Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is the third most common Cancer in the UK. It is the second most common cause of death within the UK, after Lung Cancer. The five year survival rate for early stage CRC is 90%, whilst the 5 year survival rate for advanced stage CRC is less than 10%. Early diagnosis, effective screening and risk assessment is extremely important for the prevention of CRC progression and better survival rates.
Epigenetics is a new cutting edge area within genetics that is involved in Cancer progression. The “turning off” of tumour suppressing genes and DNA repair genes can lead to progression of Cancer. Why do these important genes “switch off”? Can they be “switched on” again? Risk prevention models have already been used in Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and Breast Cancer. In a clinical setting, the patient’s personal genetic characteristics are inputted into a risk prevention model to determine disease risk. A CRC risk prevention model is urgently needed. Patients at risk will, as a result, be managed more effectively.
This research, required to develop a risk prevention model, will be undertaken at the Wolfson Institute for Preventative Medicine and the Bart’s Cancer Institute (BCI). The Centre for Cancer Prevention is one of three departments within the Wolfson Institute for Preventative Medicine and conducts world leading research into the prevention of Cancer with particular focus on screening, early detection and chemo prevention.
The principal investigator, co-applicants and collaborator involved in this project are world leaders in Cancer Research and have excellent expertise in this area.
- Professor Jack Cuzick is the Director of the Wolfson Institute for Preventative Medicine and the Head of the CCP.
- Professor Sir Nicholas Wright is the Head of the Centre for the Tumour Biology Research Group at the BCI.
They lead a very strong team which, with our financial assistance over a three year period, will ensure the success of this vital research project.
Jaim Sutton and Professor Jack Cuzick