Progress Magazine | Spring/Summer 23

Pr gress

All about

The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity

An image of health

How your support helps patients benefit from the latest in cancer imaging

Magical machines

Saving lives with CyberKnife, thanks to you Why pharmacist Rob ran 26 miles in a tree costume

A new leaf

You help us do great things

Welcome to the latest issue of Progress, in which we take a look at the fantastic work of The Royal Marsden’s Department of Diagnostic Radiology. Here, the latest imaging technology – much of it funded by supporters of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity – is helping clinicians plan and deliver patients’ treatment.

Also, patient Alistair – treated with radiotherapy on a Charityfunded CyberKnife machine – shares his inspiring story.

Thanks to your generous support, the Oak Cancer Centre opens this summer. We meet some of the fundraisers who made it possible – like Royal Marsden pharmacist Rob, who ran a marathon dressed as an oak tree!

I hope you enjoy this issue.

March your own way this May

The Banham Marsden March will return on Sunday 14 May, with thousands of supporters walking five or 15 miles between the Chelsea and Sutton hospital sites to help raise vital funds for cancer patients.

But if you can’t join us in person, you can still take part in The Banham Marsden March at Home. Like the hundreds of supporters across the UK and abroad who have organised their own walks, you too can choose your own route and distance and explore the best of your local area alongside your loved ones.

There’s still time to sign up and get your free Banham Marsden March at Home fundraising kit, which has everything you need to help organise your walk and get your friends and family involved.

The Charity is proud to be working with Banham as title sponsor for The Banham Marsden March and The Banham Marsden March at Home in 2023. Since 2015, Banham’s support has been vital in helping us make the event such a success.

Sign up now at royalmarsden.org/march

Welcome to new Trustees

WE ARE PLEASED to welcome Andrew Fisher OBE and Roger Gray as new Trustees of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Antonia Dalmahoy, the Charity’s Managing Director, said: “Andrew and Roger bring with them a wealth of experience and expertise, which will be immensely valuable. I look forward to working alongside them to help The Royal Marsden continue to save and improve the lives of people affected by cancer.”

Antonia Dalmahoy Managing Director, The

Royal Marsden Cancer Charity

Last year’s Banham Marsden March was a huge success

On the cover: Shaira Farooq, Deputy Superintendent Radiographer. All photographs taken at The Royal Marsden were shot in accordance with infection control guidelines

Women get softies in more skin tones

Thanks to generous donations from our valued supporters, the Charity has funded the UK’s first range of ‘softies’ in a variety of skin tones, in partnership with clinicians from The Royal Marsden and lingerie and hosiery brand Nubian Skin. Softies are lightweight fabric prostheses that women with breast cancer often wear in their bra after a mastectomy. But a survey of 100 women of colour by Black Women Rising revealed that 74 per cent of those who use a softie, prosthetic breast or nipple weren’t offered one to match their skin tone.

Also in this issue

A winter wonder

The Ever After Garden, which featured a stunning display of more than 20,000 illuminated white roses, returned to central London in December.

Following these results and patient feedback, The Royal Marsden’s Natalie Johnson, Breast and Oncoplastic Surgeon, and Sarah Adomah, Lead Breast Clinical Nurse Specialist, helped to create a range of new, more inclusive softie covers.

Sarah said: “Ensuring that all breast cancer patients are given a softie that’s right for them is vital and we are so proud to have helped bridge this gap in care. We are extremely grateful to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity for supporting this project.”

Visitors to the remembrance garden in Grosvenor Square (below) were invited to dedicate a rose in memory of a loved one and donate to the Charity. The 2022 garden was the most successful to date, raising more than £200,000 to help improve the lives of cancer patients everywhere. All the dedication markers were collected to be chipped and composted once the garden closed, and the roses are carefully reused every year.

Visit

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“Having access to the most up-to-date equipment makes a great difference”

Natalie Johnson (left) and Sarah Adomah

“Thanks to CyberKnife, I’m not on any active treatment”

“Pioneering drug research can only continue with Charity support”

The importance of cancer imaging

Your support plays a crucial role in funding the latest imaging technology so The Royal Marsden can provide the best care to patients

Shaira Farooq, Deputy Superintendent Radiographer

Imaging is an essential part of cancer treatment and care. By carrying out scans on a patient, clinicians can make a diagnosis, assess how they’re responding to treatment and plan surgery or other therapies.

