Extrait

Background and study aims Oesophagogastric cancer refers to cancer of the stomach or oesophagus (also known as the gullet or food pipe). The COG study aimed to compare the effectiveness of an experimental drug called Gefitinib with placebo (dummy) tablets in patients with advanced oesophagogastric cancer. Gefitinib works by blocking an important receptor on the surface of cancer cells called the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor or EGFR. It has been shown in lung cancer that patients whose tumours have mutations in the gene for EGFR respond very well to Gefitinib treatment. Gefitinib has been shown to be of benefit in some other types of cancer and tumour shrinkage has been demonstrated in some small studies of patients with oesophageal cancer treated with gefitinib. In the TRANSCOG study we are planning to analyse tumour samples for EGFR gene and other similar gene mutations to find out whether their presence in oesophageal cancers can predict which patients will respond and benefit from Gefitinib treatment and which will not. If this is possible we will be able to develop tests to allow us to target treatment to those patients most likely to respond and benefit from this treatment, and in those patients who are unlikely to respond we can avoid using a treatment that will not work and potentially try other treatments which may have a better chance of success. Who can participate? Oesophagogastric cancer patients aged over 18 who participated in the COG study. What does the study involve? Partcipants will be asked to sign a consent form to allow us to analyse a sample of their tumour tissue that has already been obtained during previous endoscopy and biopsy of your cancer or at the time of previous surgery. Participants will not need to undergo any extra tests, treatments or procedures to participate in the TRANSCOG study. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? At this early point in the research it is very unlikely that the TRANSCOG trial will benefit participants directly, but by taking part in this study researchers will find out more about genetic mutations that cause cancer and mutations which cause tumours to respond (or not respond) to treatment. As the rate of oesophageal cancer is increasing, the gift of providing tumour samples is invaluable to the progression of cancer research. Please note that the analysis performed is a genetic analysis of the tumour and not a genetic analysis of each participant. Consequently, the results will have no implications regarding why participants developed the cancer, or for any of their family members. No extra tests, treatments or procedures are required for participation in TRANSCOG, as the tumour specimens used are those which are ‘left over’ from previous procedures. Where is the study run from? Section of Translational Medicine, Division of Applied Medicine at the University of Aberdeen (UK). When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? October 2011 to December 2012. Who is funding the study? Project Grant from the Experimental and Translational Research Committee - Scottish Government Chief Scientist’s Office, NHS Grampian Endowments and Grampian Gastro-oesophageal Cancer Research Fund (GASTROCAN). Who is the main contact? Dr Asa Dahle-Smith [email protected]

Critère d'inclusion

• Upper Gastro-Intestinal Cancer

Liens

• isrctn
• ictrp