The CTC has been running trials in gastrointestinal cancers since 1982 and has expertise in treatment trials for rectal, anal, colorectal, liver and biliary tract cancers. These trials have involved many different types of treatment including radiotherapy, transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE), photodynamic therapy (PDT) as well as chemotherapy. Two of the largest treatment trials in anal cancer ever conducted were run by the CTC. ACT I and ACT II have now both closed to recruitment but follow up continues. Preliminary data from ACT II was presented at ASCO 2009 and the main analysis is now underway.

Positive results from ABC-02, the largest randomised phase III trial in biliary tract cancer, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine (N Engl J Med 2010; 362:1273-1281April 8, 2010) and have defined cisplatin + gemcitabine as standard treatment for this rare cancer. The success of this trial has led to the follow on trials which are currently open and recruiting- the ABC-03 and ABC-04 trials

Trials

Trial Name (Short)Trial NameStatusView
ABC-03 Randomised phase II trial of cediranib (AZD2171) vs. placebo in addition to cisplatin / gemcitabine chemotherapy for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer In follow-up Details
ABC-04 A phase Ib study of cisplatin, gemcitabine and selumetinib in patients with advanced biliary tract cancers In follow-up Details
ARISTOTLE A phase III trial comparing standard versus novel CRT as pre-operative treatment for MRI defined locally advanced rectal cancer Recruiting Details
BACCHUS A phase II Multicentre Open-label Randomised Study of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Bevacizumab in Patients with MRI defined High-Risk Cancer of the Rectum Recruiting Details
EXCITE Erbitux, Xeloda, Campto, Irradiation Then Excision for locally advanced rectal cancer (North West/North Wales Clinical Oncology Group-04 on behalf of the NCRI rectal cancer subgroup) In follow-up Details
ISAAC A randomised trial of Initial Surgery in Advanced Asymptomatic Colorectal Cancer Patients receiving chemotherapy for metastatic disease In follow-up Details
PANtHER AZD8931, an EGFR inhibitor, in combination with FOLFIRI: A Phase I/II study to determine the importance of schedule and activity in colorectal cancer In set-up Details
Streamline C Streamlining Staging of Colorectal Cancer with Whole Body MRI Recruiting Details
TACE A phase II/III randomised, controlled trial of Trans-Arterial ChemoEmbolisation vs embolisation alone in non-resectable hepatocellular carcinoma. In follow-up Details
VIBRaNT VIBRaNT In set-up Details
XERXES eXamining the role of early neoadjuvant and synchronous Erbitux in preoperative chemo-Radiotherapy using Xeloda followed by Excisional Surgery. In follow-up Details