ADVANCE
The magazine for the UK’s only Biomedical Research Centre dedicated to cancer
Winter 2021/22
The path forward Why the future of cancer pathology is digital
Best in show
Early diagnosis
Enhancing radiotherapy
Leading light
Our latest research breakthroughs at ASCO
Realising the potential of artificial intelligence
How a simple gel could have a huge impact
Welcome to the ICR’s new Chief Executive
Contents 4 Forefront The latest research news 7 A novel solution Dr Navita Somaiah explains how a simple gel could enhance radiotherapy
As the UK’s only Biomedical Research Centre dedicated to cancer, our mission is the rapid translation of advances in research to improve the outcomes for patients with cancer through precision treatment.
8 Presenting progress The discoveries unveiled by our experts at the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting 11 Q&A Dr Hardeep Singh Kalsi on the potential of artificial intelligence in early diagnosis
This is our ‘bench to bedside’ approach.
12 Pioneering digital pathology How we’re taking a high-tech approach 15 Profile Professor Michael Hubank, Head of Clinical Genomics (Research) Editorial advisory board Professor David Cunningham Director of the NIHR BRC Professor Kristian Helin Chief Executive and President, the ICR
Groundbreaking research
World-class facilities
Training and development
Patient and public involvement
Across eight themes, we translate our findings into advances in treatments for cancer patients.
Including the Drug Development Unit, Centre for Molecular Pathology and West Wing Clinical Research Centre.
We are the UK’s largest training centre for oncology, with a proud history of championing women in medical research.
We incorporate and integrate the perspectives of patients, carers and the public into our research.
The Biomedical Research Centre is a partnership between The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Institute of Cancer Research, London. Together, we receive funding from the National Institute for Health Research. Find out more: cancerbrc.org | royalmarsden.nhs.uk | icr.ac.uk | nihr.ac.uk
Professor Nicholas Turner Team Leader, the ICR, and Consultant, The Royal Marsden Dr Naureen Starling Associate Director of Clinical Research, The Royal Marsden Rachael Reeve Director of Marketing and Communications, The Royal Marsden Abby Samuel Head of PR and Communications, The Royal Marsden
Welcome to the latest edition of Advance, which highlights the worldleading work carried out through the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at The Royal Marsden and The Institute of Cancer Research, London – the only BRC in the UK dedicated solely to cancer. In this issue, we focus on some of the key research presented at last year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual conference, which was held virtually. We also look at the collaborative work the The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and The Royal Marsden are doing to digitise patient samples and use tools such as artificial intelligence to gain insights into disease. Finally, we welcome Professor Kristian Helin, who replaces Professor Paul Workman as the ICR’s new Chief Executive. As we highlight the wealth of experience that Professor Helin will bring as leader, we look back on Professor Workman’s remarkable achievements during the seven years of his tenure. I hope you enjoy reading this issue of Advance.
Richard Hoey Director of Communications, the ICR Published in partnership with Sunday: wearesunday.com
Cover photograph: Professor Manuel Salto-Tellez, Team Leader of the Integrated Pathology Unit © The Royal Marsden 2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without prior permission of the Editor. The Royal Marsden and Sunday accept no responsibility for the views expressed by contributors to the magazine. Some photographs in this issue were taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and may not reflect social distancing and PPE guidelines. Repro by F1 Colour. Printed by Geoff Neal Group.
Professor David Cunningham Director of the NIHR BRC at The Royal Marsden and the ICR and Consultant Medical Oncologist CANCERBRC.ORG 3
FOREFRONT
FOREFRONT
Professor Kristian Helin has pioneered cancer research in leadership roles in Europe and the US
New ICR Chief Executive gets to work The ICR has welcomed Professor Kristian Helin as its new Chief Executive. Professor Helin, who succeeded Professor Paul Workman in September 2021, is a world-leading cancer researcher with exceptional leadership experience in three countries. Professor Helin was previously Director of the Center for Epigenetics Research at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the US. He spent 15 years as Director of the Biotech Research & Innovation Centre 4 ADVANCE
at the University of Copenhagen, and was a Division Director at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan. He is a pioneer in understanding how changes to the way the DNA code is read and translated into
Professor Helin has leadership experience in three countries
proteins can lead to cancer. He shares the ICR’s passion for advancing the scientific understanding of cancer biology, and using that knowledge to drive the discovery and development of innovative cancer treatments. Professor Helin said: “The ICR is known around the world both for fundamental scientific discoveries about cancer, and for working closely with The Royal Marsden and other partners to take those advances to patients through pioneering translational and clinical research.”
A lasting legacy: thank you to Professor Paul Workman
Professor Workman joined the ICR in 1997 as Director of the Cancer Therapeutics Unit and led the institute as President and Chief Executive from 2014 until he stepped down last year. A leader in the field of molecularly targeted cancer drugs, Professor Workman is a passionate advocate of both precision medicine and the need for drug discovery to adapt to overcome the challenges of cancer evolution and drug resistance. His vision for the future of cancer therapeutics is embodied by the Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, which opened in 2020. The new centre will pursue innovative drug science to discover new cancer medicines and is a flagship building of the London Cancer Hub, a world-leading life-science campus championed by Professor Workman and the ICR, in partnership with the London Borough of Sutton.
Shorter radiotherapy courses effective for prostate cancer Advanced radiotherapy technology can safely deliver higher doses in fewer sessions to treat prostate cancer with minimal side effects, the results of research led by The Royal Marsden and the ICR show. In the first global randomised trial of its kind, PACE-B compared the long-term toxicity outcomes for prostate cancer patients receiving stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with those for patients receiving standard radiotherapy. Researchers found that most of the patients experienced only minor side effects two years after treatment and nearly all were free of severe side effects, suggesting that shortened treatment can be given without the risk of long-term higher toxicity.
SBRT allows clinicians to precisely target tumours with five high doses of radiation over one to two weeks. Standard courses of radiotherapy comprise more moderate doses over a longer
90%
experienced only minor side effects
99%
were free of severe side effects
period – usually around 20 sessions over a month, but can be up to 39 doses over eight weeks. Dr Alison Tree, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden, who presented the research at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology Congress in August 2021, said: “This data has shown very promising results that suggest potentially curative prostate radiotherapy can be given with very few side effects for patients with SBRT over five days.” PACE is an umbrella of trials supported by funding from The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Further reading • go.icr.ac.uk/pace • doi.org/10.1016/S14702045(19)30569-8 (early results)
The Royal Marsden’s CyberKnife machine delivers stereotactic body radiotherapy
Targeted PSA tests could benefit men at higher risk
Men who inherit an increased risk of cancer through Lynch syndrome could benefit from regular prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing from the age of 40 to detect early signs of prostate cancer, researchers at the ICR and The Royal Marsden believe. New research from the IMPACT study has found that annual PSA testing could pick up cases of prostate cancer up to eight times as often in men with genetic hallmarks of Lynch syndrome, which increases the risk of several cancer types. Paul Cunningham, 67, discovered he had Lynch syndrome in 2016 and was diagnosed with prostate cancer last September. He said: “Having Lynch syndrome is a double-edged sword. No one wants to be at higher risk of cancer, but because doctors are aware of my risk, it means I’ve been fast-tracked and referred where I might not have been otherwise. “I was diagnosed with prostate cancer after having my annual PSA check through the IMPACT study, and I’m now waiting for a date for surgery.” Further reading • impact.icr.ac.uk CANCERBRC.ORG 5
FOREFRONT
EXPERT VOICE
Professor Nicholas Turner led the plasmaMATCH study
Breast cancer liquid biopsies: a step closer to the clinic A simple blood test can identify specific genetic mutations in breast tumours to help guide treatment and assess how likely patients are to relapse, a study led by researchers at the ICR and The Royal Marsden has shown. By allowing clinicians to better understand the genetic characteristics of individual breast cancers, the blood test – known as a liquid biopsy – can be used to guide and adjust 6 ADVANCE
treatment without the need for patients to undergo invasive tissue biopsies. Scientists at the ICR and The Royal Marsden, working in the Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre and the Centre for Molecular Pathology, analysed blood samples from 800 women with advanced breast cancer who enrolled in the plasmaMATCH trial. They looked for targetable
“Liquid biopsies will eventually be used to help guide treatment decisions”
defects in genes such as HER2, PIK3CA and BRAF, which are linked to breast cancer. They demonstrated that by using the test to analyse traces of tumour DNA circulating in the blood, they were able to identify mutations that can drive cancer growth and lead to treatment resistance. They also identified a number of new potential therapeutic approaches for advanced breast cancer. Study leader Professor Nicholas Turner, Professor of Molecular Oncology at the ICR and Head of the Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research at The Royal Marsden, said: “Liquid biopsies can be a better option than conventional tissue biopsies due to their ability to potentially sample all of a patient’s cancer rather than just one disease site. “Eventually, they will be used widely in the clinic as a tool to help guide treatment decisionmaking and gain the best possible outcomes for patients.” This report from the plasmaMATCH trial, which was co-ordinated by the ICR’s Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit, was published in Nature Communications and funded by Breast Cancer Now and Cancer Research UK through the Stand Up to Cancer campaign.
A novel solution A simple gel could help boost the effects of radiotherapy, says Dr Navita Somaiah, Clinician Scientist at the ICR and Consultant Clinical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden
Of the two million people affected by breast cancer worldwide every year, 60-80 per cent are diagnosed with locally advanced disease. This can cause debilitating symptoms that affect their quality of life. For these patients, radiotherapy with or without hormone therapy is often more appropriate than chemotherapy or surgery. Finding a simple, inexpensive way to improve the effectiveness of radiotherapy would therefore be highly beneficial for patients and health services around the world. I’m leading research funded by the NIHR BRC and pharmaceutical firm KORTUC Inc that is investigating whether
the common antiseptic hydrogen peroxide can enhance the cancerkilling effects of radiotherapy in breast cancer patients. Hydrogen peroxide plays a vital role in normal cellular processes, but at higher concentrations could make tumour cells more sensitive to radiation therapy. It breaks down into molecular oxygen in tumours, thereby potentially overcoming radiation resistance due to oxygen starvation. In a Phase 1 trial, we tried injecting a gel solution of hydrogen peroxide directly into breast tumours before radiotherapy, and found it to be safe and well tolerated. We’re now evaluating the effectiveness of this method in a randomised, controlled Phase 2 trial called KORTUC, involving 184 patients at six UK centres – The Royal Marsden, Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, The Christie, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, and University Hospitals of North Midlands – with plans to expand to India. The aim is to apply for licensing of the treatment in the UK at the end of the trial. Radiotherapy is one of the world’s most widely used cancer treatments, with most oncology centres having access to it in some form. As about 40 per cent of breast cancer patients worldwide are from Brazil, Russia, India and China – all countries with rapidly expanding radiotherapy resources – this safe and simple intervention could have a huge impact around the globe. The gel is cheap and easy to produce and store, and doesn’t require state-of-the-art
equipment to use – so, if approved, it could be quickly rolled out worldwide, including in low- and middle-income countries. And if it is proven to be effective in breast cancer, the intervention could be quickly evaluated for use with other challenging diseases, such as head and neck cancers, cervical cancer and soft-tissue sarcomas.
“Hydrogen peroxide could make tumours more sensitive to radiation”
Further reading • rdcu.be/cCMYb CANCERBRC.ORG 7 CANCERBRC.ORG 07
A SCO
Last June, experts from The Royal Marsden and the ICR presented the results of their pioneering research to a global online audience at the virtual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. Thousands of researchers, clinicians, patients and press attended the world’s largest cancer conference to learn about the latest advances in oncology. With researchers from The Royal Marsden and the ICR presenting across multiple topics and tumour groups, our organisations continue to hold an international reputation for revolutionising the way we provide cancer treatment and care.
Breakthrough treatments for oesophageal cancer
Presenting progress We highlight the notable research breakthroughs showcased by our experts at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting 8 ADVANCE
There was positive news on the benefits of two immunotherapy treatment options that have shown significantly improved long-term survival rates for patients with advanced oesophageal cancer. The results of the CheckMate 648 study, led by Consultant Medical Oncologist Dr Ian Chau, suggest a breakthrough that could transform treatment for this incurable disease. The global randomised Phase 3 study enrolled 970 patients with previously untreated, unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic oesophageal squamous-cell carcinoma. It found that patients who received immunotherapy treatment – either nivolumab and chemotherapy, or nivolumab with ipilimumab – survived longer overall than those who received chemotherapy alone. “After decades of little progress in using chemotherapy for oesophageal cancer, this study has found not one but two new treatment options using immunotherapy to extend life for these patients,” says Dr Chau.
“This study has found two new immunotherapy treatments for oesophageal cancer patients”
Left: Dr Ian Chau. Right: Dr Juanita Lopez
“The clinically meaningful improvements in survival of the two treatment regimens highlight immunotherapy’s impact on cancer care and should bring new therapeutic options to a group of patients that are often diagnosed when their disease has already spread. This could have a practice-changing impact for patients globally in the future.” Further reading • ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/ JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.LBA4001
Early promise for first targeted brain cancer treatment A promising new drug could become the first-ever targeted treatment for brain cancer, with encouraging results from a clinical trial presented at the ASCO conference. The early trial results suggest that a targeted cancer drug called lisavanbulin could benefit some patients with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer with few other treatment options. Lisavanbulin was particularly effective in patients with high expression levels of a protein called EB1, with two of the three
EB1-positive patients showing long-lasting responses to the drug. This protein is involved in the function of cellular structures called microtubules, which are needed for cancer cell division. Lisavanbulin could interfere with microtubules in EB1-positive glioblastoma, disrupting cell division and enhancing cancer cell death. An ongoing clinical trial led by The Royal Marsden will test the drug in patients with EB1-positive advanced glioblastoma, with centres in the UK, Switzerland and Germany. Study leader Dr Juanita Lopez, Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden and Clinical Researcher at the ICR, says: “Markers in cancer cells offer vital clues to what treatment could target an individual’s disease. This early study suggests some patients with advanced brain cancer who are EB1-positive could be treated with lisavanbulin, a targeted drug which blocks the growth of cancer cells.” Further reading • ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/ JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.TPS2068 CANCERBRC.ORG 9
Q&A
A SCO
“We aim to see whether AI can improve the early diagnosis of both cancer relapse in the lung and new lung cancers”
Professor Johann de Bono
Innovative imaging technique could help detect bone cancer earlier Researchers presented the findings from the iTIMM study – led by Clinician Scientist Dr Martin Kaiser at the ICR and Consultant Radiologist Dr Christina Messiou at The Royal Marsden – which showed that whole-body MRI scans could detect multiple myeloma earlier than current standard imaging techniques. Assessing myeloma is difficult as it is a cancer that can occur anywhere within the bone marrow, so imaging of the whole skeleton is needed. Not only does wholebody MRI scan the entire skeleton, but it can also detect disease before it can be seen by X-ray or CT scans. “The technique allows us to see disease that was undetected before,” says Dr Messiou. “We ran the iTIMM study to find out if it can be used to detect tiny amounts of residual disease that might persist after cancer treatment.” Detection of residual disease can provide an indication of prognosis and an opportunity for further treatment. Whole-body MRI is now the first imaging test recommended for patients, and The Royal Marsden is one of the few centres in the country with the expertise to offer it to patients. Further reading • ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/ JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.8012 Dr Christina Messiou
‘Search and destroy’ prostate cancer drug extends lives Also presented at the meeting were results from the Phase 3 VISION trial, which showed that a new drug – which acts like a guided missile to deliver highly targeted radiation to cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed – extended prostate cancer patients’ lives by four months on average when added to the standard of care. The drug, known as 177Lu-PSMA-617, uses a ‘homing device’ to detect the presence of a molecule called prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) on the surface of prostate cancer cells. Once in contact, it delivers a dose of radiation, killing the cancerous cells. The VISION trial was led by an international group including researchers at the ICR and The Royal Marsden. They found that the drug kept patients’ cancers in check for longer than a normal course of treatment. Study co-author Professor Johann de Bono, Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine at the ICR and The Royal Marsden, says: “Our findings show that patients whose tumours have high levels of PSMA can benefit from this highly innovative ‘search and destroy’ treatment. I believe that these results can change the standard of care for some men with advanced prostate cancer.” Further reading • ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/ JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.LBA4
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Dramatic results
Q&A
Dr Hardeep Singh Kalsi Paul Nicholson, 37, was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2017 and joined the lisavanbulin trial at The Royal Marsden in 2018. More than three years later, the treatment is still working, and Paul’s cancer has shrunk by more than 90 per cent. “When I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, my estimated life expectancy was just over one year,” he says. “My initial treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy didn’t work, so it was a huge relief to join this trial at The Royal Marsden. “I was told there was a five per cent chance the drug would work. But three years on, my scans are still looking good.”
The Clinical Research Fellow – funded by The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity – and member of the NIHR BRC’s Early Diagnosis & Detection team discusses artificial intelligence How might artificial intelligence (AI) improve the early diagnosis of cancer? AI uses computer systems to perform complex decisionmaking processes that are normally carried out by humans. For example, it can be used to learn important features in imaging through machine learning, or to read medical text through natural language processing. This means we can develop new tools that navigate large amounts of data and
support or even improve decisionmaking during cancer diagnosis. AI does this by finding patterns in clinical scans and records that identify patients who might be at increased risk of cancer, or by automating triaging of test results to alert clinicians sooner. It can also be applied to identify pre-cancer states and cancer subtypes, and to predict clinical behaviour, including risk of relapse. Imaging and AI is one of the key themes of The Royal
Marsden’s new Early Diagnosis and Detection Centre, which – in partnership with the ICR, and working closely with RM Partners Cancer Alliance – aims to speed up diagnosis and improve outcomes for patients.
What AI projects are you currently working on?
Research shows that patients who survive cancer are more likely to develop another in their lifetime compared with those without any cancer history. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and the most common type to subsequently develop in cancer survivors. We hope to open the AISONAR study soon to explore AI approaches to lung nodules on CT scans in patients previously cured of cancer. Our aim is to see whether this can improve the early diagnosis of both cancer relapse in the lung and new lung cancers, to improve the treatment prospects and long-term outcomes for patients.
What other benefits might AI offer?
Sometimes, scan findings are labelled as ‘indeterminate’ and need to be repeated to watch for changes or concerning behaviour that might indicate cancer or another disease, which can be stressful for patients. AI may enable earlier diagnosis and so reduce such anxieties. It may also help reduce the number of scans and appointments needed, freeing up valuable healthcare resources to support other clinical or research needs.
What are your hopes for the role and use of AI?
We hope that patients will help us to find the most ethical and valuable approaches whereby AI can lead to ‘learning’ healthcare systems. It would be fantastic if earlier diagnosis of cancer remains one of our core strengths in this area. We hope our pioneering studies will provide a springboard to share such research on a wider scale to benefit all patients. CANCERBRC.ORG 11
PAT H O L O G Y
Pioneering digital pathology Using sophisticated computing tools and artificial intelligence to uncover crucial clues about tumours, the new Integrated Pathology Unit is set to bring the discipline into the 21st century The field of pathology is one of the oldest in medicine and is vital in the treatment of cancer. Pathologists specialise in interpreting laboratory tests and evaluating cells, tissues and organs to diagnose disease. They determine the precise type and severity of the cancer and help to recommend a treatment strategy based on the test results. Advances in microscopy, imaging and DNA sequencing are uncovering more information about tumours than ever before. Now, a high-tech specialism called digital pathology could harness this raw data in exciting new ways, making it easier and faster to diagnose cancer. The new Integrated Pathology Unit at The Royal Marsden and the ICR is a pioneer in the burgeoning field of digital
Professor Manuel Salto-Tellez heads the Integrated Pathology Unit
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pathology, combining our expertise in clinical research with leading-edge tissue analysis to learn more about cancer.
Digitising images
Around the world, pathologists are starting to digitise pathology images and information so that researchers and clinicians can analyse them using computational tools. Sophisticated tumour imaging systems can scan slides of patients’ tissue samples so they can be shared with colleagues and assessed alongside molecular, radiology and pathology data. Once these slides are uploaded on to powerful computers, new levels of information can be found within them. Digital pathology aims to integrate data from these different
“Together, we will run one of the most advanced digital pathology units in the UK”
Professor Yinyin Yuan leads the Computational Pathology and Integrative Genomics Team at the ICR
sources using analytical tools that harness artificial intelligence (AI) to help spot patterns and crucial clues that would not be visible to the naked eye. Algorithms can accurately measure tumour boundaries and the levels of key cancer proteins from pathology data or predict the presence of mutations and genetic signatures. This presents the chance to make a huge
difference to the way we understand, diagnose and characterise cancer, and gain new insights into the disease.
Building expertise
In the Integrated Pathology Unit, The Royal Marsden and the ICR are building their expertise in digital pathology under the leadership of Professor Manuel Salto-Tellez, who joined in 2020. CANCERBRC.ORG 13
PROFILE
PAT H O L O G Y
earlier assessments of whether treatment is working. For example, Professor Yuan and colleagues have trained an AI tool to determine which patients with lung cancer have a higher risk of their disease coming back after treatment. “The tool can differentiate between immune cells and cancer cells,” she says. “This enables us to build a detailed picture of how lung cancers evolve in response to the immune system in individual patients. “Patients with fewer regions of immune-rich cells were at a higher risk of relapse, so the tool could predict which patients are more likely to see their lung cancer return, and who could be offered tailored treatment plans.”
Visualising cancer
Professor Salto-Tellez is an international leader in digital pathology. His team at the ICR is leading efforts with colleagues at The Royal Marsden to ensure that all pathology images are captured digitally, which will be a hugely important initial step in enhancing cancer diagnosis and treatment. “Together, we will run one of the most advanced digital pathology units in the UK,” he says. “Digital imaging will allow doctors to measure tumour size more easily or look at multiple biological markers of cancer at the same time, while ensuring information can be accessed and analysed remotely. “And with digitisation, our researchers can drive forward the development of an array of new computational imageanalysis tools, making use of 14 ADVANCE
AI to support pathologists in making key decisions about a cancer’s diagnosis.”
AI and machine learning
Computers are excellent at finding patterns in data, and using tools such as AI and machine learning, they can be taught how to identify features in digital pathology images that are linked with cancer. Professor Yinyin Yuan leads the Computational Pathology and Integrative Genomics
“Our tool could predict whether lung cancer might return”
Pathologists at the ICR and The Royal Marsden are aided by powerful digital tools
Team at the ICR, which aims to train computers to automatically identify cancer cells in pathology samples from the clinic. Computers can mark areas with similar features in tumour samples to quickly identify cancer cells and other tissue types. These can be compared with other samples and assessments by pathologists to fine-tune the results, and to make new observations that couldn’t be made by human pathologists. Digital pathology images analysed by machine learning could spot patterns that can’t be seen by doctors, which could help to detect cancer before symptoms occur or make
Professor Yuan, Professor Salto-Tellez and their colleagues are building a range of tools to process and classify images of tumour tissue to help pathologists. By drawing on the rich information contained in these images – and combining it with other types of information such as DNA sequencing data from cancer cells – our researchers can visualise cancer and its surrounding tissues in new ways. Using the abundance of digital information produced when a person is scanned and tested for cancer, digital pathology could uncover extraordinary new information about the disease. This could help us understand how cancers interact with their environment as they develop and spread, diagnose patients more quickly or precisely, and predict how they might respond to treatment. The possibilities seem endless.
Professor Michael Hubank
Head of Clinical Genomics (Research) at The Royal Marsden and Professor of Translational Genomics at the ICR
“BRC support catalyses innovation by freeing staff to focus on the essential early stages of research”
As Head of Clinical Genomics (Research) at The Royal Marsden, Professor Michael Hubank leads the Clinical Genomics Translational Research Team in the Centre for Molecular Pathology – a state-of-the-art facility that is funded through the NIHR BRC. Professor Hubank, whose role is partly funded by The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, is responsible for establishing new genomic tests as well as developing and applying diagnostic testing for clinical trials and research studies. These tests use innovative sequencing technology to examine the molecular profiles of patients to find mutations that can be targeted with drugs.
Professor Hubank is particularly interested in taking genomic testing for circulating tumour DNA from bench to bedside. For example, he recently supported Professor Nicholas Turner’s plasmaMATCH trial, which is using liquid biopsies to identify mutations in advanced breast cancer and tailor treatment to target them. Developing and improving gene panels is another key interest for Professor Hubank. Right now, gene panels map mutations in DNA, but that is only half the picture. When deciding on treatment options, it is also important to know whether the tumour has too many or too few copies of a gene, so his team is exploring whether it is possible to use the same panels to count the genes, giving two critical results in a single test. “Translational research is the interface between laboratory research and clinical application,” he says. “I find it very exciting when something is discovered that could potentially benefit patients, then actually making it have an impact.” “BRC funding forms the backbone of the Clinical Genomics Translational Research Team and ensures we have a long-term core group of experienced scientists, which provides stability and strength. “The BRC support catalyses innovation by freeing staff to focus on the essential early stages of research that are often difficult to fund. We are then able to build on these foundations through successful grant applications in specialist areas of development, like genomic testing for pediatric cancer.”
CV 1999 Establishes UCL Genomics, a collaborative genomics research facility 2016 Joins The Royal Marsden as Senior Research Scientist and appointed Reader in Translational Genomics at the ICR 2017 Appointed Head of Clinical Genomics (Research) at The Royal Marsden 2019 Supports founding of a national genome sequencing programme to develop targeted cancer treatments for children 2021 Made Honorary Professor of Translational Genomics at the ICR
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Take the conversation online Involving and engaging patients and the public ensures that both our research and our services function better for the communities we serve. Our new Cancer Patients’ Voice digital platform is a quick, easy and secure way for patients, carers and the public to have their say about improving cancer treatment and care online. It gives a wide range of people the chance to share their views and ideas, contribute to research projects, or join moderated discussions – in their own time and at their own convenience via their computer or smartphone. If you are a patient, carer or member of the public who is interested in this exciting new way to collaborate, we’d love to hear from you.
To find out more, please email Steven Towndrow, our Digital Patient Engagement Coordinator, at steven.towndrow@rmh.nhs.uk or visit patients-voice.cancerbrc.org