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, ... READ MORE
News for Cancer
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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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. ... 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... 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 ... READ MORE
Research@Oxford – Improving Health
On 14th March 2012 the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and the Oxford Cancer Research Centre (right) hosted a public open day on research that is designed to improve health. A morning session was held for secondary schools, introducing them to the world of cancer research. Scientists, doctors, ... READ MORE
New treatment for lung, liver and renal tumours
Doctors, surgeons and researchers from the Imaging Theme of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford are looking into the effectiveness of using ablation as another treatment option for lung, liver and renal tumours. Microwave Ablation is used to treat small tumors by passing ... READ MORE
Ten years of collaboration brings new hope for patients
NIHR funded doctors, surgeons and scientists from the HIFU Unit (high intensity focused ultrasound), marked its official opening at the Churchill Hospital after a 10 year collaboration with the Haifu Company of China. The £1.5m Oxford HIFU machine has been given on long-term loan from the ... READ MORE