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Urine test for bladder cancer to be developed by University of Birmingham and Nonacus

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Cancer outcomes, Early diagnosis and detection.

BHP founder-member the University of Birmingham and Nonacus, a provider of genetic testing products for precision medicine and liquid biopsy, have partnered to develop a non-invasive test for bladder cancer. The test, which is expected to be available by mid-2022, will use highly sensitive liquid biopsy technology developed by Nonacus, and a panel of biomarkers validated by Dr Rik Bryan and Dr Douglas Ward from the University’s Bladder Cancer Research Centre, to diagnose the disease from urine samples.

Bladder cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the developed world1. In the UK, over 100,000 people a year are referred to hospital clinics that investigate for bladder cancer, usually after passing blood in their urine (haematuria).  The first stage of investigation is usually cystoscopy, which involves inserting a camera into the bladder.   Of these 100,000 patients, around 12% are subsequently diagnosed with bladder cancer, normally after a second invasive procedure to extract a biopsy.

Dr Bryan, Director of the Bladder Cancer Research Centre,  commented: “While blood visible in the urine should always be investigated, over 80% of people who have a cystoscopy at a haematuria clinic are diagnosed with non-malignant conditions or have no abnormality.  Unfortunately, the remaining 20% will need a further invasive procedure to confirm diagnosis.  What is required is a highly sensitive and specific, non-invasive test that can rapidly determine those who need a biopsy and those who do not, and a urine test is the obvious place to start.”

While the ‘liquid biopsy’ approach is attractive, the low levels of tumour DNA in a background of DNA from normal tissues requires highly sensitive analytical techniques to obtain accurate results.  However, researchers at the University started their work in the knowledge that Nonacus had successfully pioneered commercial non-invasive prenatal tests to identify low-levels of fetal DNA in maternal blood samples.  Moreover, the company was developing methods to allow confident and sensitive calling of mutations from as little as 10ng of DNA.

The researchers used ‘deep sequencing’ of tumour DNA to identify mutations that are present in the majority of urothelial bladder cancers (UBCs).  Their work, which was funded by Cancer Research UK and an MRC Confidence in Concept grant, involved sequencing 23 genes from tumour samples collected from 956 newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve patients.  This deep sequencing of genes identified 451 unique mutations that were present in over 96% of tumours.  The researchers also demonstrated that these mutations were identifiable in urine samples collected at the same time as tumour sampling2.

As the researchers have shown, mutated DNA in a urine sample can be extracted from cancer cells shed into the urine from the lining of the urinary tract, or can be found as cell-free DNA fragments. However, extracting DNA from the cancer cells provides more reliable amounts of DNA for the test, especially when only small volumes of urine may be available. Coupling the mutation panel with the unique molecular identifiers and the proprietary target capture technology provided by the Nonacus Cell3 Target™ will provide a much more sensitive test than the existing PCR-based approach. The researchers are already working on validating this combination in a further 600 cases (including non-cancer cases) and they expect to publish data on sensitivity and specificity within six months.

Nonacus intends to launch the new bladder cancer test within 12 months, and the final product will include access to bioinformatics software to help with analysis.  The company expects the test will provide high sensitivity for all stages and grades of disease, and will ensure the test is available worldwide to laboratories, hospitals and clinics.

Promisingly, the original research also determined the influence of the mutations on cancer progression, time to recurrence, and overall and disease-specific survival in patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), and disease-specific survival in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), raising the possibility that the test could be used to stratify patients according to risk.

Chris Sale, CEO of Nonacus Ltd, commented:  “We expect this partnership to deliver better care and outcomes for patients by reducing the number of invasive procedures, providing earlier diagnosis and speeding up access to treatment for people with bladder cancer.”

Tony Hickson, Chief Business Officer at Cancer Research UK, said: “As funders of much of the world-class, cutting-edge cancer research happening in the UK, we offer unique opportunities to commercial partners looking for early involvement in new discoveries. Having Nonacus on board to help transform promising findings in the lab into a new non-invasive test to diagnosis bladder cancer is a testament to how commercial collaborations have the potential to transform the lives of patients. We are looking forward to seeing the next steps as the test is developed and rolled out to the UK and beyond.”

Allen Knight, Chair of Trustees, Action Bladder Cancer UK, said:  “This really is very exciting and has the potential to make an incredible difference for patients and for Bladder Cancer treatment. Currently urine tests do not ​accurately pick up bladder cancer, and invasive tests are required to confirm a diagnosis.  A urine test that can rapidly determine who needs these tests will be a very welcome development.  Many patients, myself included, find cystoscopies very uncomfortable at best, and they can have lasting side effects.  This research could pave the way for routine screening, common in other cancers, but unavailable at present for Bladder Cancer.”

blood cancer cells

Blood cancer trial sponsored by the University of Birmingham opens for recruitment

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Cancer outcomes, Clinical trials.

A new Cancer Research UK-funded clinical trial being sponsored by BHP founder-member the University of Birmingham has opened for recruitment – aiming to investigate the efficacy of a novel treatment for patients affected by a specific type of blood cancer.

PROMise, which is being co-ordinated via the Cure Leukaemia-funded Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) hub at the University of Birmingham’s Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit (CRCTU), will recruit patients aged over 16 who suffer with myelofibrosis (MF).

Over the next two years, 15 NHS centres will recruit MF patients who will be given a novel agent called PLX2853 in addition to the existing standard treatment of ruxolitinib.

Each year in the UK over 300 patients are diagnosed with MF, which is a blood cancer associated with debilitating symptoms including extreme fatigue, pain, weakness and shortness of breath. Around 10-20% of MF patients go on to develop acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and consequently, a diagnosis of MF has a huge impact on both length and quality of life, with median survival from the time of diagnosis being just two years for patients with high-risk disease.

The only curative therapy for MF is stem cell transplant; however, this is only suitable for a small minority of younger patients who don’t present with comorbidities (the effect of all other conditions an individual patient might have – physiological or psychological).

The current NHS standard of care for those unsuitable for stem cell transplant is treatment with ruxolitinib, approved for use in 2011 and currently the only therapy approved with an indication for MF.

Professor Pam Kearns, Director of the University of Birmingham’s CRCTU, said: “Whilst ruxolitinib is already in widespread clinical use, many patients do not achieve an adequate response. Significant residual symptoms remain in most patients thus there is a major unmet clinical need and the PROMise trial is addressing an urgent need for improved therapeutic approaches for MF patients.”

Chief Investigator, Professor of Haematology at University of Oxford, Adam Mead, said: “The PROMise study is a really exciting study that has just opened in the UK and will be opening across 15 centres. This is introducing a new treatment called PLX2853, in combination with ruxolitinib, for patients with MF. The impact on patients for this combination of treatments, I hope, will be improvement of their symptoms, improvement of their quality of life, without causing them side effects.”

DNA strands

Young patients with cancer to benefit from £1million investment in genomic testing

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Cancer outcomes, Early diagnosis and detection, Experimental medicine.

Children and young people living with cancer from across the West Midlands, Oxfordshire and parts of Southern England will now benefit from improved genetic testing, thanks to a seven-figure donation to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity from Children with Cancer UK, in partnership with Kwik-Fit.

Home to one of the largest children’s cancer centres in the UK, BHP member Birmingham Children’s Hospital cares for over 200 patients with cancer, leukaemia and brain tumours every year, from the West Midlands and beyond.

Genomic testing for patients diagnosed with cancer is incredibly important and over the last decade, large scale sequencing projects have identified pertinent DNA changes, which have enabled scientists to develop new and improved cancer drugs and treatments to specifically target these variations.

Sequencing all possible DNA changes in a single test gives scientists the best possible chance of detecting the genetic changes driving a child’s cancer; and knowing the genetic makeup of a child or young person’s cancer, or tumour, allows clinicians to offer a more tailored treatment.

Targeted therapies have improved the number and different types of treatment offered to children and young people, aimed at saving more lives and improving the quality of life for patients living with cancer.

The UK’s largest genetics laboratory, the West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory, based at BHP member Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, provides cancer genetic services for patients across the West Midlands, Oxfordshire and parts of Southern England, covering a population of 12million.

The NovaSeq 6000 is a state-of-the-art piece of DNA sequencing equipment which has enabled the rapid expansion of cancer genetic testing at the West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory.
The NovaSeq 6000 is a state-of-the-art piece of DNA sequencing equipment which has enabled the rapid expansion of cancer genetic testing at the West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory.

Now a donation of just over £1million to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity has allowed the laboratory to purchase a high-throughput next generation sequencing platform.  This investment is possible thanks to the incredible fundraising efforts of Kwik-Fit’s staff, customers and suppliers who raised the substantial sum after Kwik-Fit employees chose Children with Cancer UK as the company’s national charity partner.

The NovaSeq 6000 is a state-of-the-art piece of DNA sequencing equipment which has enabled the rapid expansion of cancer genetic testing at the West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory.

Initial forecasts provided by NHS England and NHS Trusts across the West Midlands, Oxfordshire and parts of Southern England suggest that approximately 560 children and young people per year could benefit from large cancer panel genetic testing following the installation of the NovaSeq.

The significant gift also allowed for the refurbishment of the laboratory in which the NovaSeq will sit.

The Chairman of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and its Charity, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, former Medical Director of the NHS in England, said: “The NovaSeq 6000 has dramatically enhanced our ability to identify diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for childhood and young people’s cancers, thereby enabling our expert scientists and doctors to quickly optimise and develop more effective and less toxic treatments for children and young people with cancer.

“We’re incredibly thankful to Children with Cancer UK and all the employees at Kwik-Fit for enabling us to expand our cancer genetic testing capability in this way. It really will make a difference to thousands of families living with a cancer diagnosis.”

Children with Cancer UK, the charity dedicated to the fight against childhood cancer, is a long-term supporter of Birmingham Children’s Hospital and is making its second £1million donation to the hospital’s charity. The first helped ensure the opening of a brand new Children’s Cancer Centre in 2018.

Children with Cancer UK Trustee, Nick Goulden, said: “We are delighted the new NovaSeq 6000 has been installed at the West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory, ready to serve its young cancer patients across the region. By offering personalised treatments through genetic sequencing, it’s another step towards our ultimate goal of saving the life of every child and young person diagnosed with cancer.

“We are also incredibly grateful for our year-long partnership with Kwik-Fit who shared this vision with us. Through their innovative and dedicated fundraising, Kwik-Fit employees raised £1million to make all of this possible and the legacy of our relationship will benefit the lives of thousands of children and young people in the future.“

Kwik-Fit’s partnership with Children with Cancer UK, which took place before the pandemic, saw its staff participate in events such as the Virgin Money London Marathon and the Simplyhealth Great North Run. It also organised various fundraising activities including bake sales, static bike challenges, car washes and sponsored walks. In addition, staff swapped cars for cycles as part of the company’s first-ever ‘Tour De Branch’ – a nationwide bike ride in which over 80 employees covered 2,500 miles between 120 Kwik-Fit centres.

Mark Slade, managing director of Kwik-Fit, said: “We were delighted to hit our fundraising target of £1million which has enabled Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity to invest in such an important piece of equipment.

“I would like to congratulate and thank all of the Kwik-Fit staff for their tremendous effort and dedication and all our customers and partners who supported us – we would not have been able to achieve this target without them. We hope that this vital testing equipment will make a massive difference to the outcome for many families in the future.”

Bayer to invest in childhood cancer trial at the University of Birmingham

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Cancer outcomes, Clinical trials.

Significant funding from Bayer, a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of healthcare and nutrition, is enabling the University of Birmingham’s Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit (CRCTU) to deliver a new study arm of an international clinical trial which aims to identify more effective treatments for a rare type of childhood cancer.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a soft tissue cancer which usually forms in skeletal muscle tissue and hollow organs including the bladder and uterus. Despite survival rates for the first occurrence of disease increasing from 25% in 1970 to more than 70% today, around a third of patients will relapse at least once which further increases their risk of dying, as treatment options after relapse are currently limited and innovative new drugs for this disease have been lacking.

The funding will support evaluation of regorafenib, an oral cancer therapy from Bayer, in relapsed rhabdomyosarcoma patients, aiming to determine whether this drug combined with standard treatment can improve survival rates, reduce the chance of relapse and improve long-term quality of life for patients. The product from Bayer is already approved as a monotherapy across certain forms of colorectal cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumours, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and will now be investigated in this rare paediatric indication. The study will also explore biomarkers to evaluate whether they can be used to predict relapse and improve prognosis. The new study arm is one part of the international multi-arm, multi-stage Frontline and Relapse RhabdoMyosarcoma (FaR-RMS) clinical trial, which is already underway at the University of Birmingham, funded by Cancer Research UK.

Dr. Scott Z. Fields, Head of Oncology Development at Bayer commented: “Bayer is committed to developing new cancer treatments for which there is a great medical need, such as for paediatric cancer patients. We are pleased to be a partner on this important study supported by academic experts at the University of Birmingham and the European Paediatric Soft-Tissue Sarcoma Group, and are looking forward to the next steps of this trial and the benefits it could bring in the future for patients.”

Professor Pamela Kearns, Director of the CRCTU at BHP founder member the University of Birmingham, explained: “This new partnership with Bayer highlights our world-leading strengths in paediatric cancers and the excellence of our industry trials work at the University of Birmingham, and further evidences our strengthening capabilities with the forthcoming Birmingham Health Innovation Campus and its Birmingham Precision Medicine Centre (BPMC) Industry Trials Hub.

“Our internationally-leading expertise in complex clinical trial delivery will inform this trial throughout as we seek to validate more effective treatments to enable children with rhabdomyosarcoma to return to remission and lead longer, healthier lives.”

Life Sciences Minister Nadim Zahawi said: “Birmingham is poised to be one of the UK’s powerhouses for innovation and it’s why the government recently designated it a Life Sciences Opportunity Zone – helping to capitalise on its expertise and attract inward investment from leading pharmaceutical and life sciences businesses.

“Today’s multi-million funding from Bayer is evidence of this thriving innovation ecosystem in action, and will enable the University of Birmingham to carry out a ground-breaking clinical trial to help accelerate treatments for children with cancer and improve their quality of life, all while cementing the UK’s status a global leader in life sciences.”

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “We know that despite more children and young people surviving cancer than ever before, there is more that needs to be done as cancer still represents the leading cause of death by disease for this age group.

“It’s fantastic to hear that Bayer is investing in the FaR-RMS trial to help improve the lives of children and young people with this kind of rare cancer. It’s a testament to the strength of charity-funded research to be able attract this kind of high-level investment to the UK, which helps fuel innovations required to bring much needed new treatments to patients.”

Professor Meriel Jenney, Deputy Medical Director at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, is Chief Investigator of the Far-RMS trial. She commented: “We strongly welcome this partnership with Bayer.  The FaR-RMS trial is designed to facilitate the efficient testing of new drug combinations for the highest risk patients with rhabdomyosarcoma across Europe and beyond, through its multi-arm, multistage approach. This exciting partnership is the first of what we hope may be several partnerships to bring targeted agents into the FaR-RMS trial. The focus on biomarkers alongside the clinical data will also help us to understand better which patients with rhabdomyosarcoma respond to treatment and to find new, smarter ways of assessing that response.”

Richard Torbett, Chief Executive of the ABPI said: “We are delighted to see Birmingham leading valuable research to find new cancer medicines for children, and industry investing in the West Midlands. Our work with Birmingham Health Partners is to connect industry with Birmingham’s extraordinary life sciences capabilities to tackle global health challenges, and today’s announcement is exactly what we want to see.

“Partnerships like this between academia, companies and the NHS lead to amazing breakthroughs which benefit people not just in the West Midlands but across the UK and the world.”

The BPMC Industry Trials Hub offers comprehensive design of trials which are conducted to industry standard as well as critical trial data, curated to provide a ‘fit for filing’ package which offers accelerated progress to clinical adoption. BPMC will be part of the Birmingham Health Innovation Campus – the only science park in the region dedicated to health and life sciences, creating opportunities for transformative collaborations between the NHS, academia and industry partners.

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Drug dosing technology to improve children’s cancer treatment

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Cancer outcomes.

A new project has been launched in collaboration with BHP founder-member the University of Birmingham aimed at aiding more precise drug dosing in children with cancer.

Children receiving chemotherapy treatment each process the drugs differently, leading to inconsistencies in drug concentrations in the blood (known as drug exposure).

Patients may not receive enough of the drug or in some cases may experience side effects following anthracycline treatment, predominantly in the form of dose-related cardiotoxicity.

A multidisciplinary team of experts working on the project, called ChromaDose, will develop a diagnostic drug monitoring tool to aid dose optimisation, enabling children receiving anthracycline chemotherapy – a type of the drug most commonly used to treat childhood lymphomas and leukaemias – to benefit from a personalised approach to treatment.

The technology behind ChromaDose, which is being led by UCL, will enable clinicians to calculate the patient’s drug exposure. Nurses administering the chemotherapy drug would collect a few drops of blood at different times following administration. These samples are then inserted into the ChromaDose bedside device using an innovative cassette design.

The machine automatically measures the amount of medicine within each blood drop and identifies the patient’s pharmacokinetic response (movement of drugs into and around the body), allowing ChromaDose to calculate the patient’s drug exposure.

Co-lead Professor Pamela Kearns, of the University of Birmingham, explained: “In 2021, there are nearly half a million survivors of childhood cancer in Europe and two thirds live with long term side effects from their treatment.

“One way to improve the side effect profile of a drug is to be more precise in the dosing. ChromaDose has the potential to allow us to individualise the dose of chemotherapy drugs to maximise effect on the tumour while minimising the side effects.

“I am looking forward to working with the team to move ChromaDose into clinical practice as a substantial step towards personalised medicine for children with cancer.”

Overall project lead Dr Stefan Guldin, of UCL Chemical Engineering, further explained: “We have come a long way from the first experiments in the lab to this unique opportunity to bring our technology into the clinic. The team we have been able to assemble in ChromaDose makes me confident that we can achieve our ambitious goals.”

Academics currently have the individual components which have shown promise when operated manually in a laboratory. They will now work to integrate these elements into an automated companion monitoring tool that will be able to provide reliable results within 30 minutes from insertion of the sample.

“The challenge of developing a fully-automated in-vitro diagnostic device for biochemical analysis on the ward cannot be underestimated,” explained Dr Alaric Taylor, Innovation & Design Lead at Vesynta Ltd, a UCL start-up. “Safety, performance, user experience and regulatory compliance are all competing factors.

“However, I believe that working within the ChromaDose consortium, with input and support from each and every stakeholder, makes the delivery of this technology possible.”

Co- lead Professor Gareth Veal, of the University of Newcastle, commented: “We have made great strides over a number of years in providing a national therapeutic drug monitoring service to support dosing decisions being made for childhood cancer patients across the UK.

“The development of a point-of-care diagnostic device funded through the i4i project could have a real impact on utilising drug monitoring approaches as routine cancer patient care in the future.”

The research team are working with a diverse group of stakeholders including children, parents, nurses, doctors, educators, designers, scientists and engineers. The Young Persons Advisory Groups at Great Ormond Street Hospital and North England were actively involved in the project planning stage, with over 60 participants, and remain important collaborators throughout the project. Additionally, parents and wider families of children who have experienced cancer will contribute through the Paediatric Oncology Reference Team.

Stakeholder satisfaction and user scenarios analysis will aid the translation of the ChromaDose innovation into the NHS healthcare system. This work is supported by partners at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded London In-Vitro Diagnostic Co-operative at Imperial College London. The expert team will map pathways for clinical integration alongside early stage health economic analysis, ensuring patient benefit is delivered rapidly and cost-effectively.

The ChromaDose project is funded by an NIHR i4i Product Development Award, which provides £980,000 for a nationwide multi-disciplinary team to conduct intensive research and development over 30 months. As project capstone, the team will seek regulatory approval from the notified body for widespread adoption.

Birmingham’s brain tumour centre awarded Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence status

Written by Louise Stanley on . Posted in Cancer outcomes, Clinical trials, Experimental medicine.

The brain tumour centre at BHP founder-member University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) has been recognised as a Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence following rigorous expert-led assessments by the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission.

With more than 12,000 people diagnosed every year with a primary brain tumour in the UK[i], and 300 new patients seeking treatment at UHB, the award has been introduced to recognise hospitals for their excellence in patient care. It represents a step change in the neuro-oncology landscape across the UK.

