Could you help clinical trial learn more about rare condition's potential link to cancer?

The study, called SECURE, will last for five years and help find out the rate at which patients with a rare protein contract a type of blood cancer – one which affects more than 5,000 people a year in the UK.

Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS) is a non-cancerous, pre-malignant condition where the body makes an abnormal protein, paraprotein. The rare blood cancer is Multiple Myeloma (MM).

MGUS is more common in people over 40, who are black, male and have a close family member with it.

It does not usually cause any symptoms – but a small number of people with it have problems with balance, or numbness or tingling in their hands and feet. Doctors do not know why some people with MGUS develop a cancer while others are unaffected.

Each year, about one out of 100 people with MGUS develop a related cancer, such as myeloma or lymphoma. Most people with it never develop a related cancer and do not need treatment.

SECURE – which is open to over-18s – aims to gather information and also study any genetic signals which might identify why some people get it and some do not.

Professor Supratik Basu, haematology consultant at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT), said: "We hope this project will answer many unknown and unexplained facts about this often found – yet under researched – condition within our population demography.

The monitoring and its relationship with other patient co-morbidities and its psychological impact on patients after diagnosis are mostly unknown."

Participants are asked to supply an annual blood test which is sent to Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) – which developed the study – and fill in a Quality of Life questionnaire.

Patient Lorraine Tidmarsh, 71, from Wednesfield, was diagnosed with MGUS a year ago and has been recommended to take part in the trial. She had her bloods taken at New Cross Hospital and these will be analysed at OUH.

Lorraine, who runs her own contact cleaning business, said: "I’m involved because I think it’s important to gain more knowledge about this condition, and if it’s going to help more people then I'm all for it."

Anyone wanting to join the study, which is open until December 15, 2025, can email Jackie Stones, advanced nurse specialist in haematology at RWT, at jacqueline.stones1@nhs.net