A study looking at scans to measure the growth of blood vessels in cancer
Cancer type:
Status:
Phase:
This study is looking at measuring the growth of blood vessels in a number of cancers using the combination of a PET scan and a CT scan (PET-CT scan) and a PET scan combined with an MRI scan (PET- MR scan).
More about this trial
All cells need oxygen and food (nutrients) to grow. Blood vessels deliver the oxygen and nutrients to the cells. When cancer cells begin to grow and multiply, they need to create their own blood supply to get the oxygen and nutrients. This is called angiogenesis.
The CT scan is able to show a detailed picture of your cancer. The PET scan uses a radioactive drug to look at the activity of your cancer cells. By combining them into one scan, the researchers hope they are better able to see how the blood vessels are growing around the cancer. PET-CT scans are already used in some cancers but not in others.
The MRI scan uses strong magnets to build up a picture of the inside of the body. The researchers think that using a combined PET scan and MRI scan (PET-MR scan) maybe better than a PET-CT scan.
The aims of this study are to
- Find out how good PET-CT scan is at measuring the growth of blood vessels around a cancer
- Find out if measuring the blood supply of the cancer with a PET-CT scan can be used to find out how fast the cancer is growing
- Compare PET-MR scans and PET-CT scans
Who can enter
You can enter this study if you have one of the following cancers
- A type of lung cancer called non small cell lung cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Bone cancer
- Bowel cancer
- Brain tumours
- Breast cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Non Hodgkin lymphoma
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- Mouth cancer
- Nasal and sinus cancers
- Nasopharyngeal cancers
- Oesophageal cancer
- Salivary gland cancer
- Thyroid cancer
And all of the following apply.
- You have had a scan that shows your cancer is bigger than 1cm across
- Your kidneys are working well enough
- Yo are able to have an MRI scan if needed
- You are at least 40 years old
You cannot enter this study if any of the following apply. You
- Have another cancer or have had another cancer unless it was successfully treated more than 5 years ago
- Are allergic to the dyes (contrast mediums) used for the CT scan and the MRI scan
- Have severe claustrophobia
Trial design
The team need up to 7,800 people to join this study
- 600 people each with lung cancer
- 600 people with bowel cancer
- 400 people from the reamininbg cancer types
Everyone taking part will have a
- PET-CT scan
- CT scan
- PET-MR scan
You cannot eat or drink (apart from water) for 6 hours before the PET-CT scan.
Before having the PET-CT scan, you have a radioactive sugar, called FDG. You have this as an injection into a vein.
People with bowel cancer, a cancer of the bladder and kidney or oesophageal cancer will have a drug called buscopan to relax the bowel and the food pipe (oesophagus). It slows down their actions during the scan. You have buscopan as an injection into a vein.
After the scans, you go on to have surgery as planned.
Hospital visits
After your surgery, your doctor will tell you how often they want to see you.
Side effects
Having a PET-CT scan does mean that you are exposed to a low dose of radiation. Any exposure to radiation slightly increases the risk of developing cancer in the future. But this small increase in risk should be balanced against the possible benefit of diagnosing and treating your cancer.
We have more information about PET-CT scan and CT scan.
Location
Recruitment start:
Recruitment end:
How to join a clinical trial
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Chief Investigator
Professor Ashley Groves
Supported by
Addenbrookes Hospital
GE Healthcare
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
