Kari Tikkinen, Professor of Urology at the University of Helsinki, shared on LinkedIn:
“After years of careful preparation, regulatoryvand ethics approvals, our ACB trial has now successfully recruited first patients at Helsinki University Hospital.
Patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) face a substantial risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) during neoadjuvant treatment. Anticoagulation may prevent blood clots but can also cause bleeding. We need reliable randomized evidence to understand the balance of benefits and harms.
ACB will randomize 516 patients to apixaban or no pharmacological thromboprophylaxis, assessing both VTE and major bleeding. Recruitment has started in Helsinki, and we are preparing to expand to other Finnish hospitals, Nordic countries, UK, USA, Hong Kong, Lebanon and new potential partners.
Many thanks to our international leads and collaborators: Sanna Hallamies, Anders Ullén, Andreas Carus, Erik Skaaheim Haug, Sigurdur Gudjonsson, Syed Hussain and Jim Catto, Jeremy Teoh, Albert El Hajj, Adam Feldman.
Special thanks to Heidi Isohanni, Heikki Junkkari, Lauri Lavikainen, Alex Halme, kalle mattila, Timo Makkonen, Gordon Guyatt, Sameer Parpia, Maija (Kirsi-Maija) Kaukonen, Alex Q Liu, Peter Gross, Susanna Airaksinen and many other colleagues who have contributed over the years and will contribute in the future.
We are grateful for funding from HUS Helsingin yliopistollinen sairaala, Nordic Cancer Union, Sigrid Jusélius Stiftelse The Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, Syöpäsäätiö, Cancer Foundation Finland, and Päivikki ja Sakari Sohlbergin Säätiö as well as all our patient partners including HUS Experts by Experience, Suomen Syöpäpotilaat – Cancerpatienterna i Finland ry, Fight Bladder Cancer UK and Action Bladder Cancer UK.
Interested in joining ACB? Please get in touch!”
Other articles featuring Kari Tikkinen on OncoDaily.