A study looking at side effects of chemotherapy in cancers of the digestive system (FOCCUS)

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Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.

Cancer type:

Anal cancer

Bile duct cancer

Biliary tree cancers

Bowel (colorectal) cancer

Gallbladder cancer

Liver cancer

Oesophageal cancer

Pancreatic cancer

Small bowel cancer

Stomach cancer

Status:

Closed

Phase:

Other

This study is looking at the side effects of chemotherapy that affects the tummy (stomach) and bowels.

More about this trial

Chemotherapy is one of the main treatments for cancer. Unfortunately it does cause side effects. Some side effects, such as being sick (vomiting), have been well researched. There are now treatments available so that sickness can be controlled.

This study is looking at how chemotherapy affects your digestive system, which hasn’t been so well researched.

The aims of this study are to find out

How often chemotherapy affects the tummy (stomach) and bowels
Why these side effects happen
How best to treat side effects of chemotherapy that affect the tummy (stomach) and bowels

Who can enter

You may be able to join this study if have one of the following cancers

You must also be having chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and be at least 18 years old.

You cannot join this study if you are a private patient.

Trial design

The researchers need 500 people to take part in this study.

The trial team will ask you to fill out a few questionnaires when you start treatment and every month for a year afterwards. These questionnaires will ask about side effects and how you’ve been feeling. This is called a quality of life study.

They will also ask for a sample of blood, urine and a bowel movement (stool) when you start treatment, at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. They will use these samples to find out how chemotherapy is affecting you. They will also use the samples to try and predict which people may develop problems from chemotherapy.

Hospital visits

You see a member of the research team to have some tests before taking part in this study. These tests include

A physical examination
Blood tests
Urine test

You then see them every month for a year for a physical examination to see how you are.

The researchers will try and make these appointments at the same time as your other hospital appointments. So you will make as few extra hospital visits as possible.