A major research study using radiotherapy in the treatment of metastatic lung cancer is being offered to patients outside of the UK for the first time.
The TOURIST platform trial is the world’s largest lung cancer clinical trial, funded by a £3.4m grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and is now open to recruitment in the Republic of Ireland, the first international location, meaning more people with the disease will have the chance to take part in this world-leading research.
The trial, which is sponsored by The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester and managed by Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, is looking at whether modern radiotherapy treatments can improve outcomes for patients with advanced disease, who often have a poor prognosis and typically have about a year to live.
The TOURIST platform has recently opened to recruitment at the St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network (SLRON) in Dublin, where it is being led by Principal Investigator Gerry Hanna, Consultant in Radiation Oncology at SLRON, Marie Curie Professor of Clinical Oncology at Trinity College Dublin, and Vice-Clinical Lead of Cancer Trials Ireland.
“Thanks to the Irish Research Radiation Oncology Group (IRROG), we are really excited to be opening the TOURIST study at St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network, in collaboration with Cancer Trials Ireland and the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit,” says Professor Hanna. “TOURIST is an important study evaluating the role of modern lung radiotherapy for people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. We hope by using modern radiotherapy routinely we can improve outcomes and quality of life for such patients and we are delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to patients in Ireland.”
Lung cancer is the 4th most common cancer in Ireland with around 2,600 people diagnosed each year*. However, it is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the country in both men and women**.
Between 85 and 90 per cent of lung cancer cases diagnosed are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and nearly half of these cancers are diagnosed at a late stage when the disease has spread and is incurable, meaning treatment focuses on controlling symptoms and extending life, rather than curing patients.
TOURIST is the first trial in 20 years to look at how radiotherapy could benefit late-stage metastatic lung cancer patients.
It uses a technique called ‘VMAT’ (volumetric modulated arc therapy) which is a form of radiotherapy that uses multiple beams of varying strengths to treat cancer. A device called a linear accelerator (LINAC) delivers high-energy beams while rotating around the patient to treat the tumours.
Professor Sinead Brennan, Clinical Lead for the Irish Research Radiation Oncology Group (IRROG) and Director of Research at SLRON, said:
“IRROG is delighted to announce the opening of the TOURIST study at St. Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network and looks forward to its activation at University Hospital Galway. Expanding this important trial to the West of Ireland is a major step towards ensuring equitable access to clinical research for patients with advanced lung cancer. By supporting the national rollout of TOURIST, IRROG is helping patients access innovative radiotherapy closer to home, reducing travel while maintaining the highest standards of research-led care.”
Angela Clayton-Lea, CEO at Cancer Trials Ireland, said:
“Cancer Trials Ireland is proud to act as the local Sponsor for the TOURIST study and delighted to open this important international trial across our national network. As sponsor in Ireland, we led contract and budget negotiations and completed the regulatory submissions required to enable site activation. We look forward to providing ongoing national governance and coordination for TOURIST, working closely with IRROG to ensure patients in Ireland can access innovative radiotherapy treatment.”
The TOURIST platform*** has been set up to see if radiotherapy, alongside other treatments, improves outcomes and quality of life for lung cancer patients. It currently has two trials recruiting patients through the platform: PRINCE and QUARTZ LUNG.
Nicky Downs, Senior Trial Manager for the TOURIST trial platform at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, said: “It is wonderful to see the first international site opening the TOURIST platform in the Republic of Ireland. We are so grateful to all the patients who have agreed to take part in TOURIST so far in the UK and look forward to giving more people the opportunity to take part in this exciting research and help to further our knowledge of this disease. We hope to be able to expand the platform in the coming months with new trials, allowing us to include even more patients, understand the disease better, and learn how we can control patient’s symptoms and improve survival.”
Dr David Woolf, Clinical Director of Clinical Oncology at The Christie and the Chief Investigator for the TOURIST platform, said “The TOURIST trials represent a huge shift in the way we potentially treat lung cancer patients and could bring additional benefit to patients undergoing their standard treatments in the future. This is the first time we have delivered a trial in radiotherapy for late-stage NSCLC patients for two decades and techniques have advanced massively in that time. We therefore hope to provide enough evidence to change clinical practice globally, which could help up to a million people a year worldwide.”
Professor Anthony Gordon, Director of NIHR’s Health Technology Assessment Programme, said: “Living with late-stage lung cancer is difficult and challenging for patients and their families. This important trial demonstrates innovation by harnessing the latest radiotherapy treatments aiming to improve care for people with this disease to help ease their symptoms and improve outcomes and life expectancy.
“This trial demonstrates NIHR’s mission to drive life-changing research for the health and wealth of our society and ensuring more people can get involved in research. Our aim is to help new treatments reach patients earlier, helping them lead healthier and happier lives, while reducing the burden on the NHS.”
Watch a video on the TOURIST trial platform here – https://youtu.be/IpN48GEILV4
The TOURIST trial platform is sponsored by The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and managed by Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. The platform is funded by a £3.4m grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (grant number NIHR133518) and supported in the Republic of Ireland by the Irish Research Radiation Oncology Group (IRROG) and Cancer Trials Ireland (CTRIAL24-75).
*Figures from the Irish Cancer Society.
**Figures from the Irish Cancer Society Action Plan.
***There are currently two trials open and recruiting patients on the TOURIST trial platform, PRINCE and QUARTZ LUNG. Find out more about the trials on the TOURIST website.