News – May 2006

MRC SUPREMO Trial opening for accrual Wednesday 7th June 2006

MRC SUPREMO (BIG 2-04, EORTC 22051_10052) will open for accrual on 7th June 2006.  Currently over 65 sites in the UK have applied for Site Specific Assessment and over 30 have now obtained their SSA approval.  Before a centre can enter patients, the ISD Coordinating Trials Unit needs to receive a copy of R&D approval, a signed contract (joint statement), the authorised signatory log and completed Principal Investigator questionnaire and confirmation that the radiotherapy QA initial form and dummy run have been completed.  The trial coordinators will help in any way they can to complete the set-up process as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Staff in The EORTC Central office have agreed their Group Specific Appendix  to the protocol and once this has been approved it is hoped accrual can open for EORTC centres shortly.

The first newsletter has been circulated to collaborators in the UK (UK Newsletter No. 1 May 2006) and abroad  (International newsletter No. 1 May 2006).

A generic slide set (Powerpoint file), outlining the main trial, the sub-studies and radiotherapy QA programme, and trial administration procedures,  has been created, to help promote the trial and has been emailed to all interested investigators to use when discussing the trial in their local hospital, area or network. If you have not received this and would like a copy please contact us at supremo@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk.

Dr Ian Kunkler and Dr Peter Canney, the trial Chief Investigators, and the trial coordinators look forward to a successful collaboration with all UK colleagues and all the BIG trial groups who have expressed their support and interest in the MRC SUPREMO trial.