April 2007 podcast transcript

In the April podcast we head west to find out about clinical trials in Wales, discover how scientists are getting personal with bowel cancer, and chat to cancer survivor Ashley as he prepares for the London Marathon.

Kat: In this month's show we'll be finding out about clinical research in Wales, and hear from cancer survivor Ashley Tapp, as he prepares for the London Marathon. Coming up later, how scientists are getting personal with bowel cancer treatment. But first, here's Henry Scowcroft with the latest news.

Henry: People with cancer will soon be able to receive better information about their diagnosis and treatment thanks to an  exciting new partnership between Cancer Research UK and cancer information specialists Cancerbackup.

According to research, around two thirds of people with the disease don't fully understand what their diagnosis means, and this can cause anxiety and uncertainty.

The charities will start by creating audio information for patients with visual difficulties. They will also produce booklets about the side effects of pelvic radiotherapy, a treatment that is given to around 12,000 cancer patients every year in the UK.

Maxine Taylor, Executive Director of Policy and Communications at Cancer Research UK, explains what this partnership means for cancer patients.

Maxine Taylor

I think it's going to be hugely important for cancer patients. If we can help people get the information they need in the way they want it, and at the time they want it, that's going to be a big step forward.

Unfortunately there are still a lot of cancer patients in the country who aren't getting that information at the crucial point when they want it.

Cancerbackup is known as being a specialist in this particular area and we have an extremely able cancer information team. It's all about collaboration.

Cancer Research UK has secured EU and US licences to develop an existing but unused drug into a new treatment for certain rare childhood cancers.

Johnson & Johnson originally developed the drug, fenretinide, for breast cancer in the 1970s. But fenretinide was never brought to market, and its patent has now expired.

But lab tests have shown that it might be useful for treating a group of childhood cancers related to Ewing's sarcoma. These cancers affect fewer than one in a million young people in the UK every year.

Cancer Research UK has now approved an early-stage clinical trial of the drug for Ewing's sarcoma and related cancers in young people.

The licences were negotiated by the charity's drug development company, Cancer Research Technology. Dr David Jenkinson is a CRT research manager who led the project.

David Jenkinson

The awarding of this licence for fenretinide - combined with the phase 2 trial that Cancer Research UK is currently planning - will increase the likelihood that fenretinide will be developed into a drug for the treatment of these rare childhood cancers.

A team of Cancer Research UK scientists in Glasgow, who are studying the way cells grow and divide, may have stumbled across a new way to attack cancer cells.

The team, based at the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research and led by Dr Kevin Ryan were looking at ways to turn on a gene called p73 in cancer cells.

The researchers were trying to turn on p73 because of its similarity to another gene - p53 - which is switched off in the majority of cancers.

P53 helps to protect us from cancer by stopping damaged cells from dividing. Many researchers have tried to develop therapies that activate p53 in cancer cells, but have had little success. The Beatson team figured that trying to switch on the geneís relative, p73, might have a similar effects.

In their research paper, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the team describe how they developed a tiny protein that could reactivate the p73 gene in cancer cells in mice, and that this slowed down tumour growth.

Although the work is at a very early stage, it's the first time scientists have shown that turning on p73 could be a potential way to kill cancer cells.

And finally, two Cancer Research UK scientists have been awarded prestigious prizes.  Professor Steve West has won the Biochemical Society Novartis Medal and Prize, for his outstanding research in biochemistry.

And  Professor Steve Jackson has been awarded the Biochemical Society's GlaxoSmithKline Award. The prize is given every two years to a distinguished scientist under the age of 45, to reward research leading to new advances in medicine. We spoke to Professor Jackson on the phone to find out more.

Professor Steve Jackson

I'm absolutely delighted! Scientists, tend to work because we're interested in what we do - in my case, understanding how cells work at the molecular level - but it's also great to get recognition, and that's what this award represents.

What my lab is doing (and we've been funded for 16 years by Cancer Research UK to do this) is to understand how our cells respond to damage to DNA, and repair this damage. This prevent mutations taking place, and can prevent cancer occurring. What my lab is trying to do is understand how that works at a molecular level, and to use this knowledge to translate this into better understanding cancer, and hopefully treat cancer better in the long term.

