SYMPLIFY – assessing a multi-cancer early detection test in individuals referred with signs and symptoms of cancer

ISRCTN ISRCTN10226380
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN10226380
IRAS number 299310
Secondary identifying numbers OCTO_105, IRAS 299310, CPMS 49672
Submission date
24/06/2021
Registration date
13/08/2021
Last edited
17/10/2024
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Cancer
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English Summary

Background and study aims
Cancer is easier to treat if it is diagnosed early. The NHS has developed rapid referral pathways to allow cancers to be diagnosed earlier, but this requires us to run tests on a lot more people than turn out to have cancers. This creates worry for some people, may not be the most efficient use of NHS resources, a significant proportion of cancers are diagnosed via other routes, often when it is too late to cure them.
We know that the DNA from cancers can be detected in the blood early on and want to use this fact to detect cancers earlier than existing pathways. In this study we want to check the performance of one such multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test.

Who can participate?
People sent to one of 5 rapid referral pathways by their GP because they have symptoms that might be due to cancer.

What does the study involve?
People taking part in the study will have their diagnostic test(s) in the normal way, but will also give a blood sample and permission for us to check their health records later to see if they were diagnosed with cancer and what appointments and other tests they had.
At the end of the study, having tested the blood with the MCED test, we will understand more about how well it works in this group of people, and expect that this will help us to design another trial where we check how to use the test to decide who needs rapid referral to look for a possible cancer and what tests to use following a positive MCED result.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
If someone participates, they will be contributing to important research into how to detect cancer early. This may benefit people in the future. If the GalleriTM test turns out to detect cancer early, we may be able to treat more cancers more successfully
We will do everything we can to make sure participants in this study don’t experience any harm. They will need to give a blood sample. Although this process is generally safe, they may experience discomfort or light-headedness, and there is a small risk of infection. If blood needs to be taken as part of their hospital care, the research blood sample will be taken at the same time.

Where is the study run from?
University of Oxford (UK)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
February 2021 to November 2022

Who is funding the study?
Grail Bio UK Ltd

Who is the main contact?
Sarah Pearson, octo-symplify@oncology.ox.ac.uk

Study website

Contact information

Mrs Sarah Pearson
Public

OCTO, Dept of Oncology
University of Oxford
Old Road Campus Research Building
Old Road Campus
Roosevelt Drive
Oxford
OX3 7DQ
United Kingdom

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0001-5386-1953
Phone +44 (0)1865 227170
Email octo-symplify@oncology.ox.ac.uk

Study information

Study designProspective observational multi-centre cohort
Primary study designObservational
Secondary study designCohort study
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeDiagnostic
Participant information sheet Not available in web format. Please use contact details to request a participant information sheet
Scientific titleSYMPLIFY – Observational study to assess a multi-cancer early detection test in individuals referred with signs and symptoms of cancer
Study acronymSYMPLIFY
Study hypothesisTo evaluate the performance of a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test for the detection of invasive cancer and the identification of cancer signal origin
Ethics approval(s)Approved 22/06/2021, London Central REC (Barlow House, 3rd Floor, 4 Minshull Street, Manchester, M1 3DZ, UK; +44 (0)207 104 8225; londoncentral.rec@hra.nhs.uk), ref: 21/LO/0456)
ConditionEarly detection of cancer
InterventionParticipants will be asked to give consent and provide a single blood sample during one visit to hospital. After that the participants have no further direct involvement, all follow-up is through collection of data. We collect data on participants at 3 and 12 months from registration into the study to find out whether or not they had a diagnosis of cancer. (We will also do a check at 9 months to collect any data that was not available at the 3 month timepoint).
Intervention typeOther
Primary outcome measureAt an interim analysis within 3 months of complete enrolment with complete analysis at 12 months of enrolment, measured by comparing blood sample analysis and patient notes:
1. Positive Predictive Value
2. Negative Predictive Value
3. Sensitivity
4. Specificity
5. Cancer signal origin accuracy
Secondary outcome measuresAt an interim analysis within 3 months of complete enrolment with complete analysis at 12 months of enrolment, measured by comparing blood sample analysis and patient notes:
1. Concordance between referral pathway selected by GP and CSOs identified by MCED
2. Number of true positives/number of patients referred within each referral pathway
Overall study start date01/02/2021
Overall study end date30/11/2022

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participants6,000
Total final enrolment6238
Participant inclusion criteria1. Participants referred to an RDC or relevant 2WW pathway to rule a cancer diagnosis in or out will be invited to participate in the study.
2. Willing and able to give informed consent for participation in the study.
3. Male or Female, aged 18 years or above.
4. Referred to a RDC or a gynae, lung, upper GI or lower GI cancer 2WW pathway.
Participant exclusion criteria1. Has a history of invasive or haematological malignancy diagnosed within the previous 3 years.
2. Has undergone definitive treatment for invasive or haematological malignancy in the last 3 years (adjuvant hormone therapy is permissible in this context).
3. Is taking cytotoxic or demethylating agents such as methotrexate.
4. Previous or current participation in another GRAIL study. “Participation” is defined as having signed consent and provided a blood sample.
Recruitment start date05/07/2021
Recruitment end date30/11/2021

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • England
  • United Kingdom
  • Wales

Study participating centres

Southampton General Hospital
University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Tremona Road
Southampton
SO16 6YD
United Kingdom
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
Mandeville Road
Aylesbury
HP21 8AL
United Kingdom
Churchill Hospital
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Old Road
Headington
Oxford
OX3 7LE
United Kingdom
Royal Berkshire Hospital
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
London Road
Reading
RG1 5AN
United Kingdom
Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Nethermayne
Basildon
SS16 5NL
United Kingdom
Torbay & South Devon Foundation Trust
Torquay
TQ2 7AA
United Kingdom
Royal Cornwall Hospital
Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust
Truro
TR1 3HD
United Kingdom
Royal Free Hospital
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Pond Street
London
NW3 2QG
United Kingdom
University College London Hospital
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
250 Euston Road
London
NW1 2PG
United Kingdom
North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
London
N18 1QX
United Kingdom
York Hospital
York & Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
York
YO31 8HE
United Kingdom
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Hull
HU16 5JQ
United Kingdom
Wales - multiple hospitals under one lead site (Velindre NHS Trust)
Cardiff
CF14 2TL
United Kingdom
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Chelsea & Westminster Hospital
369 Fulham Road
London
SW10 9NH
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

University of Oxford
University/education

Clinical Trial and Research Governance Team
Joint Research Office
1st floor, Boundary Brook House
Churchill Drive
Headington
Oxford
OX3 7GB
England
United Kingdom

Phone +44 (0)1865 616480
Email ctrg@admin.ox.ac.uk
Website http://www.ox.ac.uk/
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/052gg0110

Funders

Funder type

Industry

Grail Bio UK Ltd

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date30/06/2023
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryData sharing statement to be made available at a later date
Publication and dissemination planPlanned publication in high-impact peer reviewed journal.
IPD sharing planThe current data sharing plans for this study are unknown and will be available at a later date

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Results article 20/06/2023 26/06/2023 Yes No
HRA research summary 28/06/2023 No No
Other publications A comparison of cancer data obtained on-site during SYMPLIFY with data from English and Welsh national cancer registries 09/10/2024 17/10/2024 Yes No

Editorial Notes

17/10/2024: Publication reference added.
26/06/2023: Publication reference added.
20/04/2023: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been added to the trial participating centres.
27/09/2022: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The recruitment end date was changed from 30/09/2021 to 30/11/2021.
2. The overall end date was changed from 30/09/2022 to 30/11/2022.
3. The total final enrolment was added.
4. The plain English summary was updated to reflect these changes.
07/09/2021: Internal review.
09/07/2021: Trial's existence confirmed by London Central REC.