Peter Mac's Professor Trevor Leong has been awarded the inaugural NHMRC David Cooper Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Award for his work leading an international gastric cancer trial.

The award was presented at the NHMRC Research Excellence Awards ceremony held in Canberra overnight.

The TOPGEAR Phase III clinical trial is trying to answer one of the most important questions in gastrointestinal oncology.

"We want to determine what is the best combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery to improve cure rates for patients with gastric cancer," Professor Leong says.

"And clinicians across the world are eagerly awaiting our results."

Gastric cancer – which occurs when cancerous cells form in the lining of the stomach – is the second most common cause of cancer-related death globally.

In Australia, 2,000 people are diagnosed with gastric cancer each year. Worldwide it's estimated to be one million people diagnosed annually.

For decades, surgery was the only option available to cure patients with operable gastric cancer. However, five-year survival rates following surgery alone were dismal.

In the early 2000s, chemotherapy and radiotherapy were added to surgery, improving patient cure rates.

Currently, there are two global standards of care for patients undergoing surgery for gastric cancer: one that uses chemotherapy alone, and one that uses both chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

But oncologists are divided as to which approach is the most effective – hence the significance of a large randomised clinical trial like TOPGEAR.

Led by the Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group (AGITG), of which Professor Leong is a Director, TOPGEAR began recruiting patients in Australia in 2009 before opening to international patients in 2013.

It reached its target of 570 patients successfully enrolled in May 2021.

 

The trial has established over 70 sites in Europe, North America, New Zealand and Australia in 15 different countries, including collaborations with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and the Canadian Cancer Trials Group.

"These collaborations have propelled TOPGEAR to international recognition and will allow this Australian-led trial to set the standard of care and improve treatment outcomes globally," Professor Leong says.

"Even before the trial results become available, TOPGEAR has already provided benefits for patients with gastric cancer by fostering multidisciplinary management, and raising standards for the delivery of surgery and radiation therapy."

The latest NHMRC grant TOPGEAR received is the third the trial has been awarded, and reflects that it is truly interdisciplinary and international and its outcomes will be of global significance, says Professor Leong.

The NHMRC David Cooper Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Award – previously the NHMRC Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Award – has been renamed to honour the achievements of the late Australian HIV/AIDS clinical research Professor David Cooper AC.

This award recognises Professor Leong as the highest ranked recipient in the Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies Grant scheme.