
Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK take part in a clinical trial.
Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.
This trial is looking at a new vaccine called HZ/su to prevent in people having chemotherapy to treat any cancer apart from a blood cancer (a
).
Doctors often use chemotherapy to treat people with cancer. A side effect of chemotherapy is a drop in blood cells. The white blood cells are a part of the body’s immune system that fights infections. A drop in white blood cells can increase your risk of getting an infection.
Shingles is a virus that affects the nerves and can travel along the nerve to the skin, causing a painful rash. Because of their low levels of white blood cells, people having chemotherapy are at a greater risk of developing shingles. The HZ/su vaccine may help these people.
The vaccine consists of an inactive part of the virus that causes shingles with a substance that helps the body strengthen its defence against shingles. We know from research that the vaccine can help the body’s immune system make antibodies against shingles. This is called an .
The aims of this trial are to find out
You may be able to enter this trial if you
You cannot enter this trial if you
This is a phase 2/3 trial. It will recruit 210 people. It is a randomised trial. The people taking part are put into treatment groups by a computer. Neither you nor your doctor will be able to decide which group you are in.
The 4 groups in this trial are
You have 2 injections of the vaccine or dummy drug. You have them as an injection into a muscle in your arm. The injections are about a month apart.
The researchers will take blood samples before each injection, a month after the 2nd injection, at the start of your last cycle of chemotherapy and then a year after the 2nd injection. This is to see how your immune system responds to the injections.
For some people having the vaccine or dummy drug before chemotherapy the researchers will take some extra blood samples. This is for a different type of test to see how your immune system responds. Your doctor will tell you if you are one of these people.
Each time you have an injection the researchers will give you a diary card to fill in. This is to record any side effects you may have from the injection. The team will tell you how and when to fill it in.
You see the doctor for a physical examination before taking part in this trial.
You then see the doctor
About 4 months after your 2nd injection a member of the study team will call you to see how you are. They will call you again 4 months later.
The most common side effects of the HZ/su vaccine are
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Dr Hartmut Kristeleit
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
National Institute for Health Research Cancer Research Network (NCRN)
Freephone 0808 800 4040
Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK take part in a clinical trial.