Medical researchers, led by Dr Trevor Pugh, are conducting a clinical trial to improve detection and treatment for people with a genetic predisposition to cancer. This connects with the field of familial cancer syndromes (FCS).
This encapsulates people with inherited, or familial, forms of cancer carry genes that place them at a high risk of developing multiple cancers throughout their lifetime, including stomach, oesophageal, lung, brain and pancreatic cancers.
Since such people are at a high cancer risk, this population is regularly screened for signs of cancer. This makes the group an ideal population for the proposed clinical trials on a blood-based test for cancer.
To develop this, the scientists are building on previous work to develop a genetic blood test that can detect tumour DNA circulating in the blood stream at the same time or earlier than the conventional annual medical exams. If successful, this could have wide-reaching implications for the early detection of cancer above and beyond those people living with FCS.
For the project, funding has been provided from the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Supported by community-led activism
Teresa Tiano is the Chair and Co-Founder of My Gut Feeling – Stomach Cancer Foundation of Canada. This is a volunteer-led, non-profit organization, founded in 2016, that is dedicated to the support of stomach cancer patients, survivors and caregivers through education, awareness and advocacy.
Tiano is a 13 year stomach cancer survivor. Her advocacy work for patients includes being part of research teams, speaking engagements to raise awareness about stomach cancer, the world’s 6th most common cancer and the world’s 4th leading cause of cancer deaths.
Tiano has helped secure and is a part of a new massive $7.5 million dollar clinical trial at Princess Margaret Hospital to look into the potential blood-based test for cancer. Tiano was asked by the granter to help design the actual call for this clinical trial grant as she is the co-founder of the Canadian Stomach Cancer Foundation called My Gut Feeling – a patient led, volunteer organization based in Toronto.
This is a full circle moment for the women without a stomach and who have had cancer surgery. The clinical trial has members in Canada, the U.K. and the U.S., including three patient partners.
Tiano and Pugh have worked together for years on other genetic research projects. Tiano has delivered presentations about her Lynch Syndrome to the medical community extensively.
Besides her own story and connection to this clinical trial Tiano is promoting Stomach Cancer Awareness Day for November 30th as well as the annual medical conference her organization My Gut Feeling organizes on November 11 for patients, caregivers and medical staff looking for more info on gastric cancer.
