Year of success for MyFrimleyHealth Record
Frimley Health is a research active trust and has more than 130 trials currently recruiting or in follow-up, with another 30 setting-up.
These include trials addressing major healthcare issues such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes as well as studies into less common conditions, aiming to develop new treatments or techniques to improve patient pathways.
One study currently recruiting at the Trust is the IP9-ATLAS clinical trial for prostate cancer. The study aims to see if regular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can better detect prostate cancer worsening among patients undergoing active surveillance.
“Active surveillance is monitoring low risk prostate cancer that hasn’t spread outside the prostate gland,” said Nishant Bedi, Consultant Urologist and principal investigator for the trial at Frimley Health. “This is a low-risk condition. Because it is a slow-growing cancer, we can monitor it and safely postpone treatment until necessary, which also means postponing potential side-effects for patients. In some cases, we have had people who have been on active surveillance for over 10 years.”
Standard care for patients on active surveillance is PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood tests and rectal exams, but research evidence suggests regular MRI scans could prove more accurate at detecting cancer progression.
“So we have the clinical trial to see if it can improve surveillance and also a patient’s quality of life, as the new MRI pathway could mean less frequent appointments, fewer blood tests, and a less invasive approach. It will mean improving our understanding of this group of patients and their experience,” said Mr Bedi.
“We have recruited 13 patients so far. Frimley Health was the top recruiting site across the UK for March, which is great and shows the hard work of our clinical research practitioners in recruiting patients to the study.”
Being involved in research and clinical trials provides opportunities for patients and staff across the trust.
“Patients enrolled in a trial are known to have improved outcomes. As a trust, being successful in clinical trials and recruiting well helps us build momentum for future improvements,” said Mr Bedi, who recently attended a conference hosted by Imperial College London looking at developments in prostate cancer treatment. “Being part of research could also mean that new treatments or equipment is available to continuously improve what we can offer patients.”
Getting involved in research at Frimley Health helps pave the way to improved healthcare. To find out more, visit the Research & Innovation pages.
