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.