As reported by NHS England, the NHS is calling for thousands to join groundbreaking research trials aimed at revolutionising cancer diagnosis and treatment
The NHS is launching a search for nearly 150,000 volunteers to take part in a series of research trials that could transform cancer treatment.
Three cancer projects have been selected as part of the NHS DigiTrials initiative, which aims to sign up tens of thousands of volunteers over the next 2 years to help improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. Eligible people will start receiving letters and text messages from the NHS encouraging them to join the research projects from this month.
The biggest trial being supported, BEST4 Heartburn Health, requires 120,000 volunteers to help test a new screening technique for oesophageal cancer, which involves swallowing a compressed sponge on a string to extract cells from the food pipe.
A further 20,000 volunteers are needed for MyMelanoma, which will carry out the largest study of melanoma ever performed, to improve understanding of melanoma skin cancer and its treatment.
The PROTECT-C trial, funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, will also recruit 5,000 women to take part in saliva-based genetic tests to check their genetic risk of developing ovarian, breast, endometrial and colorectal cancer.
The NHS DigiTrials recruitment service, which is managed by NHS England, identifies NHS patients who might be suitable for a certain trial and contacts them to see if they would like to take part. An additional study being supported by DigiTrials, the Children’s Surgery Outcome Reporting project, will also focus on the care given to children who need complex surgery shortly after birth.
Be the first to comment