20 December 2016

Sheffield Scientists and Doctors Set To Get Million Pound Boost for Cancer Research


Sheffield scientists and doctors are set to receive nearly one million pounds from Cancer Research UK and the National Institute for Health Research over the next five years to continue their ground-breaking work at the Sheffield Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)*.

In Sheffield, the ECMC is a collaboration between the clinical trials unit based at Weston Park Cancer Hospital, part of the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and scientists at the University of Sheffield.

Around 100 doctors, nurses and scientists in Sheffield are devoting their energies to developing innovative, more effective cancer treatments. Their specialist areas include bone metastases, the tumour microenvironment, thoracic cancers, radiotherapy, and rarer tumours.

The ECMC gives people with cancer access to cutting-edge treatments by testing new ways of detecting and monitoring the disease and how it responds to treatment through early phase clinical trials. Sheffield has been chosen by an international panel of experts as one of just 18 locations in the UK to secure funding in the latest review of the ECMCs network.

Co-Lead of the centre, Professor Sarah Danson, said: ‘We are very proud that Sheffield’s ECMC status has been renewed. Over the past five years we have increased the number of clinical trials we’re offering patients and this investment means we will be able to continue our work in developing new cancer drugs – getting discoveries from the laboratory to clinical trials in patients and learning as much as possible from our patients to initiate new research.

“This award represents a critical investment in the research infrastructure at Sheffield, equipping us with the key laboratory and clinical tools needed to advance the understanding and treatment of cancer for the benefit of people in Sheffield and beyond.” .”

Sir Andrew Cash, Chief Executive for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Sheffield has a long history of pioneering cancer research, and this is another major development which builds on our excellent partnership with the University of Sheffield. This vital funding will enable our expert doctors and scientists to continue to develop some of the most promising and innovative new cancer drugs so that they can become established treatments for future patients.”

The ECMCs aim to bring better treatments to cancer patients in the UK faster through both the adult and children’s network of Centres. They are hubs where promising cancer treatments - including small molecule drugs, surgery, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and vaccines - are safely tested through clinical trials.

Professor Dame Pamela Shaw, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health at the University of Sheffield, said: "This announcement means the Sheffield ECMC can continue to pioneer new treatments to give cancer patients a brighter future. Cancer will affect one in two of us in our lifetime, but our ground breaking research means that patients in our region benefit from revolutionary treatments. We are very proud of the team of Sheffield cancer doctors led by Professor Sarah Danson who secured this prestigious award."

Nicola Blackwood, Minister for Public Health and Innovation, said: “We want to lead the world in fighting cancer. The work of ECMCs is crucial to achieving this aim. This next phase of funding from the National Institute for Health Research will help our world-leading researchers to continue to make new discoveries. I hope this funding will ultimately lead to life-saving treatments for patients.”
Over the last year 1,468 cancer patients across South Yorkshire have taken part in clinical trials.

Every year, 29,900 people are diagnosed with cancer in Yorkshire and The Humber.**

Nicki Embleton, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for Yorkshire, said: “This award is recognition of the fantastic research taking place in Sheffield.

“One in two of us will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in our lives - so it’s reassuring to know that, thanks to our supporters, Cancer Research UK is able to fund some of the best and most promising research here, in Sheffield, to help more people survive.
“Survival has doubled since the early 1970s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress – but every step our doctors, nurses and scientists take relies on donations from the public and the tireless fundraising of our supporters.”
Fact Box

WHAT IS A CLINICAL TRIAL?

All new drugs and treatments have to be thoroughly tested before they can be licensed and made available to patients, to make sure they’re safe. This process takes time because developing a new drug involves various stages of testing..

A new drug is first studied in the laboratory to see how it works and how it affects cancer cells. If it looks promising, it enters clinical trials, where doctors test the drug in cancer patients. New drugs are only licensed, prescribed and used as a treatment if they show good results in clinical trials.

The phases of clinical trials

There are three main phases of clinical trials that all new drugs have to go through before they can be licensed and prescribed for patients:

  • Phase 1 trials recruit a small number of patients (up to about 30) to try to find out about a drug or treatment’s side effects, the best dose of it to give patients, and if it works the same way in patients as it does on cells in the lab.
  • Phase 2 trials recruit more patients (up to about 50) and look at the effect the treatment or drug has on cancer cells and if it benefits patients
  • Phase 3 trials are much bigger (hundreds or even thousands of patients), and compare the new treatment or drug to the standard treatments and drugs being used to see if it is better.
  • Phase 4 trials are carried out after a drug has been licensed. They aim to find out more about the longer term side effects and benefits of new treatments and drugs, and how well they work when used more widely.

Although many drugs start life in phase 1 trials, they don’t all get as far as phase 3 trials and the licensing process because they either don’t work or they cause too many side effects.

For more information

For more information on clinical trials visit the About Cancer pages at cruk.org or call Cancer Research UK’s cancer information nurses on 0808 800 4040 (Freephone, Mon-Fri, 9am,-5pm).



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