All Clinical Trials in United Kingdom

Multi-parametric (mp) MRI has now internationally been incorporated as standard of care in the work-up of participants with suspected prostate cancer. The standard mpMRI protocol requires 30-45 minutes to be performed and has a sensitivity and specificity of approximately 90% and 50% for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer. Compared to the non-targeted systematic transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsy approach in men with clinically suspected prostate cancer (e.g.: elevated PSA), performing mpMRI as a triage test allows to detect clinically significant cancer in more men (38% vs 26%) and clinically insignificant cancer in less men (9% vs 22%), while avoiding biopsy in roughly one third of men. However, there is need for improvement in the prostate diagnostic pathway even after incorporation of mp-MRI, specifically mpMRI can miss significant cancer in around 10% of cases and only 50% of positive scans turn out to harbor significant cancer at biopsy. Moreover, the key functional imaging sequence of mp-MRI (i.e.: DWI) often suffers from image artifacts causing difficulty in scan interpretation. To address these issues the investigators aim to investigate Luminal Index MRI (LI-MRI), a novel method of MR imaging that requires only up to 10 minutes to be performed and doesn't require the use of contrast media. LI-MRI has shown promising results for the characterization of prostate cancer. In this study the diagnostic performance of LI-MRI and mpMRI for the detection of prostate cancer will be directly compared. Read Less

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is the 6th most common cancer worldwide with an annual incidence of 12000 cases in the UK alone. More than 60% of cases are diagnosed at the locally advanced stage. These patients are treated with radical intent, using a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Unfortunately 5 in 10 patients relapse within 2 years, with most relapses occurring within the first year since treatment. Unlike many other solid tumours, 80% of relapses occur locoregionally. Salvage surgery offers the best chance of long-term survival for patients with loco-regional recurrence, but this is only possible if the recurrence is amenable to resection. Salvage surgery has been estimated to improve survival outcomes in relapsed cancer by up to 73%. For salvage surgery to be feasible, relapses need to be detected early. Current surveillance strategies have little evidence base, with imaging often driven by clinical symptoms - often when the recurrence is no longer amenable to salvage surgery. With this study, we will address the unmet clinical need to develop a risk-stratified surveillance pathway to enhance detection of early relapse of radically treated head and neck cancer. At present, tumour grade and biomarkers such as HPV status have offered important but insufficient information to guide surveillance strategies. Read Less

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the tooth-supporting apparatus, which leads to attachment and bone loss and eventually to tooth loss if treatment is not provided. When the periodontitis-related bone loss affects the area of root separation in molars, a furcation involvement (FI) is created. This represents a challenge in the treatment of periodontally-compromised molars, affecting the majority of patients with periodontitis. Based on a prevalence of severe forms of periodontitis in the UK and worldwide of about 10% of the population and on previous studies, we can assume that at least 5-10% of the general population are affected by FI. Different treatment modalities are advocated for the treatment of FI, including non-surgical maintenance, resective (bone recontouring) and regenerative (reconstruction of bone and attachment) surgical treatments or tooth extraction. It has clearly emerged that FI at least doubles the risk of tooth loss. However, in the case of advanced through-and-through loss of attachment and bone in the furcation area (FI degree III), the clinician is often faced with a very difficult treatment decision, without being able to draw on much evidence from the literature. Interestingly, there are no randomised controlled trials exploring the most appropriate treatment for advanced furcation involvement. This has been highlighted in a recent systematic review commissioned by the European Federation of Periodontology. Read Less

There is some limited evidence that reduced size of electrical complexes/traces of the heart on the electrocardiogram (ECG) may be associated with scarring in the heart muscle, which may predispose to serious life-threatening electrical abnormalities and sudden cardiac death (SCD). There is no current guidance on how young individuals and athletes with reduced ECG traces should be managed. Therefore, correct interpretation of this ECG finding is crucial for identifying athletes with disease and at risk of SCD. Some athletes experience SCD despite normal standard cardiac tests. The investigators, therefore, propose to study young healthy individuals and young athletes using cardiovascular MRI, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, 24 hour ECG monitoring and genetic analysis to determine the significance of reduced ECG traces and possibly revise current international sports recommendations. Read Less

