WTCRF has recruited final volunteer for cancer trial
November 2005
The Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility (WTCRF), the dedicated research centre of the University and its partner NHS Trusts, has recruited the final volunteer required for its part in a huge nationwide trial of ovarian cancer screening.
The national study began four years ago and, as home to its Manchester centre, the WTCRF has already hosted over 30,000 participant visits. It has now recruited Beryl Graham as its 16,667th and final volunteer for the trial, which will continue until 2012.
Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cause of death from cancer among women in the UK, with symptoms often not apparent until the cancer has spread. The United Kingdom Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS) is the largest study of its kind with 200,000 participants nationwide, and aims to provide the data for an informed decision about the introduction of screening for the disease across the population.
Lead researcher for the North West, Dr Mourad Seif of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit, said: “The sheer number of women who have volunteered – despite the fact that we can’t pay them or even cover their expenses - reflects both the great success of the study in the North West and the value these women see in the early detection of ovarian cancer; not just for themselves but for their family, friends and future generations."
The study aims to assess the impact screening could have on the number of deaths from ovarian cancer, and will compare two different screening strategies. It will also look at the physical, social and psychological effects of the screening process, its resource implications and the feasibility of screening the population at large.
The facility held a special reception to celebrate its achievement on 1 November, when Beryl was presented with a commemorative certificate in the presence of representatives from Manchester NHS Trusts, the University and fellow trial volunteers.
