Outliers: learning from exceptions in metastatic cancers
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Outliers: learning from exceptions in metastatic cancers
IRAS ID
304909
Contact name
Sheeba Irshad
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 6 months, 26 days
Research summary
Clinical research into factors affecting treatment response or survival in patients with cancer often overlooks the patients that are considered the outliers or atypical responders. "Atypical responders" can encompass three sub-categories of patients: "exceptional responders" (those with an unusually favourable treatment response), "rapid progressors" (patients demonstrating an unusually poor or no therapeutic response), and "exceptional survivors" (those who have far outlived their prognosis).
The immune system can protect against damaged cells or infection, and it is important for cancer patients as the abnormal cancer cells can be killed by some of the cells in the immune system. By collecting tumour and lymph node tissues from current and previous surgeries as well as new blood samples we want to try to map the immune responses of the atypical responders. We believe that the immune responses in the exceptional responders are much better than other cancer patients and it is why they are surviving and responding to treatment extremely well.
Exploring the reasons underlying an "atypical response" provides an opportunity to increase understanding of the mechanisms involved in cancer progression and treatment resistance, identify predictive biomarkers of survival, and possibly highlight new targets for novel treatments. It can also help adapt clinical practice for these patients and inform decisions for management of cancer patients across the board.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/EM/0022
Date of REC Opinion
26 Apr 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion