Barrett’s oesophagus gene study (formerly known as the Sibling Pair Study)

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Who is doing the research?
What is the research about?
Can I take part?
What would I have to do?
What should I do if I am interested in taking part?

If you have Barrett's oesophagus (or know someone who has) then this is an exciting opportunity for you to contribute to some innovative research which may help other sufferers in the future.

Who is doing the research?

This is being undertaken at the Hutchison/MRC Research Centre in Cambridge in conjunction with the UK Barrett's Oesophagus Registry based at the Royal Free Hospital in London. The project is being led by Dr Rebecca Fitzgerald and is co-ordinated by Research Nurse Irene Debiram and administrative assistant Adrienne Pate. The research is funded by the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR).

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What is the research about?

The research hopes to identify the importance of inherited (genetic) and lifestyle (environmental) factors in the development of heartburn and Barrett's oesophagus. We hope that this research will:

increase our understanding of the causes of these diseases
provide a better understanding of the risk to other family members if one individual has the disease
allow for the development of better cancer screening strategies

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Can I take part?

Yes, if you have a diagnosis of Barrett’s oesophagus. We will ask your permission to contact other family members but it doesn’t matter if they do not have Barrett’s oesophagus or heartburn.

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What would I have to do?

Sign a consent form agreeing to take part and giving us permission to look at your hospital notes
Complete a simple questionnaire which will be used to analyse lifestyle factors
Give a small blood sample (about four teaspoons) at your GP surgery which will be used for genetic analysis

All of the information provided will remain strictly anonymous.

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What should I do if I am interested in taking part?

The more people who can contribute, the better our chances of making progress with research!

If you are interested then please contact:

Irene Debiram (Research Nurse)
Hutchison/MRC Research Centre
Hill's Road
Cambridge
CB2 2XZ

Direct line: (01223) 763994
Email: id213@cam.ac.uk

Irene will be happy to give you more information about participating in the study.

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