New study for lung cancer patients opens in newcastle
december 2024
Colleagues in the radiotherapy department at The Northern Centre for Cancer Care, Newcastle, have been working closely with imaging experts at Newcastle University to deliver a new study that they hope will improve post-treatment outcomes and quality of life for lung cancer patients who've had radiotherapy as part of their treatment plan.
The team at the Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre have developed a new type of MRI scan which shows lung ventilation.
The study will test whether these new scans can be used in radiotherapy treatment planning to produce better treatment plans that limit radiation impact on lung function after radiotherapy.
Dr Rachel Pearson, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, is the Chief Investigator for the study, which has recruited 10 patients to date.
Recruitment closes at the end of January 2025.
Find out more about why research and trials are so important to help us develop new treatments and techniques here
CONCORDE RECRUITMENT SUCCESS
March 2024
Congratulations to the Clinical Trials Team at The Northern Centre for Cancer Care at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital for their fantastic work recruiting patients to the Concorde trial.
The trial is to find the best dose of certain targeted drugs to give alongside radiotherapy for people with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
After opening the study at Newcastle in March 2021 under Principle Investigator Dr Adam Hassani, Newcastle have recruited a total of 19 participants and are the top recruiter this quarter.
Newcastle are also one of three sites to recruit to the new study arm which includes an immunotherapy component.
The inclusion of immunotherapy components as a treatment option in the study is a huge benefit to patients who may not benefit otherwise.
PACE NODES RECRUITMENT SUCCESS
January 2024
The radiotherapy department at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough was the first to open and recruit to the PACE Nodes study in September 2022, and has recently achieved an important milestone by recruiting it's 100th patient!
The study is for men with high risk localised prostate cancer, deemed suitable for stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and planned for 12 - 36 months of hormone therapy. It compares the effectiveness of conventional stereotactic radiotherapy to the prostate alone, with SBRT to both the prostate and lymph nodes; patients are randomly allocated to either arm.
Importantly, this treatment delivers a potentially curative dose of radiotherapy in only five treatments over two weeks instead of 20 treatments over 4 weeks.
Dr Darren Leaning, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, who has recruited many of the 100 patients said,
“The study aims to demonstrate that giving SBRT to the prostate and pelvic lymph nodes is a safe and effective treatment. Together with data from previous trials, this trial could lead to an immediate change in clinical practice, giving men the option of a more convenient new treatment that reduces the risk of their cancer coming back”.
Patients attend JCUH from a large geographical area with significant travelling time for many people. Daily treatment over a reduced period of 2 instead of 4 weeks is reported positively by many patients. This is also advantageous for the department as more patients can receive treatment.
Keith Harland, Radiotherapy Research Team Lead said, “Key to successful recruitment has been the collaboration across all our teams employed in the treatment of prostate cancer and their determination to offer all patients the best possible radiotherapy treatment".
PATHOS TRIAL recruitment success
October 2023
PATHOS is a Phase III trial looking to see if treatment for oropharyngeal cancer can be modified to reduce the risk of side effects caused by treatment and see if long-term toxicity, particularly swallowing problems, can be reduced in patients receiving either lower dose radiotherapy or no chemotherapy whilst proving that cure rates are maintained. The trial opened at Newcastle in July 2016 and the Trust has consistently placed second out of 39 recruitment sites, recently recruiting their 90th patient to the trial.
Newcastle Hospital pioneered transoral robotic surgery for throat cancers in the UK. They have a multi-disciplinary team who focus on improving quality of life after cancer treatment. The PATHOS trial has been so successful as it poses an incredibly important clinical question regarding the dose of radiotherapy to be delivered post-surgery and whether chemotherapy is required.
Participants who enter the trial have the opportunity to receive a reduction in their radiotherapy or chemotherapy, which we hope will reduce the side effects of treatment and lead to improved quality of life. Participants really understand that this opportunity can only be delivered within the setting of a controlled trial and it is the potential benefits of involvement which has made recruitment run so well.
The anticipated end date for recruitment is October 2024 and the results will have an immediate impact on clinical practice in the UK.
Find a clinical trial
We're still looking at how we can make information about open clinical trials available to patients.
You can find more information on the Cancer Research UK website and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) website, Be Part of Research.
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