Cutting edge research on cancer underway at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre
Local Monday, September 29th, 2008The basic science research at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) is focused on trying to develop a better understanding of cancer in our population and finding the best way to treat and manage patients in a developing country.
Dr Aasim Yusuf, Medical Director SKMCH & RC, said that over the coming years our expanding knowledge of cancer would have a major impact on our ability to predict an individual’s risk of developing cancer; our ability to detect and diagnose cancer early and our ability to select treatments, which were most likely to be effective.
We aim, at SKMCH & RC, to create a bridge between the laboratory and clinic through translational studies to improve the diagnosis, management and prognosis of our patients.
Talking, Dr Aasim Yusuf said that the Basic Science Research Laboratory was equipped to conduct molecular, cellular and genetic studies and was involved in studying genetic and environmental risk factors for common cancers in Pakistan, through combined epidemiological and basic science studies.
Specifically, a number of studies are being conducted to explore the role of viruses in the development of cancer in our population, with the hope that effective preventative measures will reduce the number of new cases in the future, he said. The immunology and pathogenesis of different cancers are being explored to find better ways to diagnose cancer at early stages and to monitor effectiveness of treatment, he said.
During 2007, we had three full-time research scientists working in the Basic Science laboratory, assisted by a number of research assistants and associates. He said. The main areas of interest of the three research groups are breast cancer, oesophageal cancer and colorectal cancer, he said. He added, we are currently conducting studies looking into the role of the BRCA 1 and 2 mutations in causing breast cancer in women, the role of galectin 3 as a marker of apoptosis or programmed cell death in patients with breast cancer, and the role of human papilloma virus infection in development of oesophageal cancer.
A major recently launched study is looking at microsatellite instability in the causation of colorectal cancer at an early age in patients in Pakistan, he said.
In addition to their prime role as researchers, each of our basic scientists are also involved in teaching and training the next generation of scientists and researchers.
To this end, they are involved in myriad other activities, including teaching at the University of the Punjab, the Lahore University of Management Sciences, conducting workshops for physicians and scientists at internal and external venues, teaching BSc Radiography students enrolled in SKMCH & RC’s joint venture with the University of Bradford and supervising elective medical students as well as science undergraduates and postgraduates from as far afield as Toronto, Canada and from MIT.
Two of our researchers have recently been approved by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan as supervisors for PhD students, while one of our research associates has been accepted for a PhD programme by the University of Bradford in UK.
We are also conducting a number of clinical trials in various phases and in diverse therapeutic areas, most linked to cancer. Most of these are being conducted in collaboration with international pharmaceutical companies and are part of a collaborative, multi-centre, multi-national effort.
Our well-defined Standard Operating Procedures and research guidelines, as well as our qualified, experienced and specialised physician investigators mean that we have rapidly become a favoured destination for such research efforts.
The Clinical Research Office shepherds the research proposal through scientific review and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) review process and oversees the conduct of such trials within the institution. It is helped in this by world-class pathology and imaging services, a data management and cancer registry department, a specialized pharmacy and an electronic Hospital Information System (HIS). Together, these constitute a sophisticated infrastructure for the successful conduct of international clinical trials.
Breast cancer, being the most frequently seen cancer in our hospital, forms the basis of much of our clinical research effort, but we are also currently conducting trials in cervical cancer, stomach cancer, hepatocellular (liver) cancer, leukaemia and lymphoma.
Some ongoing non-cancer work includes studies on chronic hepatitis C infection and diabetes mellitus. Apart from collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry, we are also engaged in collaborative research with other international research organizations and groups, including the International Network of Cancer treatment and Research (INCTR) and the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG).
The clinical research office also helps post-graduate students from other institutions to utilise the expertise and resources of the research group at Shaukat Khanum Hospital. Many students from Punjab University, the Post-Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore and the King Edward Medical University, Lahore, amongst others, have benefited from this programme.
To ensure that all research conducted at our research centre is in line with international policies and the highest ethical standards, our working guidelines include a well-defined selection and review process for all types of research activities conducted at the hospital.
This review process calls for a review by the Scientific Review Committee (SRC), which evaluates the scientific validity of a research proposal. This is followed by review of the study by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB safeguards the well-being and rights of human subjects who participate in research and has physician as well as lay members. The Chair is always a non-SKM individual, thus reducing institutional bias. Our IRB is registered with the Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP) at the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Shaukat Khanum Hospital is one of very few research organisations in Pakistan to have obtained this registration, which certifies our compliance with well-defined standards essential for the welfare of human subjects involved in research.
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on Sep 29 2008. Filed under