From April 2023 to March 2024, the Trust facilitated ground-breaking research, enrolling 25,695 participants across 760 active studies, with an additional 22,113 participants engaged in National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) portfolio studies.
One of the many success stories is Brenda Wallis, an 81-year-old Sheffield resident whose life was significantly changed after taking part in a clinical trial. Brenda was diagnosed with kidney tumours in both kidneys. She received two innovative treatments under Professor Tze Min Wah, a Professor of Interventional Radiology at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
In January 2024, Brenda underwent image-guided cryoablation for her right kidney tumour, a minimally invasive procedure utilising extreme cold to precisely target and destroy abnormal tissue. This was followed by a second treatment in March 2024, where Brenda received histotripsy treatment using the Edison system by HistoSonics as part of the global first CAIN trial. Histotripsy is a cutting-edge non-invasive, non-invasive treatment that uses therapeutic-focused ultrasound to eradicate tumours without the need for invasive incisions or needles, leading to faster patient recovery times.
“I was referred to Professor Wah last October, and it has been wonderful—wonderful treatment, wonderful people, and very confident in what’s happening. I thought for once in my life, I am at the right place and time with extraordinarily good people. I am very thankful I was referred to Leeds Teaching Hospitals and had the initial treatment. I am happy with the treatment, and hopefully, once I have had the follow-up monitoring as part of the trial, I will be fit and healthy and be able to get on with the rest of my life, which I intend to enjoy”.
Brenda Wallis
Jennifer Perrin’s participation in the Yorkshire Kidney Screening Trial (YKST) is another success story of the positive impacts of clinical trials. The YKST, which is a charity research project funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, aims to investigate whether introducing an extra scan for kidney cancer to mobile lung screening programmes is feasible.
Jennifer attended a lung health check in Leeds and was subsequently offered a kidney screening as part of the YKST. The screening results revealed the presence of tumours on her kidney, which led to her referral to Professor Tze Min Wah. Under Professor Wah’s care, Jennifer underwent the innovative Histotripsy treatment using the Edison system.
“After the treatment I received at the hospital, I returned to my normal activities. I enjoy line dancing and gardening. The team were excellent and very efficient. Some advice I will consider giving to anyone who wants to take part in the clinical trial is yes, have it done. For me, it was not a problem at all”.
Jennifer Perrin
“The use of the histotripsy treatment is deemed a “Star Wars Era” technology because it ventures into an environment that was previously thought to be impossible. The future looks promising; this is just the tip of the iceberg. As the study lead in the UK, I am privileged to lead the global first clinical translation of this innovative technology and pave the way of evidence for the global population. I would like to thank the amazing team that I work with that have supported me to deliver the successful and safe translation of this technology to our patients”.
Professor Tze Min Wah, Professor of Interventional Radiology, at the St James University Hospital
The CAIN Trial is open for patient recruitment until the end of 2024. Adult patients who meet the inclusion criteria and are interested in taking part can contact the trial team [email protected] or [email protected].