UHB was measured on a range of criteria, including its excellent clinical practice and training opportunities; emphasis on patient quality of life; providing clinical trials and offering a high standard of research opportunities. Led by a committee of experts in the field and virtual site visits, the assessments were backed up by patient feedback about the care they received.

At least 88,000 British people are currently living with a brain tumour but over 5,000 people a year will lose their lives to it[ii]. The “Excellence” status provides reassurance about the availability of excellent care within the NHS and positive recognition for its staff at UHB who, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, continue to go above and beyond for their patients. Due to the strain Covid-19 has placed on the NHS, UHB’s brain tumour centre now offers virtual clinics for patients.

Founded to design a new national strategy for brain tumours, the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission is committed to helping as many hospitals as possible achieve the “Excellence” status in the future. To achieve this, the mission is launching the Tessa Jowell Academy, a national platform allowing hospitals to share best-practice to improve their services, as well as one-year fellowships for doctors to further specialise in brain tumours.

Jess Mills, Co-Founder of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission and Tessa’s daughter, said: “Mum’s mission throughout 50 years of her political life was to tackle systemic inequality. So, it was tragic whilst fitting, that her final campaign was a call to arms to create universal equality in access to excellence in cancer care throughout the NHS. It is with immeasurable pride that just 3 years later, the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission has begun the real-world translation of that vision into reality. 

“We are thrilled to have awarded University Hospitals Birmingham for its excellent ongoing work for patients and commitment to support other centres in reaching the same level of Excellence. Shockingly, the UK still has one of the worst cancer survival rates in Europe, but in time, the Tessa Jowell Centres will make the UK a global leader in the treatment and care of brain tumour patients. We have a long way to go until the cutting edge of science is delivered to every patient, but this is a huge and transformational first step.”

Colin Watts, Professor of Neurosurgery at BHP founder member the University of Birmingham and Honorary Consultant Neurosurgeon at UHB, said: “We are delighted that our model of patient-centred, consultant-led, research-orientated care for brain cancer patients has been recognised in this way. This award is a tribute to the whole multidisciplinary team who put patients at the centre of everything they do and take real pride in delivering best practice for everyone.

“It is a privilege to be to be  given this status from TJBCM partner organisations and we are very proud to affiliate ourselves with this recognition. We have worked hard as a team over the years to develop and improve patient care and will always strive to make a difference wherever possible. We will continue this process collaboratively by sharing and developing best practice within our service, externally and between other service providers for this cohort of patients.”

Cally Palmer, NHS England National Cancer Director, said: “This award is a fitting tribute to Tessa Jowell and her dedication to excellence in cancer care, as well as to all the NHS staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to continue to provide life-saving cancer services, and it is great to see NHS hospitals across the country being recognised as centres of excellence. NHS services are open and ready to help those who need cancer care, and I encourage anyone who is experiencing any worrying symptoms to contact their GP immediately to improve chances of a successful recovery.”

Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence:

      1. University Hospitals Birmingham
      2. Edinburgh Centre for Neuro-oncology
      3. King’s Health Partners of King’s College Hospital & Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospitals in London
      4. Leeds teaching hospitals NHS Trust (Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s Hospital)
      5. Salford Royal Foundation Trust and The Christie (Manchester)
      6. Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
      7. Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust
      8. St George’s University Hospital, Royal Marsden Hospital and Royal Surrey County Hospital
      9. University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Over £700M is spent on cancer research in the UK every year, yet less than 2% of that is dedicated to brain tumours[iii]. The Mission will be supported by the All-Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours chaired by Derek Thomas MP, to secure further support for NHS centres to enable more of them to achieve the “Excellence” status in the future. To kick-start additional monetary support, the Tessa Jowell Foundation, the charity set-up by Tessa’s family to lead the delivery of her legacy, has announced a fundraising appeal to raise £4M to enable the centres to excel after the network is launched.

[i] Cancer Research UK, https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/brain-other-cns-and-intracranial-tumours (Data: 2015-2017, UK)

[ii] Cancer Research UK, https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/brain-other-cns-and-intracranial-tumours#heading-Zero (Data: 2015–2017, UK). Accessed October 2020.

[iii] National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Research Database Data Package 2019