Edinburgh

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Overview

Our Centre

World class expertise in the early clinical development of new cancer therapies, built on a world leading pathway from clinic/theatre to bench and back again, and driven by strong national and international collaborations. The Edinburgh ECMC combines the strengths of discovery and translational science at the CRUK Edinburgh Centre, with robust clinical delivery at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, across broad disease areas and diverse treatment modalities. Focus areas for Edinburgh include immunotherapies, data and molecular targeting, and disease area leadership in breast, ovarian, brain, colorectal and renal cancers and Phase I populations.

Our patient population

The Edinburgh Cancer Centre covers the South East Scotland population of 1.5 million through central and peripheral clinics, as well as quaternary referral from elsewhere, treating all solid and haematological adult and TYA cancers. Each year, around 5000 patients start a course of systemic cancer therapy at the Edinburgh Centre, with another 2500 at our peripheral units. Last year (2019-2020), just over 1000 patients were recruited onto clinical trials.

Organisations affiliated with the Edinburgh ECMC:

University of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian, NHS Fife, NHS Borders, NHS Dumfries & Galloway

Our location

The Edinburgh ECMC is located in the city of Edinburgh, South East Scotland, within walking distance of the city centre and within 2 miles of the two main train stations: Edinburgh Waverley and Edinburgh Haymarket. As the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh is a major transport hub for trains, coaches and planes within the UK. Edinburgh International Airport is 6.5 miles by taxi and has excellent national and international connections.

Contact the Centre Manager:

Dot Boyle

Dorothy.Boyle@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

Address

Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre
University of Edinburgh
Crewe Road South
Edinburgh, EH4 2XR

Team Members

Professor David Cameron

Centre Co-Lead, Edinburgh

d.cameron@ed.ac.uk

+44 (0)131 777 3512

Prof David Cameron’s first degree was in mathematics from the University of Cambridge, and he received his medical degree in 1986 from St. George’s Hospital Medical School, London. After completing a fellowship and MSc in Clinical Oncology at the University of Edinburgh, he received a MD with distinction in 1997 and completed his training as a medical oncologist the same year. He is Professor of Oncology at the University of Edinburgh’s CRUK Centre and joint lead of the Edinburgh ECMC. In his clinical role at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, he has a focus on treating breast cancer, where he leads multiple international trials, and has recently been appointed chair of the Breast International Group (BIG). He has recently taken up a part-time director role within the Scottish Government funded Innovative Health Care Delivery Programme (IHDP) which seeks to enhance the use of data in cancer treatment and is Scottish Government R&D (CSO) clinical cancer research champion.

Dr Stefan Symeonides

Centre Co-Lead, Edinburgh

stefan.symeonides@ed.ac.uk

Dr Stefan Symeonides is a Medical Oncologist and Senior Clinical Lecturer in Experimental Cancer Medicine at the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre (University of Edinburgh) and at the linked Edinburgh Cancer Centre (NHS Lothian).

After clinical training in the UK (Cambridge, Edinburgh), Australia (Melbourne) & New Zealand (Christchurch), and research in academia, clinic & industry (AstraZeneca, various UK biotechs), he is now the joint lead for the Edinburgh Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, where he provides the link between Edinburgh’s laboratory discoveries and their clinical development. In the clinic, he runs the Edinburgh Phase I Cancer Trials Unit and also has a specialty focus on renal cancer. He also continues to work in drug development, as a medical advisor in CRUK’s Centre for Drug Development.

His research spans cytotoxic, small molecule, metabolic and even psychological therapies, but his main focus is immunotherapies, where he is the clinical lead for the Edinburgh Cancer Immunology network and co-lead for the ECMC Immunotherapy Strategy Group.

Dot Boyle

Centre Business Lead

Dorothy (“Dot”) Boyle is the Network Manager for the Scottish Cancer Research Network, South East. As the ECMC Business Lead, she ensures that finance and resources are allocated for the trials that are run across NHS Lothian. She is responsible for the management of Clinical and Data Management staff as well as the trials portfolio. Dorothy has been instrumental in development of the EDGE finance tool and the ECMC trials finder. With her education and background as a clinical research nurse, Dorothy has a global view of the trials process and an in depth understanding of the drivers that lead to successful clinical trial output.

Vivienne Wilson

Lead Research Nurse

Vivienne Wilson is the Lead Research Nurse for our Early Phase Team, working within the South East Scotland Cancer Research Network. Vivienne has over seventeen years of oncology research experience and works alongside her nursing team on a large portfolio of oncology clinical trials with disease and trial specialities including: Phase I, colorectal, upper GI, gynaecological, melanoma and cancer of unknown primary. She is also the Senior Research Nurse for Cancer Research UK (CRUK) at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre and within her role manages our Patient and Public Involvement Group. She collaborates with other CRUK Nurses and staff across the UK, enabling successful UK wide initiatives.

