Clinical trial · Observational
Adipocytokines in Endometrial Cancer
Adipocytokines and Their Relationship to Obesity and Endometrial Cancer
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
The number of women diagnosed with uterine cancer continues to rise each year. Since the early 1990s, there has been almost 55% rise in the United Kingdom (UK). 34% of endometrial cancer can be attributed to obesity. In the obese state, the function of adipose tissue deteriorates resulting in a state of chronic inflammation. Adipocytokine-related signalling pathways promote cancer development by causing inflammation, cell proliferation, DNA damage and by inhibiting apoptosis. The investigators postulate that adipocytokines levels are significantly different in uterine cancer patients of different weight categories and different grade/stage/ type of tumour. Any woman attending the hospital with endometrial cancer and receiving treatment here will be invited to participate in the study. Consent will be sought to obtain 30mls (2 1/2 tablespoons) of venous blood at the time of surgery, on day 1 post-surgery and 3/6 months post-surgery during routine follow-up to check biomarker (adiponectin, leptin, tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, Insulin-like growth factors 1 and 2) levels to see if the markers can be used to assess response to treatment. The investigators will also get consent to collect tissue - adipose tissue (after surgery) and uterine cancer tissue and lymph nodes (after histo-pathological evaluation) to assess for biomarkers. The investigators will also obtain blood samples from patients undergoing chemotherapy for advanced stage endometrial. All tissues procured will be anonymised and analysed at the oncology laboratory, Leggett building, University of Surrey and later correlated with patients' medical data as well as with tumour grade, stage and type. The investigators will also use archival tissue blocks stored at the same laboratory for analysis (previously consented for use in research). These are anonymised tissue and there is no link to patients' data. The aim would be to ultimately find immuno-stimulatory/ suppressive biomarkers in order to develop novel diagnostic/ prognostic tools.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Endometrial Cancer | Malignant Endometrial Neoplasm | CURATED_BROADER | 0.80 |
| Obesity | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood and tissue sample collection from patients | Diagnostic Test | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- label
- Study - Patients with endometrial cancer
- description
- Potential participants will be identified in the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation trust - either seen here or referred here and receiving her treatment here for diagnosed endometrial cancer. Patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer will be identified through the Gynaecological Oncology Multi-Disciplinary Team meeting or by the Gynaecological Oncology or Medical Oncology teams. Blood sample will be collected on the day of the surgery when they are in the theatres and then repeated on day 1 post-operative in gynaecology ward and at 3/6 months post-surgery follow-up in clinic. For the women undergoing chemotherapy, blood sample will be procured prior to commencing chemotherapy and after 3rd (with the blood test before the fourth cycle of chemotherapy) and 6th cycles of chemotherapy.
- interventionNames
- Diagnostic Test: Blood and tissue sample collection from patients
- label
- Control - patients without endometrial cancer, with benign gynaecological issues
- description
- Female patients being referred to Royal Surrey NHS foundation Trust for benign conditions (specifically not endometrial cancer) will be invited to participate as the control population.
- interventionNames
- Diagnostic Test: Blood and tissue sample collection from patients
Primary outcomes (7)
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- Female
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Women diagnosed with endometrial cancer 2. Age 18 or above 3. Of sound mind so they can give informed consent 4. Historical tissue sample/ blocks from previous cases in the laboratory in the University of Surrey, also be used if appropriate consent is in place. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Under 18yrs age 2. Unable to give consent /denies consent
References
Publications (11)
- BACKGROUNDCancer Research UK Uterine Cancer Statistics http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/uterine-cancer/incidence#heading-One
- BACKGROUNDBrown KF, Rumgay H, Dunlop C, Ryan M, Quartly F, Cox A, Deas A, Elliss-Brookes L, Gavin A, Hounsome L, Huws D, Ormiston-Smith N, Shelton J, White C, Parkin DM. The fraction of cancer attributable to modifiable risk factors in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the United Kingdom in 2015. Br J Cancer. 2018 Apr;118(8):1130-1141. doi: 10.1038/s41416-018-0029-6. Epub 2018 Mar 23. PMID 29567982
- BACKGROUNDKyrgiou M, Kalliala I, Markozannes G, Gunter MJ, Paraskevaidis E, Gabra H, Martin-Hirsch P, Tsilidis KK. Adiposity and cancer at major anatomical sites: umbrella review of the literature. BMJ. 2017 Feb 28;356:j477. doi: 10.1136/bmj.j477. PMID 28246088
- BACKGROUNDLuhn P, Dallal CM, Weiss JM, Black A, Huang WY, Lacey JV Jr, Hayes RB, Stanczyk FZ, Wentzensen N, Brinton LA. Circulating adipokine levels and endometrial cancer risk in the prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer screening trial. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2013 Jul;22(7):1304-12. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-13-0258. Epub 2013 May 21. PMID 23696194
- BACKGROUNDNieman KM, Kenny HA, Penicka CV, Ladanyi A, Buell-Gutbrod R, Zillhardt MR, Romero IL, Carey MS, Mills GB, Hotamisligil GS, Yamada SD, Peter ME, Gwin K, Lengyel E. Adipocytes promote ovarian cancer metastasis and provide energy for rapid tumor growth. Nat Med. 2011 Oct 30;17(11):1498-503. doi: 10.1038/nm.2492. PMID 22037646
- BACKGROUNDCarbone F, La Rocca C, Matarese G. Immunological functions of leptin and adiponectin. Biochimie. 2012 Oct;94(10):2082-8. doi: 10.1016/j.biochi.2012.05.018. Epub 2012 Jun 26. PMID 22750129
- BACKGROUNDShacter E, Weitzman SA. Chronic inflammation and cancer. Oncology (Williston Park). 2002 Feb;16(2):217-26, 229; discussion 230-2.