Research

The following is a summary of recent research projects that Cancer Care West have supported.

LEUKAEMIA RESEARCH
Funding form Cancer Care West was first made available to Professor Michael O'Dwyer to conduct research in leukaemia at NUIG in 2006.  The aim of the project, which is still ongoing, was to develop the potential of a biologic drug TRAIL as a treatment of leukaemia.  This work is being done in collaboration with Prof Afshin Samali, Professor of Biochemistry at NUIG, who has a strong interest in the study of cell death or "apoptosis" in cancer.

TRAIL is a promising anti-cancer agent that is currently in early clinical trials in solid tumours.  The attraction of TRAIL is that it is a highly targeted treatment, selectively killing cancer cells, with normal cells generally unaffected, leading to fewer side effects. However, not all cancer cells are sensitive to TRAIL and leukaemia cells in particular are frequently resistant.  The purpose of the research is to unlock the mechanisms of resistance in leukaemia cells and to develop means of predicting which patients are likely to respond to TRAIL treatment.  In addition, Prof Samali's group has developed newer more potent TRAIL variants that may prove superior to the versions currently in clinical trials.  There is reason to believe that these improved forms of TRAIL may prove active in acute leukaemia.

The initial support of Cancer Care West was instrumental in getting research into leukaemia at NUIG on a firm footing and within the past 18 months Professor O'Dwyer has been able to secure a further €700,000 in funding from Molecular Medicine Ireland and the Health Research Board to expand these research activities.  At present there are several researchers working full time on leukaemia related projects at NUIG.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT & QUALITY OF LIFE IN MEN WITH PROSTATE CANCER
Cancer Care West has funded the following study to provide a better understanding of the factors that enhance psychological adjustment in men with prostate cancer as this is a much neglected research area and is important for the development of support services appropriate to their needs.

The aim of the project is:

• to gather data on the psychological impact of diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer in Irish men

• design a psychological intervention to deal with those issues identified

• test the efficacy of this specially designed psychological intervention programme on adjustment and quality of life in men with prostate cancer

Participants are men receiving radiotherapy at Galway University Hospital

Investigators: Prof Ruth Curtis, Dr Ann Marie Groarke, School of Psychology, NUI Galway and Prof Frank Sullivan, Dept Radiation Oncology, NUI Galway.

PROSTATE CANCER
Cancer Care West has provided seed funding for an exciting initiative in the area of new drug development for men with prostate cancer. This project is being coordinated by Prof. Frank Sullivan, Professor of Radiation Oncology at the department of Radiation Oncology NUIG/UHG. The seed funding led in turn to the award of a NUIG foundation grant of €1million. This project is in its early set up phase.

Prostate cancer is the commonest male cancer diagnosed in Ireland today, and affects approximately 2,500 men with over 500 deaths each year. The national incidence of prostate cancer is highest in the West of Ireland and Co. Galway in particular.

GUH is home to many novel developments in the management of men with prostate cancer, including prostate brachytherapy, and IMRT (novel radiation techniques). In addition, the Department of Urology, under the direction of Mr. Eamonn Rogers, is also leading the development of prostate surgery regionally as well as nationally. The HSE and the Health Research Board (HRB) are jointly funding the development of a Clinical Research Facility (CRF) which will also facilitate the development of a bench to bedside approach to prostate cancer research, dovetailing nicely with the program sponsored by Cancer Care West.