The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Cancer research is boost for patients and staffing hopes
Clinical trials by NHS Grampian are helping improve the lives of cancer patients while curtailing the disease across the north-east and attempting to attract staff to the region.
With NHS figures showing one in two people will develop some sort of cancer, research and collaboration is vital in not only treating people with the disease, but also as a preventative measure.
NHS Grampian has traditionally been involved in clinical research in cancer and it remains the health board’s main area of research.
Like most things during the pandemic, research was negatively affected, but it is now back to pre-pandemic levels.
And it is hoped top clinicians with an interest in the subject will be attracted to NHS Grampian to be part of the groundbreaking research at a time resources are stretched.
NHS Grampian has a strong working relationship with Aberdeen University when it comes to research at Foresterhill’s Suttie Centre.
Consultant breast surgeon Beatrix Elsberger said: “Giving patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials gives them the opportunity to take part in innovation and be part of changing treatments for the future to gain knowledge.”
Clinical trials involving a new drug, device or surgical technique go through a lot of safety measures before a patient is exposed to it.
Calling it a “controlled environment”, Ms Elsberger says this consists of going through ethics and several committees, where the findings can impact or change clinical practice for the better for future patients. One of the UKwide trials that NHS Grampian runs at the Aberdeen Breast Unit is Atnec, which looks at further treatment to the armpit after surgery to remove breast cancer.
Ms Elsberger is a steering group member of Atnec and the Aberdeen unit is the second highest UK recruiter into the trial.
Inspired by the phrase “no innovation without validation”, she believes validation itself comes through research.
NHS Grampian is focusing on the move to precision medicine, which looks at the genetics, environment and lifestyle of a person to select the treatment that could work best for them on an individual level.
By working with the university, the health board is able to get more funding for trials and expand its research, says consultant clinical oncologist Rafael Moleron.
He said: “We can work in a more aggressive way to provide the entire spectrum of knowledge.”
For example, in terms of breast cancer research, NHS Grampian is trying to have a clinical trial for every setting and for each stage of cancer (early, advanced and metastatic).
A biorepository at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) allows researchers from the university to work with a range of high-quality tumours, normal specimens and clinical data obtained from patients in the region.
The health board has also significantly invested in robotic surgery, with £5.7 million being invested in three devices in 2020, as well as ARI being home to Scotland’s first roboticassisted surgical system in 2015.
It has been well publicised that NHS Grampian has had issues with staff recruitment and this is no different when it comes to jobs in research.
However, Mr Morelon believes those with an interest in the field should consider a move to the north-east.
He said: “It’s important that people out there know, people who have an interest in working in research, basic relational or clinical research, that Aberdeen is a place where they can find interesting jobs.”
As medical research resumes in earnest after Covid brought much of life to a standstill, it is wonderful to see NHS Grampian continue with its clinical trials, aiming to improve the lives of cancer patients both locally and across the globe.
While the day-to-day care provided by hardworking NHS frontline staff is vitally important, medicine cannot progress without the thorough studies carried out by researchers. Though their work may not cross the public’s mind too often, we all owe so much to their dedication and innovation. From detecting breast cancer using artificial intelligence to “training” robots to assist with surgeries, NHS Grampian has long been at the forefront of cutting-edge medical technology, and its research is no less exciting or ambitious.
We hope this kind of forward-thinking approach to healthcare will not only inspire and comfort patients, but also attract the attention of enthusiastic and talented people working in medicine, who will bring their expertise to the north and north-east.