Oncology
The Imperial College Faculty of Medicine Department of Medical Oncology is based at the Hammersmith Hospital site. Dr Harpreet Wasan, Consultant Medical Oncologist is the Trust lead clinician for gastrointestinal cancer and pancreatic cancer. A wide range of HPB-Oncology services at Hammersmith Hospital have been developed over the last 5 years. As part of an academic centre of excellence, research activity is strong, focusing on microarray analysis of pancreatic tumours with gene signatures.
Clinical trial activity increasingly involves newer technologies and treatments. Current studies include the first gene therapy study for pancreatic cancer in the UK as well as phase II studies of oral biological multi-targeted agents such as Axitinib.
New radiotherapy technology for IMRT will be operational by 2007 which will be used to combine with new compounds. The aim in pancreatic cancer is to try and convert inoperable patients with locally advanced tumours to operability after down-staging treatments. These are combined with biological gene and metabonomic signatures, which should help predict response and toxicity.
The biliary and gall bladder oncology practice is one of the largest and specialised in Europe and Hammersmith is involved in the development of national protocols and trials of which the ABC 02 trial is the largest of its kind in the world.
Biological studies for hepatocellular cancer and neuroendocrine tumours
(NETs) are underway, and involve development at a national level. The Hammersmith diagnostic and therapeutic options for NETs forms the basis of the most sophisticated system in the UK. The oncological management of colorectal liver metastases is within the context of trials with new agents and options for treatment such as SIR-spheres. These modalities are synergistic with surgical and interventional radiological options.