Profiling Neutrophil Counts In Patients on Chemotherapy (Version 1.1)

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Profiling Neutrophil Counts in Patients with Cancer During Cycle One of Chemotherapy

  • IRAS ID

    207804

  • Contact name

    Geoff Hall

  • Contact email

    g.hall@leeds.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Leeds

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    NCT02806557

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 6 months, 0 days

  • Research summary

    Neutropenia is a low count of the type of white blood cells, which fight bacterial infection. It is a toxicity of chemotherapy given for cancer. When complicated by infection, it can necessitate urgent admission to hospital, and can be life-threatening. Recovery of neutrophils is necessary prior to delivery of further chemotherapy. There is limited information available on the day to day changes of neutrophils during chemotherapy, as gaining this information has historically required a venous blood sample.

    There are medical devices which measure the white blood cell count from a capillary finger-prick sample. We aim to use such a device, the Hemocue® WBC DIFF in this trial to;
    (i) observe the changes in white cell counts following chemotherapy delivery
    (ii) determine if changes in the white cell count in the early days during chemotherapy can be used as a predictor of severe neutropenia and its complications.

    This is a non-randomised trial in adults with solid tumours, recruiting from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust only. Consenting participants are required to have regular finger-prick blood tests up to a maximum frequency of daily for the duration of the first cycle of chemotherapy, commonly 3 weeks. Participation requires a nurse to visit the participant’s home to perform the test on each occasion.

    This work is being done with a view to potentially using the next generation of point of care blood count devices, intended for patient self-test use, in the future to personalise chemotherapy delivery and to reduce the frequency and severity of chemotherapy-induced neutropenic complications, reduce wasted patient trips to hospital, improve patient experience of chemotherapy and to achieve financial savings.

    This trial is funded by a Technology Strategy Board (Innovate UK) Small Business Research Initiative grant.

  • REC name

    Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    16/YH/0457

  • Date of REC Opinion

    25 Nov 2016

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion