TARGET FAL01 - version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Translational Analysis and Research in Gynaecological Epithelial Tissues - Fallopian Tubes
IRAS ID
248893
Contact name
Filipe Correia Martins
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer related death in women. High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most common subtype, has complex DNA changes and is associated with resistance to therapies. Despite previous knowledge on some drivers of HGSOC there is a lack of understanding regarding the processes that initiate and maintain genomic instability. HGSOC originates in the fallopian tubes (FTs). Early localised disease is clinically silent, hindering the development of early diagnosis strategies or therapies. However, even pre-cancer lesions in the FTs (serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma; STIC) already denote genomic complex lesions and significant genomic instability.
It is crucial to understand tumour initiation in the context of HGSOC in order to develop new therapies or prevention strategies for high-risk patients. Secondly, ovarian cancer tumour DNA can be found both in blood and cervical smears. Preliminary data suggests that the use of this DNA may improve early diagnosis of ovarian cancer by increasing its specificity.We aim to collect and analyse the molecular characteristics of the fallopian tubes and pre-cancer lesions at the single cell level in order to understand how tumours initiate and progress. Secondly, we aim to validate blood and smears analysis as a tool for early cancer detection.
We will analyse a retrospective cohort of STIC lesions and FTs from patients at high-risk of developing cancer. Furthermore, we will prospectively collect small samples from FTs from patients that have their FTs removed in risk-reduction surgeries or opportunistically for other medical reasons. Moreover, we will collect and assess samples of FTs (and matched tumours) that are removed during debulking surgery as part of the treatment for ovarian cancer
Additionally, we will collect a cervical smear and a blood sample from the prospective patients for molecular testing.REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
18/NI/0189
Date of REC Opinion
29 Oct 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion