Global study investigates glioblastoma 'super survivors'

2 min read

It’s been announced that Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge will take a leading role in the ROSALIND study, a major research project aimed at understanding why some cancer patients survive longer than others. Approved by the NHS Health Research Authority (HRA), this study is already underway in Europe and is now expanding to the UK.

Supported by eight other UK oncology institutions, the ROSALIND study aims to uncover the biological factors behind exceptional cancer survival rates. The focus will be on three aggressive cancer types: glioblastoma, extensive stage small cell lung cancer, and metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Researchers will collect tumour samples from more than 1,000 patients who are among the top 3% in terms of cancer survival – known as super-survivors – and compare them with patients who had standard survival times. These samples will be analysed by Cure51, a leading French TechBio company, to identify new therapeutic targets that could lead to transformative treatments.

Dr Thankamma Ajithkumar, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Addenbrooke’s and Chief Investigator for the UK arm of the study, said: "With nearly 400,000 new cancer diagnoses annually in the UK, understanding why some patients achieve remarkable survival is critical.

“Patients who appear superficially similar in terms of their age and health, and the type and stage of their cancer, can have remarkably different responses to the same treatment.

“The ROSALIND study represents a promising new approach to investigating the biology of cancer survivors, aiming to uncover insights that could improve outcomes for all patients."

Dr Karen Noble, our Director of Research, Policy and Innovation, said: “In the UK, glioblastoma patients have a median survival of just under 12 months; understanding why some patients exceed this and have a remarkable survival is incredibly important. The ROSALIND study represents an interesting new approach to investigating the biology of cancer survivors, aiming to uncover insights that could improve outcomes for all patients. We will be following its outputs closely.”

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Published Monday 3ʳᵈ February 2025.

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