Can a patient-reported symptom-based risk stratification system improve the suspected head and neck cancer (HNC) pathway? Our methodology includes six interlinked work packages to deliver our aim, with EVEREST-HN 1 encompassing the first of these and seeking to optimise a patient-reported symptom inventory for HNC and outline requirement specification for the SYmptom iNput Clinical (SYNC) system. Read Less

Prehabilitation is the use of exercise prior to surgery to improve peoples' fitness, which leads to improved outcomes of surgery. This service is now being run remotely, however, there is little existing evidence to support the best practice for this. Currently, baseline fitness is assessed remotely using either a sit to stand test or a step test. Once completed people are prescribed regular exercises and asked to exercise to a level of intensity using a measure called Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE). However, these measurements may not be reliable. We are carrying out a study to assess if another waking test (modified Rockport test) and asking patients to exercise to a target heart rate are better measures of assessing baseline fitness and exercise intensity. All participants will receive weekly telephone calls to check their progress and be provided with a wrist worn fitness tracker (Fitbit). Participants will be randomised to one of two groups. The only difference between the groups will be the way the exercise is prescribed. In one group participants will be asked to complete the exercises to an exercise level they find "somewhat hard". The other group will be asked to complete the exercises to maintain a set heart rate. All participants will be asked to complete an activity log (submitted weekly) as an online form. A small group of people (maximum 10) will be asked if they would like to complete an in-person baseline fitness assessment also, this is optional. This study runs for up to eight weeks with participation ending after eight weeks or at the time of surgery, whichever is sooner. In the final week of participation, participants will be asked to complete an online questionnaire about their experience of using a wearable fitness tracker during the prehabilitation programme. Read Less

Children affected by high risk or relapsed/refractory leukaemia have a poor prognosis, with an increased risk of relapse. These patients generally need treatment intensification and a bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Nevertheless, with conventional treatent the risk of relapse after transplant remains high. Radioimmunotherapy provides a way to deliver high dose irradiation to the bone marrow (where leukaemia resides), while sparing normal organs and tissues from its toxicity.This can be achieved by linking a radioactive molecule (Yttrium90) to an antibody that, once infused in the blood, targets marrow/leukemic cells. Read Less

The goal of this randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial is to investigate the immune, metabolic and cognitive effects of four weeks of daily ketone supplementation in adults aged 60 to 80 with stable health. The main objectives are to assess the effects of the intervention versus placebo on markers of metabolic health, inflammation, immune function, adipose tissue, and cognitive performance. Participants will undergo two weeks of baseline monitoring followed by a four-week supplementation period in which they will drink a ketone monoester drink or taste-matched placebo three times a day. During these periods, participants will record their diet and supplement intake and their physical activity and blood glucose will be monitored using wearable devices. At the beginning and end of the supplementation period, participants will undergo testing in the university physiology laboratories, involving blood, expired air and adipose tissue samples, as well as cognitive tests, physical tests and questionnaires. Read Less

Transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS) is abnormal narrowing of the main blood vessel to the kidney transplant and has historically been considered a surgical complication. In heart transplantation, it has long been recognised that rejection can cause narrowing of the heart's blood vessels, and that this complication is the leading cause of heart transplant failure. It is reasonable to assume that this process may also occur in kidney transplantation, which could contribute to premature transplant failure. However, in kidney transplantation it is also likely that other factors, such as surgical factors, traditional cardiovascular risk factors and immunological factors, contribute to the development of TRAS. Given that the disease processes that cause TRAS are not fully understood, at present there is no consensus among kidney doctors on the best means of treating patients diagnosed with TRAS. The aim of the proposed study is to investigate the involvement of these different processes in the development of TRAS, and investigate the optimal way to diagnose and manage TRAS. At present, there is no standard recommendation for how to treat patients with TRAS. This is partly due to the fact that patients with TRAS may have a broad array of symptoms: Some may have no symptoms, other may have problems with high blood pressure or fluid accumulation, and others may have severe transplant dysfunction. In most transplant centres, patient TRAS and severe symptoms will undergo IADSA and a stent will be placed to open the narrowing. However, it is not clear how best to manage patients with TRAS who have mild to moderate symptoms. We propose to recruit 36 such patients to a clinical study and split them into two groups: One group to undergo IADSA with possible stent placement, and one group to be closely observed. We will then compare transplant function, and other outcomes, after one year between the two groups. Read Less

The goal of this mixed methods study is to learn about cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) using Alpha-Stim AID in anxiety related to breathlessness in advanced lung diseases. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are: * Is CES using Alpha-Stim AID acceptable and tolerable as a potential treatment in the management of anxiety in patients who experience breathlessness due to advanced chronic respiratory disease? * What are the key factors that will inform the design of a study to examine its potential clinical effectiveness? Participants will choose whether they want to trial the CES for eight weeks or be in a parallel control group. They will complete daily diaries, questionnaires about anxiety, breathlessness, sleep, quality of life and depression, and an end of study qualitative interview. Researchers will compare those using the CES and those receiving standard care to see if there are any indications of difference in anxiety and other symptoms experienced. Read Less

This is a pilot study to investigate serum prednisolone profiles in: * Patients on high doses of prednisolone for any inflammatory disorder, both in the acute and chronic setting. * Patients stepping up from or down to prednisolone therapy in association with a course of high dose methyl-prednisolone or dexamethasone. The study will comprise 3 groups, including those started on high doses of prednisolone acutely in an inpatient or outpatient setting, participants on chronically high doses, and those receiving a several week course of high dose methylprednisolone or dexamethasone. The study aims to measure prednisolone levels at a number of time points to investigate serum profile differences in those receiving prednisolone acutely compared with longer term steroid use. Further samples will be taken to characterise additional metabolic changes. Read Less

Title: Intra-operative ultrasound guided laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy (UGLOC) as a method of fertility preservation in the management of benign ovarian cysts. Background: Approximately 10% of women in the United Kingdom (UK) will undergo surgery for the presence of an ovarian mass during their lifetime. Ovarian surgery, however, is not without risks and can potentially harm healthy ovarian tissue surrounding the cyst, resulting in reduced reproductive potential (the ability of the ovary to produce eggs for fertilisation). Surgical methods to preserve healthy ovarian tissue and improve the chances of successful pregnancy post-operatively are known as Fertility Preserving Surgery (FPS). Evidence suggests that a novel approach of FPS involving the removal of an ovarian cyst performed under ultrasound guidance improves the differentiation between the healthy ovarian tissue and the ovarian cyst. As such, the surgeon can remove the cyst alone, whilst limiting disruption to the healthy surrounding ovarian tissue. Aim: The purpose of this study is to assess if surgical removal of an ovarian cyst performed under ultrasound guidance improves the reproductive potential of the ovaries, when compared to surgery performed without ultrasound guidance. Eligibility All patients of reproductive age (18-45 years old) with ultrasound features suggestive of a benign ovarian cyst requiring surgical treatment (removal of the cyst). Patients diagnosed with benign ovarian cysts, deemed to be non -harmful to the patient if left untreated, of the following classifications can be included in the study: dermoid, simple cyst, serous cystadenoma, mucinous cystadenoma or endometrioma. Design: A multicentre randomised controlled trial. Women across Imperial College London Healthcare and University College London Trusts will be allocated to a surgical treatment group at random: 1) laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy performed without ultrasound guidance (control group) or 2) ultrasound guided laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy performed with ultrasound guidance (fertility preservation surgery: intervention group). Duration: 3 years Read Less