Measuring tumour radioresistance to improve radiotherapy outcomes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Measuring tumour radioresistance to improve radiotherapy outcomes
IRAS ID
288332
Contact name
Stacey Body
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
We wish to identify biomarkers which could be used to help predict the outcome of treatment in prostate cancer and therefore help inform treatment choice. Although prostate cancer is sensitive to standard radiotherapy treatment, some tumours display 'radioresistance' and do not respond to standard treatment as well as expected.
Our goal is to be able to predict who might be likely to display radioresistance and therefore benefit from an alternative treatment. We think this can be done by measuring a set of genes (a gene signature) in a biopsy specimen.
If we can demonstrate that this is possible in patients with prostate cancer it could be tested in a clinical trial and if successful then introduced into clinical practice. This would mean the original diagnostic biopsy from prostate cancer patients could provide additional information on the best treatment for them. Given the large number of prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy each year this has the potential to have a significant benefit on cancer survival in the UK.
This study will be done by scientists and clinicians who have a long standing collaboration and have used the same approach successfully in another type of cancer. The study will use surplus material from the original diagnostic tumour samples collected from patients.
This research is funded by Prostate Cancer UK (MA-CT21-005).
REC name
London - South East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/PR/1312
Date of REC Opinion
30 Apr 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion