COLCHESTER GENERAL HOSPITAL LEADS WAY IN CANCER TRIALS

After the excitement of the last few days in receiving my little old blog award, I am putting things right back into perspective by shining the light onto my brother who received a far more worthy and valuable accolade at the same time, (that generally involves saving lives) whilst merely doing his job.

Colchester General Hospital leads the way in cancer trials in the UK. It has put more patients into a Cancer Research UK funded study than any other hospital in the UK.

Below is the press release that has been sent out about the news AND HE’S IN IT.

Dr Gavin Campbell, Consultant Haematologist (AND MY BROTHER!!!), said it was an indication of the excellent track record that Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust has for recruiting patients into blood cancer trials.

The patients taking part all have a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. About 350 patients a year are diagnosed with the condition in the UK and, although incurable, it is a low-grade, non-aggressive type of cancer which patients can live with for many years.

At times, patients with this diagnosis receive no treatment but sometimes they are treated with drugs with the aim of getting their cancer into remission.

Dr Campbell, (MY BROTHER) who is based at Colchester General Hospital, said: “This trial is being led by Barts, which is a trust which we have close clinical links to.

“Twenty-five hospitals in England are taking part with a target to put a total of 56 patients into the study.

“Most of these have now been recruited, and Colchester has more than anywhere else – five, with the possibility of a sixth patient.”

Among the other hospitals taking part are the University College Hospital, King’s College Hospital and the Royal Free hospital, all in London, and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The trial involves comparing a standard drug treatment with a new combination of drugs and then following up patients regularly. In each case, the course of treatment lasts several months.

The drugs involved in the standard treatment are Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide, which are both chemotherapy drugs given orally, and Rituximab, which is administered intravenously.

The new combination involves Cyclophosphamide and Rituximab, but with an under-the-skin injection of Bortezomib.

Dr Campbell (MY BROTHER) said it was already known that the new combination was safe but the point of the trial was to determine which treatment was the more effective and to compare any side effects.

The five patients who have been recruited so far in Colchester consist of four men and one woman, who are all over the age of 60.

Dr Campbell (MY BROTHER) said it will be several years before the full outcome of the trial is known, but if the results seem favourable it is hoped it will be immediately followed by a bigger study involving a larger number of patients.

According to the National Institute for Health Research, since April 1 last year, a total of 115 patients at Colchester Hospital Trust have been recruited for haematology studies, compared with 38 at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, six at Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and one at Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust.