R-SENSAR feasibility study: Role of SLNB in patients with anal cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
R-SENSAR feasibility study: The Role of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB) in Patients with Anal Cancer
IRAS ID
141893
Contact name
Andrew Renehan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
The aim of this proposal is to assess the use of a specialised biopsy technique known as sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), to assist cancer specialists to make more informed treatment decisions for patients with anal cancer.\nIn trained hands, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is an important tool in determining the prognosis and selection of treatment for many patients with different types of tumours, best exemplified in breast cancer and melanoma. Whilst the technique is used routinely and successfully in patients with these tumours, this is not routine care in patients with anal cancer.\n\nCurrently, the standard way to treat patients with anal cancer is to deliver a combination of chemotherapy and radiation to the tumour at the anus together with ’preventative’ (prophylactic) radiotherapy to the lymph glands of the groin and pelvis. Emerging evidence suggests that this level of radiation is excessive. The premise of future studies is to test the idea that using SLNB in patients with anal canal cancers, preventative (prophylactic) radiotherapy can be tailored to a specific group of patients whose lymph nodes test positive for the presence of tumour cells i.e. node positive patients. As important, the corollary is that ’prophylactic’ (preventative) irradiation can be spared in those patients with no evidence of cancer cells i.e. node negative patients.\n\nThis feasibility study looking at the technical and operational feasibility of carrying out this procedure in patients with anal cancer is a vital first step in informing the design of larger studies. This study will be performed at The Christie NHS foundation Trust, the largest treatment centre for anal cancer in the UK.\n\nIf successful, use of SLNB by trained surgical and radiotherapy teams offers a potential advantage for selected node negative patients by reducing morbidity, reducing unnecessary treatments and side effects allied to improving patient and health economic outcomes.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/NW/0267
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion