Addenbrooke’s patients take part in pioneering cancer genetic project

Patients based at Addenbrooke's are among the first taking part in a pioneering initiative to demonstrate how genetic tests could be used within the NHS to help match cancer patients to the most appropriate treatment.

 

Cancer Research UK’s Stratified Medicine Programme aims to establish a world-class NHS genetic testing service for cancer patients in the UK. This means that, as and when new targeted treatments become available, doctors will have access to the tests they need to help them decide which drugs are best for their patients.

 

Medical staff from Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC), and six of the charity’s other ECMCs, will ask up to 9,000 patients to participate in the first phase of the programme.

 

Patients suffering from breast, bowel, lung, prostate, ovary and melanoma skin cancer will be asked to give consent for a small sample of their tumour. This will be sent to one of three leading NHS genetic testing labs where DNA will be extracted and analysed.

Addenbrooke’s patient Wendy Payne, 55, was very keen to take part in the programme. She said: “finding out I had cancer was terrifying but it’s incredible to think that the tumour which could have killed me can now be used to develop more targeted drugs in future. Even though I won’t benefit from that research, it’s comforting to think that my experience with cancer will be helping others who are diagnosed in future.”

Professor Peter Collins, lead researcher at the Cambridge ECMC, based at the University of Cambridge, said: “We’re delighted to be involved in this exciting initiative, which will give Cambridgeshire people the chance to play a key part in making targeted treatments available for cancer patients across the UK. We are extremely grateful to all these patients who, by contributing to this research, are allowing us to take great strides towards beating cancer.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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