Cardiff and Vale University Health Board-led study awarded £1.8m in funding

A study led by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB) has been awarded more than £1.8m by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to explore potential treatments for patients living with Low Anterior Resection Syndrome.

The research project will explore The Pathway of Low Anterior Resection Syndrome Relief After Surgery (POLARiS) and assess which treatments are most effective for treating or managing Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS). It also aims to establish how prevalent LARS is across the UK.

LARS is a common condition affecting up to three in five patients who have had part of their bowel removed due to rectal cancer. Symptoms include incontinence of stool, urgency and frequency of bowel movements and incomplete evacuation resulting is a significant impact on quality of life.

The POLARiS study will be led by Mrs Julie Cornish of Cardiff and Vale UHB in collaboration with Cedar and the University of Leeds. Preliminary work is already underway in association with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which is funded by Bowel Research UK.

Mrs Cornish is a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon and research lead for the Surgery Clinical Board. This latest project will build on her previous research in the field of Low Anterior Resection Syndrome, which has established her as a leading international figure in the condition.

Mrs Cornish said: “Unfortunately, LARS can have a huge impact on quality of life. Some people with LARS will become isolated while others will be forced to plan their everyday lives around their symptoms.

“This study will allow us to learn so much about LARS, like which symptoms bother patients the most and how they change over time. Of course, we will also be looking at which treatments are effective in managing symptoms, which has the potential to make a difference to patients in the UK and across the globe.”

POLARiS will assess the effectiveness of sacral neuromodulation and transanal irrigation compared to a tailored programme of conservative management for LARS.

The prestigious NIHR award will see 1,500 patients from across the UK take part in the study. Matched funding from Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) will be used to conduct a parallel study in Australia, recruiting an additional 500 patients.