The National Health Service (NHS) is launching a major recruitment drive to enlist nearly 150,000 volunteers for a series of research trials aimed at transforming cancer treatment. This initiative, known as NHS DigiTrials, seeks to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients by accelerating the recruitment of eligible participants into crucial research projects.
Three Key Cancer Projects
Three specific cancer projects have been selected to spearhead the NHS DigiTrials initiative. These projects are designed to address critical gaps in cancer screening, understanding, and prevention. Eligible individuals will receive invitations via letters and text messages from the NHS, encouraging them to participate in these potentially life-saving studies.
BEST4 Heartburn Health Trial
The largest of these trials, BEST4 Heartburn Health, requires 120,000 volunteers to evaluate a novel screening technique for oesophageal cancer. This innovative approach involves swallowing a compressed sponge attached to a string, which collects cells from the oesophagus for analysis. "Working with NHS DigiTrials will enable us to recruit people from all sectors of society to ensure that no one is left behind by our research," said Peter Sasieni, Director of the Cancer Research UK Cancer Prevention Trials Unit at Queen Mary University of London and co-lead investigator on the BEST4 grant. Previous studies have indicated that this device can detect ten times more cases of Barrett's oesophagus, a precursor to cancer, compared to standard GP care.
MyMelanoma Study
Another significant project, MyMelanoma, aims to recruit 20,000 volunteers for the largest study of melanoma ever conducted. The goal is to enhance the understanding of melanoma skin cancer and refine its treatment. According to Professor Mark Middleton, Chief Investigator of MyMelanoma and Head of the Department of Oncology at the University of Oxford, "Our partnership will let us offer patients all around the country both the chance to take part in research into melanoma, and to have a say in how that research is done...It will help make MyMelanoma the largest ever melanoma study and let us answer research questions we simply couldn’t tackle before, with the goal of providing a more individualised approach to patient care."
PROTECT-C Trial
The PROTECT-C trial, funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, will recruit 5,000 women to undergo saliva-based genetic tests. These tests will assess their genetic predisposition to developing ovarian, breast, endometrial, and colorectal cancer. Professor Ranjit Manchanda, who is leading the PROTECT-C trial at the Wolfson Institute of Population Health at the Queen Mary University of London, stated, "The concept of broadening genetic testing for cancer genes across the entire population, beyond just the current criteria-based approach, could prevent thousands more cancers than any current strategy, saving many lives."
Streamlining Recruitment with NHS DigiTrials
The NHS DigiTrials recruitment service, managed by NHS England, plays a crucial role in identifying and contacting NHS patients who are suitable for specific trials. This streamlined approach aims to address the common challenge of recruiting eligible patients, particularly those facing significant inequalities.
Additional Research
In addition to the cancer-focused trials, the Children’s Surgery Outcome Reporting project will focus on improving the care provided to children requiring complex surgery shortly after birth, needing around 4,000 volunteers.
