A major new trial of precision medicine will seek treatments for patients with rare cancers, it has been announced.
Cancer Research UK and the University of Manchester will be working with a major pharmaceutical company on the project, which will target the 22% of cancer diagnoses classed as rare diseases.
The project, known as DETERMINE, will use genetic screening to identify patients who might respond to individual drugs.
Once a drug appears to show effectiveness it will be referred to England’s Cancer Drug Fund for further support or assessment.
Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at the charity, said: “This platform trial is a significant milestone in Cancer Research UK’s commitment to finding better treatments for cancer patients who desperately need them. By looking at drugs which are already available, and working with the Cancer Drugs Fund, our trial has a direct route to provide long-term patient access to potentially life-saving drugs which weren’t previously available to patients with rare cancers.”
Dr Matthew Krebs, chief investigator, based in Manchester, said: “Patients with rare cancer often have few treatment options available and it’s vitally important we increase our research efforts for these patients. With technological advances in genetic testing, we’ve learned that some rare tumours contain genetic abnormalities which may benefit from targeted treatment currently only available for more common cancer types.
“We will undertake in depth research to understand which patients with rare cancers could benefit from these treatments. With the potential to change outcomes for adults, teenagers and children with rare cancers, this trial will be ground-breaking for a patient population who often feel neglected by current cancer research."
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