The Department of Diagnostic Radiology, which works across The Royal Marsden’s two hospital sites, provides different types of cancer imaging, including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray, mammography and ultrasound.

High-quality images

Funding from The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity ensures that patients have access to the latest imaging equipment.

For example, the Charity has funded a new mammography machine, which features curved

lines and rounded compression paddles to make sure patients are comfortable during breast scans, while still obtaining high-quality images.

New point-of-care ultrasound machines in the Medical Day Unit and Clinical Assessment Unit provide staff with improved images when performing guided vascularaccess procedures, such as inserting a patient’s cannula. This helps staff to carry out the procedure at the first attempt, reducing stress for the patient.

Shaira Farooq, Deputy Superintendent Radiographer,

works in the Charity-funded Reuben Foundation Imaging Centre in Chelsea. Alongside her team, she helps to carry out scans and assists with minimally invasive, image-guided medical treatments.

“It’s really important that we’re using the latest equipment so that we can offer fast and reliable treatment to our patients,” she says. “Support from the Charity helps make this possible. Having access to the most up-to-date equipment also makes a great difference to all the research that is taking place, helping to continue our efforts to discover new ways of treating cancer.”

On the move

Another piece of Charity-funded equipment used by radiology staff is the mobile image intensifier, which captures moving X-ray images of the inside of the body

An imaging centre

In 2015, the Reuben Foundation Imaging Centre was opened at the hospital’s Chelsea site, thanks to a generous donation by the Reuben Foundation and other supporters of the Charity. Equipped with two MRI scanners and two CT scanners, the centre ensures that The Royal Marsden can deliver high-quality imaging and develop new diagnostic methods.

Artificial intelligence

A rapidly growing area of imaging research is the use of artificial intelligence (AI). The Charityfunded AI Hub at The Royal Marsden, which is co-directed by Consultant Radiologists Professor Christina Messiou and Professor Dow-Mu Koh, brings together academic and clinical teams to develop AI tools that will help improve treatment for patients at The Royal Marsden and beyond.

Whole-body scans

Charity supporters have helped fund research into whole-body MRI scanning. This is particularly important for patients with myeloma, a blood cancer that originates in the bone marrow. This type of scan can detect cancer in the bone marrow before it has caused destruction to the outer bone, meaning a diagnosis can be made much earlier. This can help avoid bone damage and vastly improve patients’ quality of life.

“It’s really important that we’re using the latest equipment so that we can offer fast and reliable treatment”

Three ways cancer patients benefit from improved imaging – thanks to you

in real time. As well as providing excellent image quality, this device can be used in theatres as well as radiology, to assist with surgical procedures.

“The mobile image intensifier allows surgeons in Chelsea to visualise the urinary system and ensure that stents are placed in a ureter safely, helping to relieve symptoms of obstruction that can be caused by cancer,” says Shaira.

“It’s also used for inserting patients’ ports, which give long-term access to the bloodstream so that they can receive treatment. The machine offers constant, real-time imaging so that the port can be inserted accurately and comfortably.”

A huge difference

Aneta Gupta, 41, was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer last October. She’s receiving

chemotherapy and immunotherapy and has hugely benefited from having a treatment port fitted using a mobile image intensifier, as she has a severe phobia of needles.

“I used to be so anxious coming in for treatment,” she says. “Having the port has made a huge difference to my quality of life. Knowing that the equipment used during the port fitting was funded by the Charity makes me so grateful.”

Help us fund vital equipment

We need your help to fund the latest mobile image intensifier for our Sutton hospital site, which will produce enhanced images to ensure greater accuracy during surgical procedures, while using low X-ray doses.

Your gift will mean we can help The Royal Marsden offer the latest technology to more patients.

Shaira uses a mobile image intensifier

Dr Anna Minchom

We speak to the Clinical Scientist and Consultant Medical Oncologist – whose role is funded by the Charity – about her work developing drugs to treat lung cancer

cancer by helping it to recognise and attack cancer cells, and it can be very effective for a period of time.

However, in almost all cases, immunotherapy eventually stops working. I’m interested in drug combinations that could be used to reactivate a person’s immune system to continue fighting the cancer.

What other developments have you been involved in?

At the recent American Society of Clinical Oncology conference, I presented data from a trial on the effects of a new drug combination, which could benefit some patients with advanced lung cancer or other cancers.

Can you explain your role?

As well as working in The Royal Marsden’s Lung Unit, I’m also a Clinical Scientist in the Oak Foundation Drug Development Unit. I’m a principal investigator on early-phase drug trials, where the drugs we develop in the labs are tested on patients for the first time. It’s a crucial part of the process and can lead to transformative treatments for patients. What kind of drugs do you work on?

I focus on developing new drugs and drug combinations for treating lung cancer, mesothelioma – a cancer that mainly affects the lining of

the lungs – and other cancers of the chest. I’m really proud to work in this area and I’m very grateful to all those who donate to the Charity –your support makes my work possible.

Why is this research so important?

In recent years, we’ve seen a lot of advances in the treatment of lung cancer using immunotherapy drugs. Immunotherapy uses our immune system to fight

The study used two drugs to treat cancers that showed changes, or mutations, in the DNA of a protein called KRAS. These changes are found in one in four cancers and are notoriously difficult to target with drugs.

The treatment showed benefits in patients with a range of cancers, especially those with advanced nonsmall-cell lung cancer. Half of the lung cancer patients on the trial have not yet seen their disease get worse in six months – that’s about twice as long as the expected benefit of chemotherapy at such an advanced stage of disease. This was a small trial, but the results are really promising.

“I’m interested in drug combinations that could reactivate the immune system”

“CyberKnife is an incredible machine. It almost seems like magic”

Thanks to our generous supporters, more patients like Alastair are benefiting from precision radiotherapy delivered by two CyberKnife machines at The Royal Marsden

Alastair Lynn was just 29 when cancer struck. In November 2019, he was diagnosed with stage 4 testicular germ-cell cancer, which had spread to several other parts of his body.

“Within 24 hours of my diagnosis, I was at The Royal Marsden starting treatment,” he recalls. “I’ve since had around 230 infusions of chemotherapy, two brain operations, open abdomen surgery, an orchidectomy [removal of a testicle], stem cell transplants and CyberKnife radiotherapy to target the spread in my brain.”

Alastair Lynn is now in a monitoring phase and not on any active treatment

Now 32, Alastair believes that CyberKnife saved his life: “It’s an incredible machine – it almost seems like it’s magic. But it’s like that old adage: magic is just science we haven’t discovered yet.”

Radiotherapy pioneers

In 2011, The Royal Marsden became one of the first hospitals in London to install the CyberKnife robotic radiotherapy system, thanks to funding from The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. The state-of-the-art machine at the Chelsea hospital site has since been used to treat more than 3,800 patients.

And in 2020, the Charity funded a second CyberKnife, this time at The Royal Marsden in Sutton. Now, even more patients can benefit from precision radiotherapy, with more than 600 patients treated to date.

Helen Taylor, Lead CyberKnife Radiographer, says: “The Royal Marsden has one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the UK, delivering the very latest technology thanks to

radiotherapy with CyberKnife, it’s really transformed their treatment.”

With the Charity’s support, The Royal Marsden also uses CyberKnife technology in international research that aims to improve radiotherapy treatments across a range of cancers. One example is the PACE-C trial –funded by gifts in Wills left to the Charity – which is looking into whether prostate cancer can be cured in just five treatments.

Reassuring treatment

What is CyberKnife?

investment in two CyberKnife machines, which were both funded by the Charity.

“Standard radiotherapy can be quite demanding. But using CyberKnife means that patients can be spared numerous visits to hospital and will experience fewer side effects, allowing them to get back to their lives sooner. For those who can receive

As for Alastair, he now sees light at the end of the tunnel. “Thanks to CyberKnife, I’m now in a monitoring phase and not on any active treatment, which feels like a miracle,” he says.

“Having the CyberKnife treatment and knowing that it was only targeting the harmful areas in my head, and avoiding the healthy tissue, was very reassuring.”

CyberKnife is the first and only system to use a robotic arm to deliver radiotherapy with pinpoint accuracy. The radiation beam is focused with greater intensity and precision than standard types of radiotherapy. This means that less healthy tissue is damaged and fewer treatment sessions are needed, so patients can spend less time in hospital. The robotic arm moves around the patient and can be positioned at almost any angle, so it is ideal for treating hard-to-reach tumours such as brain, spine, lung, neck and prostate cancers.

Please visit royalmarsden.org/ cyberknife to donate so we can continue to invest in pioneering equipment

Helen Taylor, Lead CyberKnife Radiographer

“Using CyberKnife means that patients can be spared numerous visits to hospital”

Professor Rob Duncombe turned heads when he ran the TCS London Marathon last October in a rather unusual costume. The Royal Marsden’s Chief Pharmacist dressed as an eight-foot oak tree for the 26.2-mile run, raising a fantastic £4,500 for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Rob’s costume was inspired by raising money for the Charity’s Oak Cancer Centre appeal. Due to open to patients this summer, the Oak Cancer Centre will bring together researchers, clinicians and patients under one roof, ensuring The Royal Marsden can continue to innovate and advance treatments for cancer patients everywhere.

Rooting for Rob

Rob says: “When I was offered the chance to run the London Marathon for the Charity, I wanted to make it a special occasion and do something a bit different. The patients at the hospital inspire me so much – they endure far more in their cancer journey than I did running a marathon dressed as a tree.

“Over my career, I’ve had the privilege of seeing drugs developed at The Royal Marsden progress from early clinical trials to being used to treat patients. This incredible pioneering research can only continue through the support of the Charity.”

To challenge himself even further, Rob also tried to beat the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon in a tree costume (male), which stands at four hours, five minutes and six seconds.

Although he missed out on the record, completing the course in four hours and 40 minutes, Rob thoroughly enjoyed the unique experience of running in costume while being cheered on by a crowd of thousands.

“For me, the last mile was absolutely incredible,” he says. “The crowds were 10 or 12 people deep at times and everyone was shouting ‘tree, tree, tree’. The hardest thing was keeping hydrated – it was hot inside the costume. I had to take on water at almost every stop along the route.”

Branching out

Rob believes the Charity-funded Oak Cancer Centre will be an “amazing” building for both staff and patients. “The new pharmacy will transform the way my team manages outpatient prescriptions,” he says.

“We have a new automated dispensing robot for the pharmacy and this will be directly linked to the hospital’s new electronic patient record system, bringing a smoother process as well as enhancing the patient experience.”

Thank you for supporting our appeal

We’re so grateful to all the supporters who have raised funds for the Oak Cancer Centre – every penny counts

Thanks to your support, the Oak Cancer Centre will be opening in the summer. See royalmarsden.org/ appeal for more details

Julie Rose (above), who is being treated at The Royal Marsden for thyroid cancer, took part in our Walk 60 event to raise money for the new centre. She says: “The research that will take place in the Oak Cancer Centre will help patients – not just now, but in the future, too.”

Malcolm Pearce (above) was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019 and was treated at The Royal Marsden as part of a clinical trial. He’s now in remission and has since fundraised for the appeal. He says: “The Oak Cancer Centre will be a game changer.”

“The crowds were 10 or 12 people deep at times and everyone was shouting ‘tree, tree, tree’”

From the capital to the coast Mega marathons

Chris and Carolyn Osborne (below) raised £2,500 for the Charity by taking part in the London to Brighton Cycle Ride.

They were inspired to support the Charity after their daughter Alex was referred to The Royal Marsden for breast cancer treatment.

“Taking part in the London to Brighton Ride was a really great experience,” said Carolyn. “We got a lot out of it and it gave us a real sense of pride to be doing something so meaningful. We rode through the finish line together, which was such a special moment for us.

“The Royal Marsden has been absolutely brilliant and we’re so proud to have fundraised to support its work.”

Siblings Reece and Emilie ran a marathon each over their school summer holidays to support the Charity after their dad Mark began treatment at the hospital for stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Mark said: “Since my diagnosis, our children have been incredibly caring and have shown great resilience. Their instinctive response to their difficult situation has been remarkable.

“They insisted on doing something to raise money for cancer research and began running alongside my wife, completing around half a mile every morning. They showed great determination to keep on target.”

Reece and Emilie finished their incredible challenge

outside The Royal Marsden in Chelsea, cheered on by their family, friends and Charity staff. Their fundraising total stands at more than £62,000.

“The success of the fundraiser far exceeded our expectations –we’ve been overwhelmed by the support and generosity of our community,” added Mark.

Inspired? The next London to Brighton Cycle Ride takes place on 10 September 2023 – visit royalmarsden.org/londonbrighton-cycle to sign up

Emilie and Reece Ryan each ran a marathon over the summer

Over to you...

What you’ve been saying on social media

Shiona Ramage (@shobey12)

Back in the Malvern Hills today training for the @ultrachallenges IOW 106km on 29/30 April. It was another 4 seasons in 1 day but when it stopped raining views were stunning. We are taking on the challenge to raise funds for the amazing melanoma team at @royalmarsden who are undertaking life saving research to create innovative new treatments to save the lives of cancer patients. 6 weeks and counting.

