Double Cancer Research Surgery Award Success for South West
Double cancer research surgery award success for South West
A specialist research team at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust has won a prestigious national award for Cancer Research Excellence in Surgical Trials (CREST).
The surgical breast cancer research team at The Mermaid Centre in Treliske Hospital Truro has achieved the CREST award recognition from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) for their impressive recruitment of patients to a broad-ranging number of research studies.
The Mermaid Centre surgical research team for breast cancer is led by Senior Research Nurse Sadie Mitchell with clinical support from consultant surgeons, oncologists and research registrar.
Sadie said: “We are delighted that the NIHR has applauded our commitment and approach to ensuring that our patients have every opportunity to be offered and take part in breast cancer surgical research trials. This has truly been a team achievement at The Mermaid Centre. We promote health research to our patients from the outset. Mammographers, radiologists, pathologists and clinical nurse specialists are all aware of trial entry criteria and we have excellent processes in place to actively identify patients for surgical research studies. Getting this early contact with patients has proved invaluable to recruitment as it allows patients time to consider trial participation and have their questions answered.”
Sadie added: “This multi-disciplinary team approach has particularly paid dividends when recruiting to ‘window of opportunity’ studies which have very specific timelines for approaching potential patients.”
Mr Iain Brown, Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon at the Mermaid Centre said: "To be the recipients of such a prestigious national award is a tremendous honour for the entire team. It is particularly encouraging that the National Cancer Research Institute has recognised the strong research ethos in our department, the scope and breadth of our research portfolio and how trial participation is embedded in our philosophy for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Cornwall."
"Our research portfolio continues to grow and now incorporates neoadjuvant (treatment including chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy, as a first step to shrink a tumour before main treatment like surgery) and adjuvant medical oncology, surgical, radiotherapy, reconstruction and clinical psychology trials. The presence of our dedicated research team in multi-disciplinary meetings and in our clinics allows us to ensure that all patients eligible for trial recruitment are identified early and approached whenever appropriate."
Professor Richard Shaw, the NIHR Clinical Research Network National Specialty Lead for Surgical Oncology, said out of the many CREST award nominations, the Mermaid Centre surgical research team for breast cancer “showed the greatest merit with the impressive recruitment, depth and breadth of the cancer studies portfolio and a clearly evident multi-disciplinary team approach.”
There was also cause for celebration in the South West when the NIHR Clinical Research Network for Cancer commended the Upper Gastro Intestinal (GI) OesophagogastricCancer team in Plymouth, led by Mr Richard Berrisford.
The commendation was in recognition of the leadership, impressive recruitment of patients to research studies, the depth and breadth of the team’s research portfolio and the multi-disciplinary team approach achieved by the team at Derriford hospital in Plymouth.
Professor Richard Shaw, Associate Director and National Specialty Lead for Surgical Oncology for the NIHR Clinical Research Network said: “Richard Berrisford has chaired the Peninsula Specialist Oesophagogastric Multi-Disciplinary Team and personally championed the cause of clinical trials in upper GI cancers. He leads a successful team recruiting nearly 100 patients per year into important portfolio studies.
“It is only through the efforts of key NHS consultants that we are enhancing cancer care in the UK so rapidly. In fact we are international leaders in surgical oncology research. Although there is often focus on new drug breakthroughs in cancer, the role and contribution of surgeons is easily overlooked. It is important to remember that surgical research is around 15% of all cancer trials in the NHS. Although there are myriad conflicting demands on a surgeon’s time, making sure that patients are offered appropriate inclusion in the latest techniques and treatments is a high priority.”
MrRichard Berrisford, Consultant at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We strive to be as multi-disciplinary and rely on excellent teamwork between our secretaries, clinical nurse specialists, dieticians, clinicians and research nurses.My consultant and trainee colleagues have all contributedto our research contributions, so we are proud to share this commendation as ateam.”
Mr Berrisford added: “We have been able to build our research commitments into our daily work flows so that research is not seen as anything other than an integral part of patient care.”
Ends Issued 15 November 2016
Note to editors:
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research.
The NIHR is the research arm of the NHS. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy; and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research.
The NIHR plays a key role in the Government’s strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world. For more information visit the NIHR website:
The Clinical Research Network is part of the National Institute for Health Research. We are a co-ordinated national network that enables and embeds high quality research as core business across health and social care to make people and the NHS better. We do this by:
- Ensuring that as many people as possible across England have the opportunity to participate in research;
- Providing researchers with the practical support they need to make clinical research studies happen in the NHS;
- Ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of high quality clinical research across the health community;
- Attracting national and international clinical research investment; and
- Providing a coordinated response to national research priorities
The NIHR Clinical Research Network: South West Peninsula is hosted by Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust. The host is responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of research in the Trusts, primary care organisations and other qualified NHS providers throughout the South West Peninsula area.