World Cancer Day - Celebrating 20 years of clinical trials

This World Cancer Day (4th February) marks 20 years since Cancer Research UK (CRUK) was formed. Our Director, Professor Gareth Griffiths, reflects on the past two decades of cancer clinical trials, the advances made in cancer research, and what it means to be a CRUK-funded trials unit.

When Cancer Research UK was formed 20 years ago, Professor Gareth Griffiths was already the scientific lead and senior medical statistician at the Medical Research Council’s Clinical Trials Unit.

In fact, Professor Griffiths has spent his whole career in cancer clinical trial research, later founding the Cancer Research UK Wales Cancer Trials Unit in 2005, and since 2014 he has been the director of the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit which now has a large portfolio of cancer trials.

“Over the past 20 years we have seen huge advances in cancer diagnosis and treatments, thanks to research,” says Gareth. “And this just would not be possible without the funding we receive from Cancer Research UK and their supporters which allows trials units like ours to run the clinical studies which can bring new and better treatments to cancer patients.

“A particular area that we have seen a huge growth in is immunotherapy treatments that can boost the body’s own immune system to enable it to fight cancer. These mean that many patients, whose cancer would previously not have been treatable, are being offered alternative options that can not only potentially improve survival but also give them a better quality of life during treatment.

“Our unit is based within the Centre for Cancer Immunology at the University of Southampton, which means we are working alongside brilliant lab-based researchers who are continuously increasing our knowledge of how the immune system works and looking at new potential targets to use immunotherapy to fight cancer.

“In October last year, we published the results of the Cancer Research UK funded CONFIRM trial which was the first study to show that the immunotherapy nivolumab improved survival for people with malignant mesothelioma which has returned after initial chemotherapy treatment. This study has led to updated guidance on the treatment of this disease and a real benefit for our patients.”

Gareth leads a team of trial experts at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit who work with researchers and cancer clinicians from Southampton, as well as across the UK and internationally, to design, conduct and analyse a large portfolio of cancer trials.

“Another huge area of growth has been personalised medicine,” continues Gareth. “Research in this field has meant that oncologists are now able to look at specific genetic markers or characteristics of a person’s individual cancer and tailor treatments to them as an individual, which are therefore more likely to be effective.

“And here at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, as in many other research centres, improving early diagnosis is also a key priority. Trials like our iDx Lung study, which is aiming to improve the detection of lung cancer, will hopefully mean more people are diagnosed when their cancer is at an early stage and is therefore more treatable, ultimately saving lives in the future.”

Gareth and his team are joining with many other researchers, patients and supporters to ask people to unite on World Cancer Day and support Cancer Research UK’s fundraising.

“Our trials unit receives core funding from Cancer Research UK which enables us to continuously develop new trial ideas for clinical trials with the aim of finding new treatments that will benefit our patient community, or ways to diagnosis cancer earlier so we have a greater chance to cure cancer.

“It is only via the fundraising, donations and charity shop income to Cancer Research UK by the community which enables many of our cancer trials to take place. The work of the charity over the last 20 years has been instrumental to funding ground-breaking and innovative research and clinical trials that have directly led to advances in cancer treatments, and we are extremely grateful for their continued support.”