The world’s first research centre for recurrent head and neck cancer has opened at a leading London hospital.
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust has brought together world-class clinicians to advance research into the disease.
Head and neck cancer is an umbrella term for cancers of the nose, mouth, throat, voice box, thyroid and salivary glands. It is the eighth most common form of cancer in the UK with over 12,000 cases diagnosed each year.
It is currently estimated that between 20 and 40 per cent of head and neck cancers will return after treatment.
The International Centre for Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer (IReC) in London aims to ‘set international standards’ in treatment and care to improve outcomes for patients.
The International Centre for Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer (IReC) aims to ‘set international standards’ in treatment and care to improve outcomes for patients.
The team will create an international network of centres to enable the rapid rollout of clinical trials, and a genomics hub to offer personalised treatment.
Professor Vinidh Paleri, director of the IReC and consultant head and neck surgeon at the Royal Marsden said: ‘Treating recurrent head and neck cancer is incredibly challenging as these patients have already been treated, often with surgery and radiotherapy, which can cause anatomical changes, scarring, and impaired healing.
‘This means successfully treating the disease requires access to multi-speciality expertise, the latest drugs and surgical technology.
‘Through IReC, we aim to transform the treatment and care of recurrent head and neck cancer.
‘From building a better understanding of how the disease is managed across the UK through a national registry, to funding research into novel treatments and minimally invasive surgery, our work will drive better outcomes for patients at The Royal Marsden and across the world.’
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