Previous projects funded by CHECTTwo research projects previously funded by the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust:
Investigation of The Chemosensitivity Profile of Retinoblastoma.
Project Lead: Prof. Ian Cree, Translational Oncology Research Centre, Queen Alexander Hospital, Portsmouth
Funding Award: £24,500
Funding period: 2 years
Project Summary
Chemotherapy is used in retinoblastoma to prevent spread of the tumour to other tissues and to treat widespread tumours, if this occurs. Current regimens are based on drug combinations which have been developed by oncologists by experience. Few clinical trials have been conducted due to the rarity of this tumour. The team has developed a way of testing a large number of different drugs against tumours. The ATP-based chemosensitivity assay (ATP-TCA) has already helped to design new regimens for melanoma, breast and ovarian cancer. In preliminary experiments, the team obtained retinoblastoma tumour material from 10 eyes and one skin metastasis, 8 samples of which contained sufficient viable cells for ATP-TCA. The results showed very high sensitivity to drugs that are currently used, and to some newer agents with less severe side effects.
The data confirm that retinoblastoma is a rapidly growing malignancy that is very susceptible to cytotoxic drugs of all types. The preliminary data show that these tests provide a practical method of testing new regimens before clinical trials in retinoblastoma patients. The team therefore wishes to extend the dataset and look at the molecular make-up of the cells to find out why certain drugs are more effective in some patients than others. They will use the information obtained to design new combinations that show at least equal efficacy but may be less toxic in comparison with those currently used. The team will probably end up with a new regimen that will then need to be tested in a clinical trial before it can be introduced to practice.
Project Status:This project was reported in "Recent Results in Cancer Research, Vol 161. p73-80 (c) Springer - Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2003" F Di Nicolantonio et al.
Epidemiological studies of retinoblastoma with particular reference to the incidence of multiple primary tumours.
Project Leader: Dr Gerald Draper, Childhood Cancer Research Group, Oxford
Funding Awared: £34,879
Project Duration: 3 years
Project Summary
The Childhood Cancer Research Group (CCRG) has records of virtually every case of retinoblastoma (RB) occurring in Great Britain during the past forty years, together with records of selected groups of cases in earlier years. This database is linkable to laboratory records relating to many of these cases, including, in particular, those held at the Retinoblastoma Screening Unit at St Bartholomew's Hospital (Dr Zerrin Onadim). In addition, the group has access to pedigree data collected by other research workers and to international data on the incidence of retinoblastoma. It is proposed, within the CCRG's ongoing programme of epidemiological research, to update earlier analyses of these data and to initiate others.
1 Multiple primary tumours
In particular, we propose first to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the incidence of multiple primary tumours in RB survivors in Britain. This would be followed by a systematic review (and possibly a meta-analysis) of other published and, if possible, unpublished, data so as to provide the best possible estimates of the rate of occurrence of other cancers following survival from RB, and a description of the types of cancer occurring. In addition, at least for the British data, we shall attempt to relate the risk of other cancers to the results of mutational and chromosomal analyses.
2 Risks to offspring and siblings. The second part of the project will be the analysis of a new dataset on the incidence of RB in the offspring of surviving RB patients. These results will then be combined with those from other studies in order to provide updated estimates of risks to offspring of RB patients. Similar analyses will be carried out for siblings.
3 Incidence rates of Rb.
The third part of the project will be a systematic review of both published and unpublished data concerning international variations in the incidence of RB, with particular reference to separate analyses of unilateral and bilateral cases in the hope that such analyses will help to elucidate the aetiology of this condition and to estimate its public health importance in different countries.
Project Status: Two of the three stages complete, official publication of the Second Primary Cancer research is pending. |
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