Jason Bacon, Chief Executive at St Mark’s Hospital Foundation, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“‘Boomers’ is one of our research projects and it is looking to identify what is causing the rise in early onset cancer (defined as bowel cancer in under 50yr olds).
Covered on the BBC and other mainstream media today, it is a great example of the three ingredients we bring to our research collaborations with scientists and labs (in this case with Prof Trevor Graham at The Institute of Cancer Research ).
- Clinical expertise
- Funded research fellows – thank you 40tude curing colon cancer – and
- A large group of patients interested in participating in research.
The St Mark’s Hospital and Academic Institute is part of the London North West Healthcare NHS Trust.
The samples being used in the ‘Boomers’ research project are from the 1950’s and 1960’s were taken from patients who had cancer at a young age then. These people would not have been exposed to microplastics and overuse of antibiotics (two of the theories of what might be causing the current rise of cancer in younger people). Until recently these samples were unusable for research purpose.
But the new lab equipment at the ICR lab can now use them to analyse them. It’s a brilliant collaboration and from St Mark’s led by Professor Kevin Monahan.
Thank you Kevin, thank you Trevor and the ICR and thank you to all the patients who have allowed us to use their samples for important research. Also thank you to everyone who supports the St Mark’s Hospital Foundation and Academic Institute.”