• CUP-One. This major study has suffered from issues with commercial partners and data analysis problems in recent years which has delayed the findings. At the time of writing it is anticipated that final results should be available to the research team in the Autumn of 2020.
• CUPEM. The immunotherapy trial – CUPEM – led by Dr Wasan to investigate the benefits of immunotherapy treatment started recruiting patients in three London centres this year only to be halted by Coronavirus. The research re-started in July 2020. The first phase took patients when first line chemotherapy treatment had failed. Initial data has proved encouraging and in the next phase immunotherapy treatment will be allowed as first line treatment for patients who have not received chemotherapy.
• CUPISCO. The Roche trial (some 87 sites in 23 countries including 9 centres in the UK) has been handicapped by the Coronavirus pandemic. In the UK the trial re-started in late August. The trial consists of 3 cycles of chemo induction followed by randomization of responders to either molecularly guided therapy or an additional 3 cycles of chemo.
• Circulating Tumour Cell research. In previous years we have made research grants towards this exciting project at the CRUK Manchester Institute and the research continues to investigate the viability of liquid biopsies in relation to CUP, and to characterise CUP tumours molecularly in order to gain greater understanding of their biology and behaviour.

< Back to articles