Media Image Professor David Cunningham, Gastrointestinal Cancers Theme Lead Upper gastrointestinal cancers have some of the poorest survival rates of all solid cancers. This theme will carry out research into cancers of the upper (oesophagus, stomach, pancreas and biliary system) and lower (colon and rectum) gastrointestinal tract. Our research will also include preventing and managing the adverse gastrointestinal side effects of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Theme aims To improve cure rates, and reduce overtreatment and complications, through precision surgery, radiotherapy, advanced imaging and molecular biomarkers To develop minimally invasive high precision diagnostics for early diagnosis To utilise biomarkers to select appropriate patients for treatment (including immunotherapies) Theme lead Professor David Cunningham (pictured above): expertise in early phase clinical trials of targeted agents and immunotherapies in gastrointestinal cancers
Our impact: Gastrointestinal Cancers The Royal Marsden and the ICR have a long-standing record of advancing progress in gastrointestinal cancer research, and have notably had a global impact in colorectal cancer, gastro-oesophageal cancer and pancreatic cancer.
Advanced radiotherapy could safely deliver curative treatment, with 90% of patients still free from significant bowel and bladder side effects after two years
