Great-grandfather takes part in trial to improve early cancer diagnosis
A patient with cancer says he wants to help future generations by joining a Southampton-led study to improve early diagnosis.
The MODERNISED study is evaluating whether a new blood test can identify multiple cancers in their very early stages.
Over a thousand people with cancer have taken part in the study so far, including at University Hospital Southampton (UHS).
Professor Andy Davies, Director of the Southampton Cancer Research UK NIHR Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, is leading the trial. It is sponsored by UHS.
David's experience
David Harrington, 75, was invited to join the study after he began treatment for lung cancer at Dorset County Hospital.
A great-grandfather, he is among the people who’ve taken part at five hospitals across the UK.
“We had a letter from the local health service, and it invited me to have a scan, because I used to be a smoker,” says David.
“Between my wife and I, we discussed it and said, ‘it’s costing us nothing, go for it’. Then I had it and then my life went pear-shaped because, yes, I did have a cancer.”
David has worked his whole life in the building and labouring industry. He says he was not shocked with the diagnosis.
“Honestly, I was surprised it took so long to show, being a smoker of 60 plus years, a packet a day.
“I’ve been subjected to tanalised sawdust, brick-dust, plaster dust, pulling down ceilings. My working life has been exposed to a lot of substances, so I wasn’t surprised I got it.”
Developing a multi-cancer blood test
Approximately 385,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed every year in the UK. Yet for some cancer types the rates of early diagnosis, in stage one or two, remain low.
The MODERNISED study is examining ground-breaking technology not currently used in any other multi-cancer detection tests under investigation.
The test looks for signals in the blood that suggest the immune system is launching a response to the first signs of cancer developing. The test is also being evaluated to see if it can identify which type of cancer it is.
“Most current research into multi-cancer blood tests is focussed on detecting abnormal DNA that has been released into the blood stream by cancer cells. But this circulating tumour DNA cannot always be detected in the very early stages of cancer,” says Professor Davies.
“We are instead looking at levels of certain proteins found in blood. We know that even in the earliest stages of cancer, the body’s immune response can lead to higher levels of these proteins being released, and we believe these may be a good way to test for early signs of the disease.”
The trial is being run by researchers from the University of Southampton, in partnership with the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit (SCTU) and biotech company Proteotype Diagnostics Ltd.
It is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Office for Life Sciences.
Dr Victoria Goss is Associate Professor and Head of Early Diagnosis Research at the SCTU.
“When cancer is diagnosed later, there are often fewer treatment options available and therefore poorer outcomes for patients,” she says. “Improving early diagnosis is therefore a priority for us as researchers and for the NHS.
“There are only 4 screening programmes in the UK, and screening is only for one cancer at a time, so we are aiming to develop simple tests that can potentially pick up the signs of multiple cancers, giving the best possible chance of early, successful treatment.”
As well as patients with newly diagnosed cancer, the trial is also looking at control samples from patients with similar symptoms who do not have cancer and from healthy volunteers.
The team need just over 300 more people to take part. David says taking part has been easy.
“It hasn’t been burdensome at all. It’s totally ok,” says David. “I’m pleased to be of assistance, and I’m willing to help as much as I can.
“I would have thought most people would want to assist in making treatment better in the future. Otherwise, how do we get the treatment we have now for all manner of things? Anything that anyone can do to help, I’m up for it!”