectal cancer is the 4th most common cancer to occur in the UK, contributing to around 16,000 deaths per annum. Approximately 60% of patients survive beyond 5 years, increasing to 90% if diagnosed at an early stage. Pathological cancer staging is crucial in deciding whether a patient would benefit from post-operative treatments such as adjuvant chemotherapy. In the case of colorectal cancer, understanding whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and blood vessels is also considered a key factor thought to influence patient outcome and help predict prognosis and potential treatment options.
The study of the cancer microenvironment, which refers to the cells immediately surrounding the tumour are growing in significance. Often this consists of immune cells and have been shown to have significance in the development advancing treatments such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy, both of which aim to prolong patient outcomes.
An unknown area of interest is the presence of vasculitis in patients with colorectal cancer. Vasculitis is characterised by inflammation and necrosis of blood vessels. This inflammatory microenvironment in conjunction with other features of colorectal cancer could be suggested to predict better outcomes and prognosis for patients, with more desirable treatment options, such as immunotherapy offered to patients in replace of conventional, often toxic chemotherapy agents.REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/WM/0211
Date of REC Opinion
4 Sep 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion