Funding boost for lung cancer ‘map’
pharmafile | July 18, 2013 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | cancer research, lung cancer, tracerx
A new Cancer Research UK study aims to unlock lung cancer’s secrets by tracking how lung tumours develop and evolve as patients receive treatment.
In one of the largest ever studies of lung cancer patients globally, a new project by the UK charity will examine exactly how lung cancers mutate, adapt and become resistant to treatments.
The nine-year, £14 million study called TRACERx (Tracking Cancer Evolution through Therapy) will receive one of the single biggest funding commitments to lung cancer.
Researchers will recruit 850 lung cancer patients from across the UK and take samples of their tumour before and following surgery, and subsequently if the disease recurs.
Biopsies will be taken from different parts of each patient’s tumour and analysed with the latest technology to give a more comprehensive genetic profile.
Researchers will then be able to compare genetic changes within and between patients, record how the treatment changes the genetic profile of their disease, and how this ultimately affects the patients’ chances of survival.
The results will also lay the foundations for being able to offer patients treatment that is tailored to the specific genetic makeup of their cancer.
This UK-wide study will bring together more than 65 lung cancer researchers, including oncologists, pathologists, laboratory researchers and technicians based in hospitals, universities and research institutes.
Lung cancer kills nearly 35,000 people in the UK each year and an estimated 1.4 million worldwide – survival rates have only improved fractionally in 40 years.
Professor Charlie Swanton, lead researcher based at Cancer Research UK’s London Research Institute and University College London, said: “We plan to harness new sequencing technologies to trace the genetic evolution of cancer over the course of the disease. Our research will help explain why lung cancer is difficult to treat, and steer a path towards saving more lives.”
The research centres taking part in the study are: University College London, Velindre Cancer Centre Cardiff, Birmingham University Hospital, Leicester Hospital, Cancer Research UK’s Paterson Institute for Cancer Research at The University of Manchester, The Christie Hospital in Manchester and University Hospital South Manchester and the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
University College London Hospital will be leading the thoracic surgery for the research.
Ben Adams
Related Content
HUTCHMED completes enrolment in phase 3 trial for lung cancer
HUTCHMED has completed patient enrolment for the SANOVO phase 3 clinical trial, investigating the use …
Graphene-based biosensor to support new lung cancer screening test
HydroGraph, a Canadian producer of ultra-pure graphene, has announced a partnership with Hawkeye Bio and …
FDA approves diagnostic tool for MET-targeted lung cancer therapy
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Roche’s VENTANA MET (SP44) RxDx Assay …
