ANZUP trials - testicular
CLIMATE trial led by ANZUP now open We’re delighted to announce the CLIMATE trial is now open. This trial is a collaboration between ANZUP and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of medical research (WEHI). This testicular cancer trial is called: Asessing the Clinical utility of miR-371a-3p as a marker of residual disease in Clinical Stage 1 Testicular Germ Cell Tumour, following orchidectomy. This all sounds highly technical so read on and learn more about this trial and what it will mean for testicular cancer patients.
Testicular cancer overview Testicular cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in males aged between 15 and 39 in Western countries, however it can occur at any age. Most individuals diagnosed with testicular cancer have cancer confined to the testicle, without evidence of spread to other areas of the body and are highly likely to be cured following surgical removal of the testicle (orchidectomy) alone. Sometimes, they may choose to undergo preventive chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which reduces the risk of the cancer coming back; however, this may result in longterm side effects.
Treatment options Most individuals diagnosed with testicular cancer in Australia are therefore recommended “active surveillance,” which involves regular reviews with their doctor, scans and blood tests, and no chemotherapy or radiotherapy. With this approach, they can be spared from unnecessary treatment and side effects; however, a small number will have recurrent cancer. Reassuringly even when this occurs, they are highly likely to have a positive outcome following additional treatment.
The CLIMATE trial A new blood test, micro-ribonucleic acid (miRNA), which evaluates a protein commonly found in testicular cancer, is under investigation. Early studies have found that miRNA is detectable in blood samples of individuals who have known testicular cancer and appears to be more accurate than our existing blood tests. If miRNA can be reliably detected in individuals with active testicular cancer, it may guide recommendations around preventive chemotherapy and active surveillance in the future.
CLIMATE Principal Investigator Associate Professor Ben Tran: “Testicular cancer is a highly curable cancer, however, in those who need treatment, side effects from treatment can result in long term impacts on quality of life. Sometimes, patients are given treatment when there is a high suspicion of recurrence of testicular cancer, but not all of these patients actually have a recurrence. Current blood tests and scans can only be so good at confirming recurrence of testicular cancer. A new blood test is being developed that looks very promising at being an extremely sensitive and specific blood test for testicular cancer. CLIMATE is an ANZUP study aimed at determining whether this blood test, miR-371, is sufficiently accurate in order to be used to guide treatment or non-treatment, thereby improving QOL in testicular cancer survivors.”
42 A LITTLE BELOW THE BELT
