World-leading clinical research and pioneering cancer treatment taking place in Leeds has been showcased as part of the Government’s national cancer plan roll out. We recently welcomed Karin Smyth, Minister of State for Health to St James’s University Hospital to see first-hand the cutting edge cancer trials and the innovative treatment which is being pioneered.
The Minister had the opportunity to meet with Prof Chris Twelves, Professor of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology & Oncology and Clinical Director NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facility alongside clinical research colleagues, senior clinicians and experts and partners of Leeds Teaching Hospitals who work collaboratively to deliver world-class cancer treatment to patients across Yorkshire.
Ms Smyth heard about the diverse and expansive portfolio of clinical research, particularly rare cancers including anal cancer, myeloma and sarcoma, while visiting the state-of-the-art NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facility based at the hospital. It was the opportunity for us to share the world-leading, early-phase, experimental medicine studies taking place right here which aim to develop new treatments and healthcare therapies for the future.
Prof Chris Twelves said:
“We were delighted to welcome Minister Smyth to NIHR Leeds CRF recently. It was an opportunity to demonstrate our impressive track record of delivering early phase experimental medicine trials and evaluating a range of new therapies and interventions. Leeds St James’s CRF is just one of our five clinical research facilities co-located at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and it was a privilege for our team and I to talk about how we support world-class research here.”
The Minister also spent time in Leeds Cancer Centre, one of the most comprehensive cancer centres in the UK and home to the largest single-site radiotherapy treatment service. It was the opportunity to shine a light on the advances in treatment of anal cancer using precision radiotherapy, which has been pioneered following research by Prof David Sebag-Montefiore, Professor of Clinical Oncology at University of Leeds and funded by Cancer Research UK. We were delighted to share the breadth and depth of clinical research we do right here in Leeds and demonstrate the impact we’re having on our patients today and the healthcare of tomorrow.