Addenbrooke’s is to take a leading role in a study aimed at unlocking the secrets of why some cancer patients survive longer than others.
The Trust has been approved by the NHS Health Research Authority (HRA) to take part in the ROSALIND study, which is already underway in other parts of Europe.
The study, supported by eight other UK oncology institutions, aims to decode the biological factors behind long-term cancer survival and unlock insights that may pave the way for more effective cancer treatments.
It will focus on three of the most aggressive cancer types - extensive stage small cell lung cancer; brain cancer glioblastoma; and metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Researchers intend to gather tumor samples from over 1,000 consenting patients who are among the top three per cent in terms of cancer survival – known as super-survivors.
The samples will be analysed by the French techbio company heading the study, Cure51, with the aim of discovering novel therapeutic targets on which to base potentially transformative new treatments.
CUH consultant clinical oncologist, Dr Thankamma Ajithkumar, said:
With nearly 400,000 new cancer diagnoses annually in the UK, understanding why some patients achieve remarkable survival is critical.
Patients who appear superficially similar in terms of their age and health, and the type and stage of their cancer, can have remarkably different responses to the same treatment.
The ROSALIND study represents a promising new approach to investigating the biology of cancer survivors, aiming to uncover insights that could improve outcomes for all patients.
Dr Thankamma Ajithkumar
CEO and co-founder of Cure51, Nicolas Wolikow, said:
This is a pivotal step in the Rosalind study, as our first and largest partnership in the UK, advancing our mission to identify what sets cancer survivors apart.
Nicolas Wolikow
Science engagement manager at Cancer Research UK, Dr Hattie Brooks, said:
This team wants to understand why some people with certain hard-to-treat types of cancer can live much longer than others.
Understanding why treatments can affect people with the same type of cancer differently is important if we’re to develop more effective ways to beat it. This could ultimately allow doctors to develop new therapies that are more likely to work for people with these harder-to-treat cancers, who currently have fewer options.
Studies like this are especially welcome in cancers that fewer people are surviving for at least 10 years. While this study is at an early stage, it could be an important step towards new ways to treat aggressive cancers.
Dr Hattie Brooks
Super-survivors who are interested in taking part in the UK arm of the study can contact the Cambridge Cancer Trials Centre at info@cancer.cam.ac.uk. To learn more about the Trust’s Love Research campaign visit the CUH website