Latest news with #CancerResearchUKSouthamptonClinicalTrialsUnit
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Blood test to detect early signs of deadliest cancer trialled in UK – and doctors are calling for people to take part
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A NEW blood test to pick up early signs of a cancer which kills more than half of people within three months of diagnosis is being trialled by UK doctors. The genomic test uses blood samples to look for markers of the deadly disease, which often has vague symptoms. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The new blood test offers hope for pancreatic cancer, which has vague symptoms in the early stages, being detected sooner Credit: Getty Currently, the UK doesn't have a national screening programme for pancreatic cancer like it does for breast or bowel cancer. A huge issue is the disease is often diagnosed at a late stage because it frequently lacks noticeable symptoms in the early stages. But a new pancreatic cancer test is being trialled in patients with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes - a known risk factor for the disease. People over 50 with a new case of type 2 diabetes have a higher chance of also being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within three years. Early data suggests the Avantect test is 68 per cent accurate in picking up people with early stages of the disease, which kills almost 10,000 people every year in the UK. It's also 97 per cent accurate in ruling out people without pancreatic cancer. The new clinical trial has been launched at the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. Zaed Hamady, consultant surgeon and pancreatic researcher at the University of Southampton, who's leading the trial, said: "There is currently no targeted early detection or surveillance test for the disease meaning patients are often diagnosed late when they become really unwell. "If we can develop approaches to detect the cancer sooner, then there are more options we may consider to treat the disease, and patients will have a much better chance of long-term survival. "Although most people with diabetes will not go on to develop the disease, new onset diabetes is associated with a six to eight-fold increased risk. Mum, 38, left 'minutes away from death' and forced to relearn to walk after dismissing 'harmless' symptoms of flesh-eating bug "This patient group gives us a way to test how accurate the new diagnostic blood test is, and that could potentially help thousands of people in the future." According to researchers, newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients often have similar symptoms as a person with early-stage pancreatic cancer. This is because the cancer destroys the same insulin-producing cells that are also destroyed in diabetes. 'Earlier diagnosis would have meant time to make more memories with our children' Sean Cleghorn's wife, Allison, discovered she had pancreatic cancer at Christmas 2020 but died four weeks later aged 54. Mr Cleghorn, a father of three from Kingsclere in Hampshire, said: "The only symptom Allison displayed was some slight indigestion and then she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the autumn of 2020. "Allison had always eaten healthily, was active and avoided processed food, so this diagnosis was puzzling for us. "When we learned that new-onset type 2 diabetes was a potential risk factor for pancreatic cancer, we asked for further testing and a scan confirmed she had terminal cancer. "We hoped she could have chemotherapy to prolong her life, but she became too weak and died four weeks later. "Perhaps if she had been diagnosed sooner with a test like the one that's currently being trialled, we may have had time to make more memories with our three children." Angelica Cazaly, senior trial manager for the trial, said: "We are asking people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who are attending GP surgeries or diabetic clinics whether they would like to take part in the study. "Initially, we will collect blood samples from 800 people for testing. "The results from the test, together with medical information collected from each patient, will help provide researchers with important information on how best to proceed with the rest of the study that will evaluate how accurate the test is at predicting pancreatic cancer." 'Exciting time for early detection research' 2 Pancreatic cancer is considered the deadliest cancer, with just one in 20 surviving the disease for 10 years or more Credit: Getty Around 10,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year and just one in 20 survive the disease for 10 years or more. Samuel Levy, chief scientific officer of ClearNote Health, said: "Our early data demonstrate that our Avantect test can identify pancreatic cancer in stages I and II. "We are excited to collaborate with the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust on this transformative study that could redefine how pancreatic cancer is detected and managed for patients at high risk." Dr Chris Macdonald, head of research at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said over 80 per cent of people with pancreatic cancer are currently diagnosed too late for treatment. He added: "This is an exciting time for early detection research, with tests using blood, breath and urine in development which, if shown to be successful in clinical trials, could save thousands of lives every year. "Early findings from these tests are very promising, but more research is needed to ensure that they are as accurate as possible before they will be available in the GP surgery."
