NHMRC funding awarded for the VAPOR-C study
Professor Bernhard Riedel and co-investigators from Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, St Vincent's Hospital, Cleveland Clinic and University College Dublin, are launching a large, international, multicentre, randomised trial of inhalational volatile or intravenous propofol anaesthesia and intravenous lidocaine/placebo to improve disease free survival after surgery for colorectal cancer and lung cancer.
VAPOR-C is a comparative effectiveness trial, comparing approaches to perioperative care that are all in widespread clinical use nationally and internationally.
Funding has been provided by the NHMRC, $4.8 M over five years, with additional support provided by the VCCC.
Preliminary research suggests when compared with traditional inhalational anaesthesia the more recent alternative of Total Intravenous Anaesthesia using propofol (propofol-TIVA) may be associated with an improvement in both disease-free survival and overall survival.
As metastatic disease is the leading cause of death after cancer surgery, this study will have worldwide significance.
A collaboration of University investigators represents the depth and breadth of expertise in clinical trials, anaesthesia, surgery, critical care, biostatistics and health economics:
- Professor Bernhard Riedel (Oncoanaesthesia, PeterMac)
- Professor David Story (Anaesthesia and Critical Care)
- Professor Sandy Heriot (Surgery, PeterMac)
- Associate ​Professor Gavin Wright (Surgery, St Vincent's)
- Miss Sabine Braat (Biostatistics, MCATS)
- Dr An Tran-Duy (Health Economics, MCATS)
- Dr Jonathan Hiller (Oncoanaesthesia, PeterMac)
We are currently gauging interest from potential study sites.
For further information, contact Sam McKeown, Research Manager, Anaesthesia and Surgery, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre: Sam.McKeown@petermac.org