Researchers in Oxford have found that an individual’s immune system – and in particular the presence of T-cells amongst tumour cells – may play an important role in survival after surgery to remove pancreatic cancer. The study by the University of Oxford’s Department of Oncology and Kennedy Institute, supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research … Read more
News for Multi-Modal Cancer Therapies
Ultrasound and nanomedicine offer new hope for improving effects of cancer drugs
In a breakthrough that allows the more precise targeting of drugs at cancers, a University of Oxford team has used ultrasound and lipid drug carriers to remotely trigger and enhance the delivery of a cancer drug in humans for the first time. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford and Oxford University … Read more
Health minister visits Oxford BRC
The Health Minister, Lord O’Shaughnessy, visited the NIHR Oxford BRC on Wednesday 30 May to take a look at the ground-breaking research that is taking place in the fields of cancer and genomics. He was accompanied on the tour by Oxford BRC Director Prof Keith Channon and Head of Research Operations Dr Vasiliki Kiparoglou. Lord O’Shaughnessy … Read more
New clinical trial aims to tackle bowel cancer
Oxford University Hospitals has started a clinical trial which combines the use of immunotherapy with a protein-inhibiting drug for use with difficult-to-treat bowel cancer. Immunotherapy combined with checkpoint inhibitor drugs has been used successfully as treatment for several cancers, including melanoma and lung cancer, but until now has not worked so effectively on bowel cancer. … Read more
Top Oxford cancer specialist retires from clinical work
One of Oxford’s leading breast cancer specialists is stepping down from clinical work, after working in the city for nearly 30 years, but will continue his research activities, which, with the support of NIHR Oxford BRC, have seen big advances in recent years. Prof Adrian Harris has been the Cancer Research UK Professor of Medical … Read more
Celsion announces TARDOX study combining ThermoDox and focused ultrasound to tackle cancers
Celsion Corporation has launched a clinical trial, supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), to study the effectiveness of combining cancer drug ThermoDox with focused ultrasound to treat a range of tumours, including liver cancer The trial was announced on Monday (20 November) with the publication of the manuscript, … Read more
New bowel cancer test could save lives through early detection
A new screening test, funded by NIHR Oxford BRC, is being hailed the most efficient way to indicate risk of colorectal cancer. First stage UK research, published today, shows that an advanced computer algorithm technology can successfully indicate levels of risk by analysing previous blood test results in patients’ existing medical records. The paper, ‘Evaluation … Read more
Public Health Minister Visits Oxford Cancer Hospital ahead of World Cancer Day
Ahead of World Cancer Day on February, Public Health Minister Nicola Blackwood highlighted the importance of UK scientific research to beating cancer during a visit to the Churchill Hospital. The Public Health and Innovation Minister saw state-of-the-art clinical trials and facilities for new cancer treatments and patients, both supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research … Read more
Monitoring prostate cancer “as effective as surgery”
Active monitoring of prostate cancer is as effective as surgery and radiotherapy, in terms of survival at 10 years, reports the largest study of its kind, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Results published in New England Journal of Medicine today, show that all three treatments result in similar, and very low, … Read more
Discoveries offer hope for managing ovarian cancer
Oxford University researchers have found a way to detect ovarian cancer early and identified an enzyme that is key in making ovarian cancer more deadly. Their results, published in two journals and co-funded by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, provide new research routes for scientists trying to detect and beat the disease. Ovarian cancer … Read more
Rare mutations in bowel cancer may identify patients with a better prognosis
An international collaboration between the University of Oxford and other European institutions has uncovered a correlation between a rare mutation in bowel cancers and a better prognosis, raising the possibility that patients with such tumours may not require chemotherapy after surgery. The study focused on colorectal (bowel) cancers and examined the presence of mutations in … Read more
Data debate video and podcast now online
A video of an hour-long debate on issues around mass sharing of patient data to support research and improve patient care can now be viewed online. “Good to share? Data, research, privacy and the NHS” was held as part of the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre’s Public Open Day – Celebrating Biomedical Research on April … Read more
Prostate cancer vaccine trial seeks volunteers
Oxford University scientists have started a clinical trial to test a new vaccine against prostate cancer and are looking for volunteers to take part. The first four participants have already received this experimental vaccine at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, and the second trial site has just been opened at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in … Read more
New clinical trial to tackle hard-to-treat leukaemia
A new clinical trial at Oxford’s Churchill Hospital plans to study the safety of a new experimental drug to treat a form of leukaemia, called Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML). Acute myeloid leukaemia is the most common aggressive blood cancer and there are about 2,200 new cases in the UK each year. It can be hard … Read more
Precision medicine boost for Oxford
Oxford is today named as a centre for excellence leading the drive to tailor more treatments to the needs of individual patients. A Precision Medicine Catapult centre will be established in Oxford bringing together business and research to develop new products and services. This project will be led by the Oxford Academic Health Science Network … Read more
BRC supports herpes virus cancer trial
THE NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre has supported research that found a genetically engineered herpes virus can halt the progression of skin cancer. Patients from Oxford’s Churchill Hospital took part in the landmark clinical trial, which comprised 64 worldwide centres. It found the virus can kill cancer cells and spark the immune system into action … Read more
Gene sequencing test for cancer patients on the NHS
The first multi-gene DNA sequencing test that can help predict cancer patients’ responses to treatment has been launched in the National Health Service (NHS), thanks to a partnership between scientists at the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. The test uses the latest DNA sequencing techniques to detect mutations across 46 genes … Read more
Royal visit to Oxford’s Churchill Hospital
The Duke of York visited the Churchill Hospital in Oxford today to mark the opening of the new building. The building, that includes an integrated Cancer and Haematology Centre, provides a base for many NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre projects. Chairman of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Dame Fiona Caldicott said: “We were absolutely delighted … Read more
Trial to investigate new drug combination in lung cancer
Cancer Research UK’s Drug Development Office has opened the first trial of a new drug combination in patients with advanced solid tumours and in a subset of patients who have non-small cell lung cancer. This trial will combine two compounds that aim to starve the tumours while simultaneously blocking cancer cell growth. The study will … Read more
Can daily aspirin help prevent and treat cancer?
A collection of three papers (two published in The Lancet and one in The Lancet Oncology) add to the growing evidence base suggesting that daily aspirin can be used to help prevent and possibly treat cancer. All three papers are by Professor Peter Rothwell, University of Oxford and John Radcliffe Hospital, and colleagues. The case for using aspirin to prevent cancer continues to build, … Read more