Early Phase Cancer Division

What we do

Our work in Early Phase Cancer involves the design, conduct and analysis of multi-centre, academic phase I and II clinical trials, with a focus on drug and radiotherapy interventions in haematological and solid cancers. The early phase cancer division is the newest division within the CTRU, and has grown extensively over the past seven years.

Our trials compare interventions by looking at clinical effectiveness through response to treatment, toxicity and patient-reported outcomes, and cost effectiveness. We answer questions which are key to stakeholders including investigators, patients, pharmaceutical partners and The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Our trials are non-randomised and randomised controlled trials, which assess toxicity and tolerability or activity in interventions including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, biological agents, or combinations of these. Our trials apply innovative and novel methodologies to the design and analysis of early phase trials.

Our key aims are to efficiently provide a pipeline of treatments to be evaluated in our late phase portfolio and working with key stakeholders influence clinical practice in the United Kingdom, Europe and worldwide.

We partner with Myeloma UK to co-ordinate a national network and portfolio of early phase clinical trials in multiple myeloma.

Key publications

Key publications our team has contributed to

  1. Bortezomib, thalidomide, dexamethasone, and panobinostat for patients with relapsed multiple myeloma (MUK-six): a multicentre, open-label, phase 1/2 trial.
    Popat R, Brown SR, Flanagan L, Hall A, Gregory W, Kishore B, Streetly M, Oakervee H, Yong K, Cook G, Low E, Cavenagh J; Myeloma UK Early Phase Clinical Trial Network.
    Lancet Haematol. 2016 Dec;3(12):e572-e580. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(16)30165-X. Epub 2016 Nov 12.
     
  2. Experiences of establishing an academic early phase clinical trials unit.
    Brown SR, Sherratt D, Booth G, Brown J, Collinson F, Gregory W, Flanagan L.
    Clin Trials. 2017 Aug;14(4):349-356. doi: 10.1177/1740774517710250. Epub 2017 May 22.
     
  3. Designing phase II trials in cancer: a systematic review and guidance.
    Brown SR, Gregory WM, Twelves CJ, Buyse M, Collinson F, Parmar M, Seymour MT, Brown JM.
    Br J Cancer. 2011 Jul 12;105(2):194-9. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2011.235. Epub 2011 Jun 28. Review.
     
  4. SELIMETRY-a multicentre I-131 dosimetry trial: a clinical perspective.
    Wadsley J, Gregory R, Flux G, Newbold K, Du Y, Moss L, Hall A, Flanagan L, Brown SR.
    Br J Radiol. 2017 May;90(1073):20160637. doi: 10.1259/bjr.20160637. Epub 2017 Mar 14.

 

Who we are

People

Division Director
Dr Sarah Brown

View our team members

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