Kat: Thanks Henry. And if you want find out more about these stories, or get the latest from the charity's scientists, and researchers around the world, then have a look at our News & Resources website.

Kat: Whether you're listening in London or Leith, Carrickfergus or Cardiff, Cancer Research UK is probably funding research or clinical trials near you. The charity supports scientists, doctors and nurses throughout the United Kingdom.

One area that's recently received a boost is clinical research in Wales.  Professor Tim Maughan is clinical director of the Wales Cancer Trials Unit, and a key member of the Wales Cancer Trials Network. Here he explains more about what's going on in Wales, and why it's so important.

Professor Tim Maughan

Professor Maughan explains that the WCTU was set up 18 months ago, as one of 9 accredited trials units set up to design and run major national cancer clinical trials across the UK. The WCTU is supported by Cancer Research UK, and the charityís support has made all the difference.

The WCTU, and WCTN, is important because it means that people in Wales can benefit from clinical trials. One of the main aims is to increase communication between laboratory scientists and clinical researchers, to turn lab discoveries into new treatments.

Cancer Research UK is helping to fund a large clinical trial of bowel cancer treatment, run by Professor Maughan.

Kat: Professor Maughan is running a national clinical trial called , which is testing treatments for bowel cancer. You can find out more about COIN, and many other cancer trials, on our clinical trials database on the CancerHelp UK website.

Kat: Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, and although the death rate from bowel cancer has fallen significantly in recent years, it still claims more than 16,000 lives every year.

Patients are usually given chemotherapy, but sometimes the cancer cells can become resistant to treatment and start growing again. I spoke to  Professor Paddy Johnston from Queenís University of Belfast, whoís investigating why this happens, and how we might be able to tackle it.

Professor Paddy Johnston

Professor Johnston explains that cancers become resistant to chemotherapy because they switch on certain genes. These genes help cells to survive the treatment, and carry on growing.

He is searching for genes that are switched on in patientís tumours in response to commonly-used bowel cancer drugs. He has found genes that may reveal whether a patient will benefit from these drugs. This paves the way for personalised, tailored treatment for bowel cancer in the future.

Kat:Thereís more about bowel cancer, including information about treatments and the latest developments in research, on CancerHelp UK. And you can find out more about all our research, across the UK on the News & Resources website.

Kat:One of my favourite things about working here is meeting the amazing men, women and children who raise money to fund our vital work.

Ashley Tapp is a keen sportsman. He is also a survivor of testicular cancer, and is running the London Marathon in April to raise money for Cancer Research UK. I met up with him to hear more about his experiences of being on a clinical trial, and to find out how his trainingís going.

Ashley Tapp

Ashley was diagnosed with testicular cancer two and a half years ago. He was on a Cancer Research UK-funded clinical trial, testing a new chemotherapy regimen to see if it caused fewer long-term side effects, such as lung damage. He was also given cisplatin and etoposide ñ drugs that Cancer Research UK helped to develop.

His training is going well, and he ran 20 miles yesterday! So far heís raised £2,330 for Cancer Research UK. Heís doing this because he wanted to give something back to an organisation that benefits people with cancer.

Kat: If youíd like to support Ashleyís marathon efforts, then you can donate online through JustGiving.

If youíd like to get involved in an event yourself, then have a look for ideas on our Support Us website. Of course, you donít have to run a marathon. For example, women can enter our 5 kilometre Race for Life series, while men can do 5 kilometres in a Run for Moore race to raise money for bowel cancer research.

And if you donít fancy that, then thereís loads of other less energetic ideas.

Kat: Weíve reached the end of the show so we hope youíve enjoyed the podcast. We want to know what you think of the show, so please leave your feedback about the podcast by filling in the  survey on our webpage. And donít forget that you can sign up to our RSS feed to get the latest Cancer Research UK podcast delivered straight to your computer every month. And if youíd like to get involved in our podcast, or simply let us know what you think, then email us at podcast@cancer.org.uk

I'll be back next month, when I'll be finding out how to be SunSmart, if the weather ever improves. Until then, goodbye!

• Credits:
• Presented and produced by Kat Arney
• News by Henry Scowcroft and Kat Arney
• Post-production by Henry Sowcroft
• Original music written and performed by Kat Arney and Henry Scowcroft
• With special thanks to Taslima Khan, Bill Bessant, and all the participants