Bowel cancer is one of the commonest cancers worldwide. Earlier detection results in better outcomes for patients and longer survival. It is a challenge for GPs to diagnose bowel cancer and many symptomatic patients are sent to hospital for tests to rule it out. This is normally a colonoscopy, which is expensive, unpleasant and can be harmful. An accurate faecal test for blood (FIT) has just been introduced as a diagnostic tool for GPs.
Clinical Trials & Studies
If you are being treated in the NHS you may be asked to take part in a clinical study.
Clinical trials are research studies that involve patients or healthy people and are designed to test new treatments. A clinical study is research using human participants to help experts learn about different medical conditions and treatments. There are two primary types of clinical studies: clinical trials and observational studies. Both are designed to help health care professionals expand their knowledge of viable treatment—or preventative—options for patients, including medications, medical devices, surgery techniques, and therapies (e.g. radiation). Clinical studies may also focus on the development of diagnostic tools to help detect or prevent diseases and other medical conditions.
Clinical studies are important for discovering new treatments for diseases, as well as new ways to detect, diagnose, and reduce the chance of developing the disease. Clinical trials can show researchers what does and doesn’t work in humans that cannot be learned in the laboratory or in animals. Clinical trials also help doctors decide if the side effects of a new treatment are acceptable when weighed against the potential benefits.
Clinical trials aim to:
- Find the best ways to prevent disease and reduce the number of people who become ill
- Treat illness to improve survival or increase the number of people cured
- Improve the quality of life for people living with illness, including reducing symptoms of disease or the side effects of other treatments, such as cancer chemotherapy
- Diagnose diseases and health problems.
While clinical trials are important, the choice to participate in one is very personal and depends on your unique situation. You and your doctor need to weigh the benefits against the risks and decide what’s best for you, when presented with a clinical trial.
What Clinical Trials are we currently running?
PRINCIPLE – COVID -19
Anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, which started within the last 14 days may be eligible to join the PRINCIPLE trial if they are aged over 65; or over 50 with an underlying health condition.
We are looking for medicines that can help people with COVID-19 symptoms get better quickly and stop them needing to go to hospital.
PRINCIPLE is a nationwide clinical study from the University of Oxford to find COVID-19 treatments for the over 50s that can be taken at home. This is a randomised interventional trial against COVID-19 in older people.
PRINCIPLE is recruiting participants through this website and also through GP practices across the UK. PRINCIPLE is still open to those who have received one of the COVID-19 vaccines.
There are other COVID Studies and Trials available to participate in, including a trial of antiviral treatments for COVID19. Click here for more information about available COVID studies and to take part.
PRiMUS
Primary care management of lower urinary tract symptoms in men: development and validation of a diagnostic and clinical decision support tool.
Many men, as they get older, experience problems passing urine. They may need to pass urine more frequently than usual, find their sleep interrupted by having to go to the toilet during the night, notice a change in their flow rate when they urinate or may experience loss of bladder control. These problems are grouped into what we call Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS). These symptoms can be unpleasant, can impact on work and social life, and may prompt a visit to a GP for treatment.
The aims of the PriMUS study is to create a ‘decision aid’ to help GPs find the most likely cause of patients’ urinary symptoms, so that together they can choose the best treatment. We believe that this will have many benefits such as getting the right treatment sooner, avoiding unnecessary hospital visits, and getting those who need to be seen by a specialist there more quickly. Patients will be offered a Urodynamics appointment and further testing, if necessary.
Further information about this trial and eligibility can be found here.
CRAFT Trial
By interviewing patients and doctors we hope to discover that the having the simple blood and faecal tests in primary care are an acceptable alternative to having invasive testing in hospital. We hope to learn how accurate the test needs to be in order to be accepted as an alternative way to test for bowel cancer. https://swanseatrialsunit.org/trials/craft
What Clinical Studies are we currently running?
Elsa Study
The ELSA study is screening children, aged 3-13 years to find out their risk of type 1 diabetes.
This is a simple finger stick blood test, you can do at home or in the community (school, general practice).
Children at high risk can be monitored and could enter research studies aiming to delay the start of type 1 diabetes. Every family who takes part is helping us to understand more about type 1 diabetes.
For more information, please see the online information tool here: https://elsa.digitrial.com/
You can contact them by email: elsa@contacts.bham.ac.uk or phone: 0121 414 7814.
Treat To Target
Do you suffer from gout? Would you like to help us to find out what is the best way to treat flares of gout? Then you may be interested in taking part in the Treat to target in gout research study (T2T).
The T2T study is looking at the most effective and cost-effective way to treat flares of gout. If you have gout you may be able to take part. If you would like to find out more information please contact Keele University Clinical Trials Unit on 01782 732950 or email: sch-tr.t2tgout@nhs.net
Listen Study
A new study exploring the effectiveness of a long Covid intervention is looking for people living with the condition to take part. The Long COVID Personalised Self-management support co-design and Evaluation (LISTEN) study will evaluate the effectiveness of a new personalised support programme, co-designed by people living with long Covid.
Participants will be randomly selected into two groups, one receiving the LISTEN support package, which will involve a resource book and up to six, one-to-one video or telephone call support sessions, with the other group receiving their usual local NHS services.
The study is open to anyone over 18 years of age who has been experiencing long Covid symptoms for 12 weeks or more and has consulted with their GP.
The LISTEN study is now open for recruitment. Please visit www.listentrial.co.uk for more information and to register your interest in taking part.
ATP Depression Study
We are running a clinical trial that is testing out a new medication for people who are still experiencing depression despite taking an antidepressant. From previous research we have seen a link between inflammation and depression. We aim to see whether using this new anti-inflammatory drug alongside your usual antidepressant could help treat your depression.
You would receive up to £500 for taking part, although the exact amount will depend on the number of visits you complete. The ATP Trial is running in 5 places across the United Kingdom, including Cardiff. If you would like to contact your local research team click here.
MumS SMS Study
The Supporting MumS (SMS) study they are testing ways to support mums with weight management by using text messages. Mums who register to this study will receive texts regarding a certain topic, and you will recieve gift vouchers up to a total of £100 as a 'thank you' for your time and participation in this study. Visit here for more information about this study, and to sign up: https://www.qub.ac.uk/.../PublicHeal.../SupportingMumSStudy/
MyMelanoma Study
The MyMelanoma Research Study is designed to answer the most important unanswered questions in melanoma research. This study is open to anyone who has ever been diagnosed with a melanoma of the skin, mucosal surfaces (e.g. nose, genitals) or under the nails.
For more information on this study, and to take part if eligible, simply visit www.mymelanomastudy.org.
Active Brains Study
Active Brains is an interactive website for people aged 60-85 designed to help with lifestyle changes and brain training activities that can help to keep the brain and body healthy.
- Active Brains is designed to help with getting a bit more active, practising thinking skills, and eating more healthily. All of these things can help to keep the brain and body active and healthy as we get older. This study will test whether using Active Brains helps people to do this.
- Only one person from each household can sign up for the Active Brains study. Click here if you and someone else in your house have both been invited to take part.
- If you do take part, the study will last for five years. We will ask everyone to complete some questions about how they are when they start the study, and then again each year after that.
- About two thirds of people will be in a group who can use Active Brains straight away and one third of people will carry on with their usual care and will get some brief advice about a healthy lifestyle. The group you are put into will be decided by chance.
- Everyone in the study will carry on receiving their usual NHS care.