'Exciting' Guernsey cancer trial launched
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A new partnership called Island and Institutes will allow blood cancer patients in Guernsey to participate in vital UK clinical trials without leaving the island by safely transporting their excess treatment samples to researchers.
Cancer patients in Guernsey will be able to participate in clinical research in the UK without leaving the island. A fundraising sub-committee of Cancer Research - Business Beats Cancer Guernsey - has formed a partnership with the universities of Southampton and Sussex, called Island and Institutes.
The new initiative allows excess blood and tissue samples taken during treatment to be collected and transported to the UK for use in clinical trials. This initiative allows blood cancer patients in the island to give permission for these excess samples taken as part of their treatment to be utilized in ongoing clinical studies.
Peter Gomes, lead medical oncologist at Bulstrode Oncology Unit, said it would be "very positive" to have patients contribute to research that would improve treatments for all. Neale Jehan from Business Beats Cancer highlighted the logistical benefits, noting that traveling during treatment was difficult, so this "new initiative, which is still aligned to our focus on clinical research, transports samples from the patients, without them needing to travel".
David Dutton, honorary clinical senior lecturer at the University of Southampton, said the partnership would provide "opportunities for the people of Guernsey to be involved in exciting clinical and scientific research".
The charity said results would be bespoke to the island and would be shared with the relevant oncology team as part of larger research initiatives. Ultimately, this integration of local data could lead to more targeted treatments being available directly in the island. Currently, on-island treatment includes chemotherapy, targeted drugs, immunotherapy, and antibody-drug combinations.
