蓝莓视频

At Hammersmith Hospital鈥檚 newly-opened oncology outpatients clinic, clinician scientist Dr David Pinato speaks of the 鈥渂eauty鈥� of creating new cures for cancer and giving hope to patients who are out of options.

Also, a leading oncology consultant at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, clinical reader at Imperial College London and a key member of the 蓝莓视频 Imperial BRC Surgery and Cancer Theme, Dr Pinato leads a team of doctors, nurses and researchers offering brand new treatments as part of a suite of clinical trials. The patients they recruit from across the UK and all over the world are often the first to receive these cutting-edge treatments.

New treatments, tried and tested technologies

Among the most exciting new therapies being trialled are some of the mRNA-based drugs that may have the potential to treat a variety of cancers by preventing them from spreading through the body.

These 鈥渋nnovative鈥� new therapies use similar technology to the COVID-19 vaccines, which were accelerated during the pandemic following years of extensive research, to protect millions of people worldwide.

鈥淚t’s very innovative because it could enable their body to do the work and block the cancer directly. These treatments work by helping the body create defences against specific proteins that help aggressive cancers to grow more quickly,鈥� said Dr Pinato.

鈥淭he idea with this kind of technology is to inject patients with a series of precise and often personalised instructions in the form of mRNA that might facilitate the immune system鈥檚 ability to recognise and clear the cancer better.

鈥淭his approach is very innovative because it will enable the patient鈥檚 body to do the work and block the cancer directly.鈥�

This new approach differs from current targeted treatments, where antibodies that block cancer growth are made in a lab and given to a patient via infusion. The latter comes with the risk of allergic reactions or that a patient鈥檚 immune system might kill the new antibodies.

Trials at the cutting-edge of medical science

Clinical trials at the Trust are supported by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (蓝莓视频) 鈥� it awarded the 蓝莓视频 (BRC) 拢95m in 2022 to continue providing essential infrastructure to run clinical trials like this.

However, with treatments as new as those being trialled at this clinic, researchers are not always certain what potential side effects could later arise.

鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting but it can also be daunting for us, and of course for the patient,鈥� 鈥淚magine as a clinician you鈥檙e using a drug that鈥檚 maybe never been used before and you might not know what the side effects will be.

鈥淎 lot of the time my job is literally facing the unknown, navigating without a compass. But there is a lot of beauty in it. And I鈥檓 surrounded by young clinicians who come here to learn how to use cancer medicines for the first time. It鈥檚 an interlinked journey of learning, patient care and research, and it鈥檚 actually quite unique鈥� said Dr Pinato, whose research is also supported directly by the 蓝莓视频 Imperial BRC.

Immunotherapy for liver cancer

Another experimental therapy being trialled by the Trust and Imperial College London is a new form of immunotherapy against liver cancer, as Dr Pinato explains. 鈥淲e are amongst the first centres that have been trying to use immunotherapy to treat liver cancer. Usually immunotherapy is used as a way to boost the patient鈥檚 immune system when, unfortunately, the cancer has spread outside the liver.鈥�

This can increase the length of time a patient has to live but not cure them. 鈥淲hereas we鈥檙e trying a different approach, funded in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies and partnered with Imperial College London, to use the immunotherapy in a patient before they have surgery to remove a tumour so that you improve the chances of them being cancer-free forever.鈥�

Callan鈥檚 story

The new outpatient unit at Hammersmith Hospital welcomes patients receiving a range of experimental trial therapies. One patient who has been taking part in a clinical trial is Callan Rogers, a mountain climber and mixed martial arts fighter who has also been sharing the story of his cancer journey with his thousands of TikTok and Instagram followers.

Diagnosed two years ago with cancer that has spread to his lung, Callan has experienced multiple rounds of different chemotherapies. Some treatments were sparing enough to let him continue his fitness regime, but others left him feeling 鈥渟tripped of everything鈥� 鈥� without enough strength to walk and in too much pain to eat. A round of blood stem cell high-dose chemo saw his body weight plummet from 82kg to 54kg in two weeks.

But when he began the trial, Callan said his appointments were a 鈥渂reath of fresh air鈥�. He now feels 鈥減roud鈥� to have played a part in enabling the discovery of cutting-edge cancer treatments that could save lives.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a breath of fresh air because it鈥檚 been a great change of pace. They really look after me. I actually feel quite happy when I do come to the hospital now,鈥� he said.

鈥淔or a while everything was quite daunting, I was nervous, anxious.

鈥淚鈥檝e started realising I have more to offer. Doing chemo you feel like you鈥檙e going through the motions a bit and feeling negative. Now it feels like I can actually help people. And I鈥檝e been posting about it on social media.鈥�

Callan continued: 鈥淪ometimes you don鈥檛 realise how much you can be helping people.

鈥淚 had a message from someone saying their husband had decided to go ahead with one of the [trial] treatments I鈥檝e done in the past because they saw me post about it, when the alternative was no treatment at all.

鈥淪o yes I am quite proud of myself. Not every day, you have fluctuations, but some days I think to myself 鈥榊es this is the future of treatment鈥�.鈥�

Patients today driving solutions for tomorrow

The trials can only happen thanks to the generosity of the patients who agree to participate despite being told there are potential risks, and that the chances of success aren鈥檛 certain.

Dr Pinato said, 鈥淭here鈥檚 something I always tell my patients when they have reservations, it鈥檚 that this is the only chance of us having new treatments or even the treatments we have today. They were only researched maybe six months ago, or a year ago, or 10 years ago 鈥� today鈥檚 medicines were yesterday鈥檚 research.

鈥淪ometimes you don鈥檛 realise how much you can be helping people.鈥� – Callan Rogers, patient

鈥淎 lot of people come here for that sense of altruism, that sense of something bigger. But unfortunately, when treatments haven鈥檛 worked, that residual sense of gratitude and having enabled change is the strongest driver.鈥