Festive fundraising with style

Our longstanding partner Ralph Lauren held a Holiday Fundraiser at its flagship store at 1 New Bond Street in London in support of the Charity. Featuring live music from the Kingdom Choir and a raffle, the

festive evening gave people the chance to see The Ralph Lauren Giving Tree for Bond Street in aid of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Guests could also donate to the Charity and dedicate a personalised star ornament for the tree. Since 2019, Ralph Lauren has been fundraising towards its pledge to support the Ralph Lauren Research Wing in the Oak Cancer Centre, which will open its doors to patients in the summer.

GEORGI WELCH HAS taken part in the Charity’s Jog 40 Miles in January challenge twice, in memory of her late husband Craig, who was treated at The Royal Marsden for seven years. But while doing Jog 40 last year, Georgi noticed a change in her left breast and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Following treatment, she decided that she would take part again in 2023, dedicating each mile to someone she knows who has been affected by cancer. She’s now raised an incredible £2,100.

Hogsmill5 (@Hogsmill51)

We are delighted that donations from the #hogsmill5 2023 cake sale will be in aid of the @royalmarsden.

The Kingdom Choir provided the soundtrack for Ralph Lauren’s Holiday Fundraiser

Image courtesy of Ralph Lauren

We’re up and running!

The Royal Parks Half Marathon is a great way to support our work and see the splendour of London

Every autumn, thousands of runners – including supporters of the Charity – make their way through central London’s beautiful green spaces as they take on the Royal Parks Half Marathon.

Beginning at Hyde Park, the 13.1-mile route heads through Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens, passing world-famous landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Horse Guards Parade and the Royal Albert Hall.

One of last year’s runners was 42-year-old Klodjana Aliaj, who was diagnosed with stage 2B cervical cancer and referred to The Royal Marsden in 2020. She had daily radiotherapy and weekly chemotherapy under the care of Dr Alexandra Taylor and went on to have robotic

surgery under Ms Marielle Nobbenhuis – and her scans are now clear.

“All the staff at The Royal Marsden are so great,” Klodjana said. “They’re attentive, understanding, knowledgeable –they inspire your trust.”

For Klodjana, it was “an absolute pleasure” to take part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon last year to support the Charity. She and her friends raised more than £3,000.

“I’ve always been a runner,” she said. “I only stopped for a couple of years while I was having treatment.

“I ran alongside two of my friends and it was a glorious day. I really enjoyed every minute of it.”

Run for it!

Don’t live near London? Try one of these other half marathons...

Bournemouth Half Marathon

8 October

Manchester Half Marathon

15 October

Oxford Half Marathon

15 October

“All the staff at The Royal Marsden are so great – they inspire your trust”

Take a giant leap

Calling all daredevils! Join our Summer Skydive on 10 June –it’s a thrilling experience that raises vital funds for the Charity.

Louise Broadbelt, who is being treated at The Royal Marsden for cervical cancer, took on the daring feat, raising more than £7,000 for the Charity’s Oak Cancer Centre appeal last year.

She said: “I’d never normally have wanted to jump out of a plane as I’m scared of heights, but I wanted to do something positive for The Royal Marsden and to give something back for all the exceptional care I’ve been shown.

“When I read about the Oak Cancer Centre and what this will be doing to help patients, I knew I wanted my fundraising to help support this – it sounds like it will be an amazing place. I really want to continue

fundraising for the Charity and I’ve been thinking of what I can do next – I’ve got a few ideas already!”

Interested? Find out more at royalmarsden.org/ summerskydive

Every gift matters

Michael Ryley’s late partner Pip (both pictured, right) was treated at The Royal Marsden for stage 4 lung cancer. Pip left a gift in her Will to the Charity, which inspired Michael to do so, too.

“Pip was keen for the money she left to the Charity to help fund research,” he said. “I’m so proud of her for what she’s done – it’s definitely a comfort to know that

she could be helping to save someone’s life in the future.”

By leaving a gift to the Charity, you’ll make a lasting difference. Gifts in Wills support The Royal Marsden’s pioneering research, helping to improve the lives of cancer patients everywhere.

Find out how you can leave a gift at royalmarsden.org/wills

£7,000

Louise Broadbelt completed a daring skydive and raised more than