BLAST: Version 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
BLI Based Adenoma Surveillance Strategy: BLAST Study
IRAS ID
263890
Contact name
Alice Mortlock
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Bowel cancer develops through a sequence of events which start from a lesion in the bowel called adenoma which subsequently turns into cancer. Adenomas are polyps ( small growths in the bowel wall)which harbor potential pre cancerous attributes. Studies have shown that detecting these adenomas at an early stage and removing them by a procedure called polypectomy, reduces the chances of developing bowel cancer. However, not all polyps are adenomas and do not contain any malignant or pre cancerous potential. Some are growths in the bowel wall which contain normal tissue (hyperplastic polyp). Small polyps (< 1cm) in the lower end of the bowel have been shown to have these non-cancerous or benign features. Removal of these benign polyps can cause unnecessary procedure related complications and increase cost burden on the healthcare system. Guidelines from the American Society of Gastroenterology suggest that these small, benign polyps in the lower end of the bowel can be left in situ ( intact), if detected, a known practice called as " diagnose and leave". Multiple advanced imaging techniques have been introduced which use different light sources to characterize these small polyps and differentiate between them being adenomas or hyperplastic polyps. One of these novel endoscopy imaging techniques is called Blue light imaging.
We aim to use Blue Light Imaging in the characterization of colorectal polyps and assess its accuracy in identifying adenomas and hyperplastic polyps. Differentiating a polyp between it being hyperplastic and an adenoma would be done using a special classification system used for BLI( BASIC- BLI Adenoma Serrated International Classification). Based on correctly identifying the nature of the polyp, we can make appropriate surveillance interval plans for patients and avoid unnecessary procedures and its complications and can have significant cost savings.REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NE/0288
Date of REC Opinion
10 Sep 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion