Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is collaborating with academics worldwide to change the lives of head and neck cancer survivors in the world’s largest head and neck clinical trial, called PATHOS.
The ground-breaking PATHOS trial looks at cancers of the head and neck, the eighth most common cancer in the UK. More specifically, the trial looks at cancers of the tonsils and back of the tongue caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a virus that also causes cervical cancer in women.
Rates of head and neck cancer in Liverpool are reported to be up to three times higher than the rest of the country, with the condition more common in men, especially those aged 50 and above.
A common treatment plan for this type of cancer includes surgery, followed by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, often leaving survivors with life-long side effects such as dry mouth and difficulty swallowing.
PATHOS aims to investigate whether reducing the amount of radiotherapy or removing chemotherapy has the same life-saving effects of previous treatments but with fewer long-term side effects on swallowing.
Gordan Nash, 62, a building engineer from Merseyside, enjoyed an active lifestyle of scuba diving and swimming before being diagnosed with HPV positive throat cancer after finding a lump in his neck when shaving.
After hearing about PATHOS from his clinical team, Gordon decided to take part in the PATHOS study as part of his ongoing treatment.
Gordon said: “For me, participating in the PATHOS trial was a very positive experience. I was fortunate that, following the initial investigative surgery and scans, my consultant advised me that treatment would likely mean I would be cured of my throat cancer.
“He also said that I could take part in the PATHOS research study as part of my ongoing care. This came as a huge relief - I don’t think I have ever experienced such a release of emotion and I was able to go into the trial with a positive attitude.
“The trial involved tests and monitoring carried out by the wonderfully caring and supportive head and neck research team and support from the incredible clinical professionals at the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre.
“I would like to thank the amazing NHS team that has helped me get back to enjoying life with my wife, playing guitars and going back to the gym. I would like to urge others to take part in clinical research if it is offered to you.”
The PATHOS trial is now recruiting in the UK, France, Germany, Australia and the United States and to date, is the largest head and neck clinical trial ever run worldwide, having now recruited over 1,200 patients.
The trial is funded by the ‘Stand Up To Cancer’ campaign for Cancer Research UK. It is co-sponsored by Velindre University NHS Trust and Cardiff University and coordinated by the Wales Centre for Trials Research.
Professor Terry Jones, Co-Chief Investigator on the PATHOS study, Director, Liverpool Head and Neck Centre at LUHFT and Professor of Head and Neck Surgery, University of Liverpool, said: “Although the survival rates of this type of cancer are high, incidence of HPV positive head and neck cancer has been rising exponentially in developed countries over the last few decades to the extent that this is now an important priority for healthcare providers worldwide.
“Patients developing HPV associated head and neck cancer are typically young and fit and, as they are likely to be cured, they have longer to live with any treatment-related side effects impacting on their and their family’s quality of life.
“Working with my colleague, Professor Mererid Evans, a Clinical Oncologist, based at Cardiff University and Velindre Cancer Centre, we have designed a trial very much considering the wish of patients, who desperately wanted treatments that maintained current survival rates whilst reducing long-term side effects.
“The PATHOS study hopes to reduce post-surgery radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, resulting in better swallowing function, amongst other benefits. It will improve and standardise the treatment of this cancer, giving patients a better quality of life after treatment and will likely change the management of this cancer in many centres worldwide.”
Clinicians at the Liverpool Head and Neck centre have pioneered the use of minimally invasive surgery to treat head and neck cancers and are now going one step further to look at life after treatment.
PATHOS is anticipated to complete in October 2024, with the results being available three years later.
Anyone with concerns about head and neck cancer should contact their GP as soon as possible.