Preoperative Iron Deficiency & Anaemia in Oesophagogastric Cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Management of Preoperative Iron Deficiency and Anaemia in Patients with Oesophagogastric cancer, undergoing the Curative Surgical Treatment Pathway: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.
IRAS ID
164028
Contact name
James Gossage
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Anaemia and iron deficiency are common in patients with oesophagogastric
cancer (cancer of the oesophagus/gastro-oesophageal junction/stomach). Anaemia can negatively impact on treatment outcomes (completion of chemotherapy, post operative complications, poorer survival) and how patients feel (fatigue/tiredness, reduced quality of life). Despite this, anaemia is usually only managed when severe, using blood transfusions. Blood transfusions carry risks. Iron deficiency can cause anaemia. Treating iron deficiency can potentially treat anaemia and improve outcomes. However, there is little in the literature to provide guidance on how best to do this.This study looks at treating iron deficiency using intravenous iron. Oral iron supplements are poorly tolerated and a course of tablets takes 6-8 weeks to complete. Ferrinject®, the intravenous iron infusion used at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Trust, is well tolerated and can be given in approximately 15-30 minutes, and takes 1-2 weeks to take effect. This enables timely treatment of iron deficiency prior to chemotherapy (usually patients have 3 cycles before surgery) and before surgery.
All patients diagnosed with oesophagogastric cancer, who are planned to undergo the surgical treatment pathway (which usually consists of having chemotherapy followed by surgery or sometimes surgery alone) and have capacity, are eligible for participation in this study. This is a single centre study.
Participation in the study will last for approximately 22 weeks. Patients who have iron deficiency will have an intravenous iron infusion as per standard clinical care. All consented patients will receive standard treatment and follow up. In addition, they will be asked to complete a short questionnaire about their fatigue/tiredness at regular intervals. Patients will not be asked to attend any additional appointments for the study, apart from their routine clinical outpatient/inpatient visits. Eligible patients will have the study explained to them at their initial appointment to meet the clinical team.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SC/0195
Date of REC Opinion
7 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion