A trial looking at the genetic causes of brain tumours - National Brain Tumour (NBT) Study

This study is looking at blood samples to find out more about the genetic causes of brain tumours.

There are several risk factors associated with developing brain tumours. There are some inherited conditions that are known to increase risk but these are very rare. Doctors want to look for more faulty genes that may increase the risk of brain tumours, and may be slightly more common. In the future, this may mean we can find brain tumours earlier, and develop new treatments.

In this study, doctors will be collecting blood samples from people with brain tumours and from people who have not had a brain tumour. The people who haven't had a brain tumour are called the control group.

Please note you won't get any direct benefit from taking part in this study. But it will help to find out more about the genetic causes of brain tumours.

Recruitment

Start 01/04/2007

End 01/04/2015

Phase

Other

Who can enter

You can enter this study if you

Have been diagnosed with a type of brain tumour called a glioma in the last 3 years
Were between 18 and 80 years of age at the time you were diagnosed

You cannot enter this study if you have had a tumour in your brain or spinal cord (your central nervous system) in the past.

Or you can join the control group if you

Are not a blood relative or spouse of somebody who has a brain tumour
Are between 18 and 80 years old

You cannot join the control group if you have ever had a tumour in your central nervous system.

Trial design

This study will recruit about 5,000 people. If you are eligible to take part, and your hospital is involved in the study, your doctor will ask if you would like to join. You can also volunteer to take part if your hospital is not involved in the study.

If you agree to take part, your doctor will give you a questionnaire to fill in. This will ask about your family history, including which family members have had cancer, and information about your medical history and any radiation exposure. You will also need to give blood samples. You can do this at the hospital, or at your GP surgery.

If you have a brain tumour, the research team will ask your permission to look at your medical notes to get more information about your diagnosis and treatment. They may also ask if they can send a letter to any family members who have had brain tumours, asking them to take part in the study.

Hospital visits

The research team will give you a questionnaire which you can fill in at home or at the hospital, and send back to them. You will have to go either to your GP or to the hospital to have a blood sample taken. Other than that, you will not have to make any extra trips to the hospital as a result of taking part in this study.