An observational study in Breast Cancer and Neoadjuvant Therapy, sponsored by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. Completed. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2017-10-12.
Sponsored by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust · Observational
This research proposal concerns a study to monitor the effects of chemotherapy on breast cancer tumour and peritumour stromal cells using ultrasound (US) elastography (also known as strain imaging).
Many cancer treatments currently being developed are targeted; that is they exploit particular biological processes in specific cancer cell types to disrupt tumour growth. Being able to monitor the efficacy of these typically high-cost drug therapies is essential both for the best patient outcome as well as offering economical benefits to the health care system and much needed insight into future drug development.
Ultrasound provides a relatively inexpensive, non-invasive means for imaging cancers, and has been used widely in breast cancer diagnosis for many years. Its role in therapy monitoring has been suggested but has not been well explored. The purpose of this proposal is to explore this potential in more depth.
It has been identified that significant interaction takes place between tumour and stroma through all stages of tumour growth; this complex relationship is an ongoing topic of research. Fibrotic changes occur during tumour growth and are also a quintessential process of healing. Indeed, fibrosis is a common after effect to chemotherapy in many forms of cancer. Elastography is an established imaging technique (based on ultrasound or MRI) which can estimate the relative stiffness of tissues in vivo and is thus well-suited to monitor these particular biological processes.
This elucidates the main hypothesis of this project: fibrosis, cancer cell necrosis and inflammation may all contribute to a measurable response in elastography. These changes to the tissue composition can be imaged over a course of a patient's treatment to assess the response to chemo/hormonal therapy.
The ultimate project goals are to develop a clinical tool (based on ultrasound elastography) to improve treatment management in addition to offering a better biological understanding of tumour/stroma behaviour.
This research proposal concerns a study to monitor the effects of chemotherapy on breast cancer tumour and peritumour stromal cells using ultrasound (US) elastography (also known as strain imaging).
Many cancer treatments currently being developed are targeted; that is they exploit particular biological processes in specific cancer cell types to disrupt tumour growth. Being able to monitor the efficacy of these typically high-cost drug therapies is essential both for the best patient outcome as well as offering economical benefits to the health care system and much needed insight into future drug development.
Ultrasound provides a relatively inexpensive, non-invasive means for imaging cancers, and has been used widely in breast cancer diagnosis for many years. Its role in therapy monitoring has been suggested but has not been well explored. The purpose of this proposal is to explore this potential in more depth.
It has been identified that significant interaction takes place between tumour and stroma through all stages of tumour growth; this complex relationship is an ongoing topic of research. Fibrotic changes occur during tumour growth and are also a quintessential process of healing. Indeed, fibrosis is a common after effect to chemotherapy in many forms of cancer. Elastography is an established imaging technique (based on ultrasound or MRI) which can estimate the relative stiffness of tissues in vivo and is thus well-suited to monitor these particular biological processes.
This elucidates the main hypothesis of this project: fibrosis, cancer cell necrosis and inflammation may all contribute to a measurable response in elastography. These changes to the tissue composition can be imaged over a course of a patient's treatment to assess the response to chemo/hormonal therapy.
The ultimate project goals are to develop a clinical tool (based on ultrasound elastography) to improve treatment management in addition to offering a better biological understanding of tumour/stroma behaviour.
12,820 studies on the registry are indexed under Breast Neoplasms; 2,920 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 10 is below the median of 184 across 2,711 observational studies indexed under Breast Neoplasms.
Browse Breast Neoplasms studies →Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust is the lead sponsor of 94 studies on the registry; 7 are open to participants now.
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Patient will be selected from clinically diagnosed patients with breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. These women will be recruited through the Oxford University NHS Trust cancer centre and will consist primarily of women living within Oxfordshire.
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Exclusion Criteria:
The ratio of average stiffness measured within the tumour over average stiffness measured in the stroma
Tissue stiffness will be used to assess a patients response to chemotherapy
Time frame: Patients will be followed over the course of chemotherapy treatment, an expected average of 18 weeks
No study locations are listed for this record.
The record gives a start of Feb 2012, a primary completion of Jul 2014 and a completion of Jul 2014. It does not say whether these dates are actual or estimated.
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This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2017. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust