
Last year in the UK over 60,000 cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials aimed at improving cancer treatments and making them available to all.
This study is looking at genetic causes of stomach cancer in people with a family history of the disease or who were diagnosed under 40 years old.
There are many risk factors associated with stomach cancer (gastric cancer). They include infection with a bug called Helicobacter pylori, other medical conditions and possibly having a family history of stomach cancer.
You can enter this study if one of the following applies.
You:
Please note; your relatives diagnosed with cancer must be on the same side of the family. A first degree relative is a parent, brother, sister or child. A second degree relative is an aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or grandparent, for example.
If you qualify and would like to take part in this study, one of the research team will arrange to ask you a few questions about your own and your family’s medical history. This will either be over the phone, by email or by post, whichever you prefer.
The study team may ask you if your relatives would be happy to also take part in the study. The more information they collect, the better the results will be.
They will ask you or your genetic counsellor, if you have one, to provide them with a detailed family history. The research team may also like to look at a sample of your (or your relative’s) cancer. This will have been stored by the hospital at the time of the investigation or operation. With your permission, the team will contact the hospital about this and request a copy of the biopsy results just to double check the diagnosis of everyone taking part in the trial.
Samples for research
The research team will ask you for a saliva sample. They will send you a kit in the post with instructions, so you can do this at home. If you are visiting the hospital for a clinic appointment or investigation, then the research team may ask you to give a blood sample instead. Some people may have a family history of gastric cancer but do not have the mutation in the CDH1 gene or may not have been offered genetic testing. For these people the research team plan to look for new genes to help understand the disease better.
Quality of life
If you have the CDH1 mutation the study team will ask you to fill out a questionnaire before you at set times. The questionnaire will ask about how you’ve been feeling. This is called a quality of life study. They hope that this will help to improve understanding of this condition. As well as the impact of genetic testing, endoscopy and preventative surgery on people’s physical and mental wellbeing and health, and their quality of life.
Research endoscopy
The study team may also offer you a specialist research endoscopy which will be done in Cambridge. An endoscopy is a test to look inside your body. Your doctor uses a long flexible tube (endoscope) with a tiny camera and light on the end to look inside your stomach. They check the stomach for growths or abnormal looking areas.
The study team may wish to see you in the clinic at the hospital in Cambridge before organising a research endoscopy or if you wish to discuss having preventative surgery. You have the research endoscopy in Cambridge. How often you have one depends on the results and the study team can tell you more about this.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald
Cancer Research UK
Cambridge Cancer Centre
Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust
University of Cambridge
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
Last year in the UK over 60,000 cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials aimed at improving cancer treatments and making them available to all.