Ground-breaking research to explore new ways to diagnose lung cancer
Professor Peter Johnson, NIHR senior investigator and Director of the Southampton Cancer Research UK Centre, is to lead a ground-breaking medical research consortium, which will explore new ways to diagnose lung cancer earlier and save lives.
As well as targeting increased survival rates, the project aims to improve the efficiency of testing in people at high risk of cancer.
The project, which also involves the University of Leeds and is coordinated by the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit (SCTU), will ask 15,000 people who attend NHS England lung health checks at mobile CT scanners in Hampshire and Yorkshire to give blood samples and nasal swabs for testing.
The samples will be analysed for changes that could indicate early cancer development.
Jocelyn Walters, Research Delivery Manager at NIHR CRN Wessex, has accepted a six-month secondment to SCTU as Programme Manager for the project and to lead on the development of SCTU’s portfolio of early diagnosis cancer trials.
Tom Simpson, Acting Industry Operations Manager at CRN Wessex, will support the Network’s portfolio of research within the specialties of genetics, haematology, children, reproductive health and childbirth (Division 3) during this time.
On her secondment, Jocelyn said: “I am excited to take on this new opportunity and support the development of important early diagnosis cancer trials. A huge thanks to Tom for stepping in to support Division 3.”
