Completed Research

Endometrial (Womb) Cancer Research Project

Total £84,000 over 2 years

Cancer of the womb lining (endometrial cancer) is a common cancer affecting around 3000 women every year in England and Wales. A number of different types of cancer may however affect the womb. The commonest kind of  womb cancer can be cured in a relatively straightforward way with surgery. However some women will have more aggressive kinds of womb cancer which are less amenable to cure. Despite surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy these aggressive cancers will frequently recur locally, spread outside the pelvis and cause death. Although these aggressive cancers only account for 10% of cases, they cause over 50% of the total number of deaths. Although we can often identify such high risk women before treatment begins, at present we don't know of additional effective treatment after surgery that would benefit them.

Cancers need to stimulate new blood vessels to allow them to grow beyond a small size and facilitate spread. Current research into cancers has resulted in a number of novel agents that target either blood vessel growth that feeds the tumour or blocking a factor called epidermal growth factor that also causes tumours to grow. These drugs have shown promising results in bowel cancer and are currently undergoing trials in women with cancer of the ovary. Such new drugs may have an exciting role in the control and treatment of women with aggressive variants of womb cancer. This was a new important area of research but before we canwe could undertake clinical trials on patients we needed to find perform laboratory experiments on cancer cells to assess response.

To do this, after gaining ethical approval, we investigated 100 womb cancers that have previously been treated by surgical removal. We performed experiments to show us the presence of these new blood vessel promoting receptors on the slides.  We could then observed the effects of the new drugs on the cancer cells in causing cell death, inhibiting their growth and stopping spread. We hoped that with this data we could progress to early (so called phase 1) trials in patients.  This helped us target those patients who would gain the most benefit and so individualise treatment more successfully than currently possible.

This exciting research proposal was a joint venture between the Department of Gynaecological Oncology based at Cheltenham general hospital and Birmingham University. We chose to collaborate with Birmingham University as they have a proven track record in the field with  laboratory facilities and senior investigators that have a national reputation. This was a major research initiative for Cheltenham with the establishment of cutting edge research facilities locally. The Department of Gynaecological Oncology has national accreditation for training and research and this project formed the basis of the programme for the next 3 years with regular review progress by Royal College Subspecialty advisory panel.

 

Improved endoscopy training as a result of Cobalt funded research
Research Registrar in gastroenterology endoscopy - Dr Roland Valori
£101,829 Funding provided throughout 2005 and 2006 - report provided.

A two year project focussing on colonoscopy has just been completed by Adrian Thuraisingham who obtained a Masters Degree in Clinical Education with distinction at Nottingham University.  The research, funded by the Cobalt Appeal Fund, was pioneering and innovative and has greatly influenced how trainees and consultants are trained in endoscopic practice especially for colonoscopy.  Dr T J Anderson, Consultant General Physician and Gastroenterologist at Cheltenham General Hospital says 'Ultimately it is the patients and population in general who will be best served by this research.  The research has enabled us to provide a platform to ensure all endoscopists are trained well ……Much of this work would not have been achievable without the generous support from your organisation.' 

Research Project	Cost £	Comments
Clinical Research Fellow (Breast Cancer)	Total £60,000 commitment over 3 years
Optical diagnostics in urology - Mr Hugh Gilbert, Consultant Urologist	20,000	Research into the use of Raman specroscopy to provide an objective method to diagnose prostate and bladder cancer. Completed late 2005 and reports received.
Research into barriers to recruitment for Cancer Clinical Trials	24,916	Research completed mid 2004
Enhanced pathological diagnosis opf cancers and pre-cancers - Dr Stone	106,038	Actually funded equipment to enable the research project to be undertaken
Clinical research fellow in breast cancer	60,000	3 year funding, due to complete end of Septemver 2009
Infrared spectroscopy for prostate cancer - Dr Jon Aning	24,000	Progress report received Jan 07. Research completed mid 2007.
Evaluation of EGF inhibitors as targeted therapy in poor prognosis endometrial (womb) cancer	84,357	Research due to complete end January 2010

Another important aspect of the support provided by the Cobalt Appeal Fund is to fund research projects to develop and enhance the knowledge and skills of practitioners in cancer care.  Trustees funded/awarded the following research projects in 2007/08. 

Clinical Research Fellowship in Breast Cancer - £60,000 over 3 years - ongoing under the guidance of Dr Nicholas Stone

Research project in Prostate Cancer - £24,000 over 14 months - undertaken by Mr Jon Aning and completed in August 2007

Research Fellow in Endometrial Cancer - £84,000 over 2 years

After a highly competitive process Dr Martin Voss was appointed as research fellow to undertake the project in endometrial cancer, based at the Gynaecological Oncology Department at Cheltenham General Hospital.  This exciting research project was a joint venture between Cheltenham Hospital and Birmingham University.  It used newly developed drugs that have shown promising results in bowel cancer and assessed their effect on womb cancers in laboratory trials.  If successful, and after gaining ethical approval, it was hoped that work could then progress to early (Phase1) trials in patients.  This was a major research initiative for Cheltenham with the establishment of cutting edge research facilities locally.