Scientific Team

Professor Malcolm Dunlop

Professor of Coloproctology and Consultant Colorectal Surgeon

malcolm.dunlop@igmm.ed.ac.uk

+44 (0) 131 537 1547

Professor Charles Gourley

Chair of Medical Oncology and Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology

charlie.gourley@igmm.ed.ac.uk

+44 (0) 131 651 8510

Dr Angela Bowman

Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre

angela.bowman@luht.scot.nhs.uk

+44 (0) 131 537 2196

Dr Larry Hayward

Consultant Medical Oncologist

larry.hayward@luht.scot.nhs.uk

Dr Robert O’Neill

ECAT Lecturer

robert.oneill@ed.ac.uk

Dr Olga Oikonomidou

Clinician Scientist in Medical Oncology

Operational Team

Alex MacLellan (E)

QA Manager

alex.macLellan@ed.ac.uk

+44 (0)131 651 8011

Lynne Johnstone

Research Assistant

+44 (0) 131 651 8010

Ria Kishen

Research Technician

+44 (0) 131 537 3151

Clare Bartos

Consentor/Processor

+44 (0) 131 537 2876

Mary Stoddart

Consentor/Processor

+44 (0) 131 242 2489

Pamela Haig

Consentor/Processor

+44 (0) 131 537 2669

Adult Expertise

Treatment Modalities

Immunotherapy

Small Molecules

Surgery

Facilities/Translational Research

Dedicated 24 hour stay facilities (including weekends)
Radiopharmacy
On-site pharmacy
PK testing facility
Biobanking facilities
Dedicated research staff
Snap freezing facilities
On-site ITU (intensive treatment unit)
On-site central lab

On-site support from other medical and surgical specialities including endocrine, ophthalmology etc.

Cancer Types

We have expertise in both solid tumours and haematological malignancies.

We have specific expertise in: Breast, ovarian, brain, colorectal and renal cancers, and Phase I populations.

Drugs/Treatment Modalities

Combination therapies
First-in-human and first in combination studies
Sytemic therapy, radiotherapy, surgical and supportive care studies

Radiotherapy

We have regular access to photon radiotherapy. We have research expertise in the following:

Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT)
Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT)
4-Dimesnional Radiotherapy (4DRT)
Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SBRT/SABRT)
Internal Radiotherapy
LDR & HDR

Molecular Diagnostic Testing

We have the following available on a routine basis to our patients.

Single gene testing
Disease specific NGS panel testing (next general sequencing)
Large NGS panel testing now starting

This is available for tumours and for ctDNA (circulating tumour DNA)

Case Study

Case Studies

Combining expertise in cfDNA and radiotherapy to explore its role in monitoring response and toxicity during treatment

Prof Tim Aitman's work on cfDNA has previously been described in the 2017-2018 report with the launch of translational studies across multiple tumour types. Prof Duncan McLaren and Prof Bill Nailon’s PRINToUT trial exploring biomarkers for stereotactic radiotherapy effects launched the same year, and linked in to the cfDNA programme as a component of the biomarker work (alongside breath analysis, cone beam CT imaging and a dose monitoring implant). This year, that successful cross-disciplinary collaboration has expanded to the PRENOTE study of cfDNA released during conventional external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer (Prof Duncan McLaren) as well as another study of cfDNA released during stereotactic radiotherapy in lung cancer (Dr Iain Phillips).

Impact:

Monitoring cfDNA has potential to provide real-time monitoring of early biomarkers of toxicity and efficacy during radiotherapy, with the goal of individualising radiotherapy dose in the future to maximise cure and minimise the risk of long-term side effects.

Early phase interventional trial: round up 2019/20

This has been an exciting year for progression of early phase interventional trials. For first-in-human (and first-in-class): trials of a C/EBPβ antagonist (ST101), a systemic TLR7 agonist (BNT411) and a prime-boost personalised cancer vaccine (NOUS-PEV), each led by Dr Stefan Symeonides in the UK, moved into set-up; trials of an intratumeral alpha-Gal immunotherapy (AGI-134) and a novel cordycepin chemotherapeutic (NUC-7738) opened; the CRUK CDD study of a Bicycle Drug Conjugate (BT1718, Medical Advisor Dr Stefan Symeonides) completed escalation; and studies of an MPS1 inhibitor (BOS172722) and a CHK1 inhibitor (SRA737) completed. For first-in-combination: the phase 2a mesothelioma and pancreatic arms of the FAK-PD1 trial (led by Dr Stefan Symeonides) completed; and the phase 1b first-in-combination ARCADIAN trial of the selective radiosensitiser atovaquone in lung chemoradiotherapy (collaboration led from Oxford) was funded. Other highlights included: funding of the cyclophosphamide immune re-sensitising study CAPER (collaboration led from Manchester); completion of the axitinib renal cancer neoadjuvant trial NAXIVA (collaboration led by Edinburgh/Cambridge); and publication of the OPERATIC olaparib CNS PK trial (collaboration led from Glasgow).

Impact:

Progression of this volume of early phase interventional trials, including first-in-class, first-in-human, shows the exciting number of innovative new therapeutics being brought to patients. It also provides evidence that the UK continues to be a leading country for the earliest phase of trials, with every one of those first-in-human or first-in-combination trials having their dose-finding stage in the UK.

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Scientific Team

Operational Team