ITV News
a day ago
- Health
- ITV News
Blood test for early signs of pancreatic cancer trialled by Southampton doctors
A new blood test to pick up early signs of pancreatic cancer is being trialled by UK doctors. The genomic test uses blood samples to look for markers of the deadly disease, which often has vague symptoms and can kill people within months. The test is being trialled in patients with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes – a known risk factor for pancreatic cancer. People over 50 with a new case of type 2 diabetes have a higher chance of also being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within three years. Early data suggests the Avantect test is 68% accurate in picking up people with early stages of the disease, which kills almost 10,000 people every year in the UK. It is also 97% accurate in ruling out people without pancreatic cancer. The new clinical trial has been launched at the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. Zaed Hamady, consultant surgeon and pancreatic researcher at the University of Southampton, is leading the trial. He said: 'There is currently no targeted early detection or surveillance test for the disease meaning patients are often diagnosed late when they become really unwell. 'If we can develop approaches to detect the cancer sooner, then there are more options we may consider to treat the disease, and patients will have a much better chance of long-term survival. 'Although most people with diabetes will not go on to develop the disease, new onset diabetes is associated with a six to eight-fold increased risk. 'This patient group gives us a way to test how accurate the new diagnostic blood test is, and that could potentially help thousands of people in the future.' The test has been validated by biotechnology company ClearNote Health in patients at a high risk for developing pancreatic cancer, including those aged 50 and over newly-diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and those with a genetic predisposition and/or family history of pancreatic cancer. According to researchers, newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients often have similar symptoms as a person with early-stage pancreatic cancer. This is because the cancer destroys the same insulin-producing cells that are also destroyed in diabetes. Sean Cleghorn's wife, Allison, discovered she had pancreatic cancer at Christmas 2020 but died four weeks later aged 54. Mr Cleghorn, a father of three from Kingsclere in Hampshire, said: 'The only symptom Allison displayed was some slight indigestion and then she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the autumn of 2020. 'Allison had always eaten healthily, was active and avoided processed food, so this diagnosis was puzzling for us. 'When we learned that new-onset type 2 diabetes was a potential risk factor for pancreatic cancer, we asked for further testing and a scan confirmed she had terminal cancer. 'We hoped she could have chemotherapy to prolong her life, but she became too weak and died four weeks later. 'Perhaps if she had been diagnosed sooner with a test like the one that's currently being trialled, we may have had time to make more memories with our three children.' Angelica Cazaly, senior trial manager for the trial, said: 'We are asking people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who are attending GP surgeries or diabetic clinics whether they would like to take part in the study. 'Initially, we will collect blood samples from 800 people for testing. 'The results from the test, together with medical information collected from each patient, will help provide researchers with important information on how best to proceed with the rest of the study that will evaluate how accurate the test is at predicting pancreatic cancer.' Around 10,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year and just one in 20 survive the disease for 10 years or more. Samuel Levy, chief scientific officer of ClearNote Health, said: 'Our early data demonstrate that our Avantect test can identify pancreatic cancer in stages I and II. 'We are excited to collaborate with the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust on this transformative study that could redefine how pancreatic cancer is detected and managed for patients at high risk.' Dr Chris Macdonald, head of research at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said over 80% of people with pancreatic cancer are currently diagnosed too late for treatment. He added: 'This is an exciting time for early detection research, with tests using blood, breath and urine in development which, if shown to be successful in clinical trials, could save thousands of lives every year. 'Early findings from these tests are very promising, but more research is needed to ensure that they are as accurate as possible before they will be available in the GP surgery.'
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Trial gives new hope for patients with asbestos-linked cancer
For the first time researchers in Southampton have used a drug to slow the growth of an asbestos-linked is an aggressive cancer that forms in the lining of the lungs or abdomen and is linked to breathing in or ingesting dangerous asbestos have said the breakthrough gives new hope to patients who have exhausted traditional treatments, and could give them more time with their loved Gareth Griffiths, director of the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and co-lead of the trial, called it "a significant step forward". James Fox, from Dorset, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2018 and given less than a year to tried other treatment options, he was offered the chance to join the new drug trial, and said the results had been an architect, in the 70's and 80's he was exposed to asbestos, which has now been linked to his aggressive cancer, with only 5% of those diagnosed surviving for five years or Fox said: "I've had seven really good years and been able to enjoy life almost to the full so that's wonderful. "So far it's been almost a miracle in my case." The trial was run by researchers at the University of Leicester and the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, with funding provided by the charity Asthma + Lung the NERO trial, it looked at a class of drug known as PARP inhibitors, which work by blocking the repair of damaged DNA in cancer cells, thereby causing the cancer cells to inhibitors have already been shown to improve the survival of patients with some types of breast and ovarian cancers. A previous study had also shown that mesothelioma does respond to this type of drug, but more evidence was needed as to whether it could improve outcomes for 11 hospitals across the UK, 88 patients whose mesothelioma treatment had stopped working took part in the trial. 'Enormous hope' Those given a PARP inhibitor called niraparib were found to have a 27% reduction in the risk of the cancer progressing or death. This delayed the worsening of mesothelioma by an average of 1.5 months compared to those receiving the standard of care treatments, with a number of patients seeing a much longer period of time where their cancer was being Griffiths said: "We have shown for the first time that this kind of drug can improve progression-free survival for mesothelioma patients compared with their usual treatment in the NHS. "This gives enormous hope to those patients and their families and means we can now carry out further research to find out more about how these treatments could be tailored and enhanced to stimulate an even better response in more people." For Mr Fox, who has five grand children, the treatment has surpassed all his expectations."It's dramatic, the improvement, I don't think this could have possibly happened without this particular drug, without being offered it. "It must be the drug that's been keeping me fit and alive, so I'm very grateful for that." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
