NCCS Researchers Receive Grant To Pursue More Effective Treatments For Lymphoma And Kidney Cancer.
Wednesday, 31 Aug 2005

Singapore, 31 Aug 2005 - National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) will embark on two research projects which will help doctors improve the treatment of lymphoma and kidney cancers in Singapore. The Terry Fox Research Grant will award $100,000 to two NCCS researchers Dr Balram Chowbay and Dr Tan Min-Han.

Prof Soo Khee Chee, NCCS Director, says, 'Through such research projects, NCCS has been able to expand medical knowledge and expertise. Ultimately, our patients benefit from this cutting edge research. This is in line with NCCS' vision to become a centre of excellence for cancer diagnosis and treatment. We are grateful to the Terry Fox Research Grant for their support.'

New Study in Managing Lymphoma
Lymphoma ranks amongst the top 10 cancers in Singapore. Each year, NCCS treats approximately 150 to 200 new patients with lymphoma, two-thirds of whom have an aggressive form of the disease, which if left untreated will result in death within six months.

Currently, patients with aggressive lymphoma are treated with a regimen comprising four chemotherapeutic drugs in combination with a monoclonal antibody, commonly referred to as R-CHOP. However, a significant proportion of patients with advanced lymphoma are not cured.

Together with Dr Lim Soon Thye, a medical oncologist, Dr Balram, a senior scientist with over 8 years of research experience will investigate if intensification of this regimen would further improve the treatment outcomes of patients with advanced lymphoma. Their project will take up to one and a half years and will be conducted through clinical trials.

In addition, since interindividual variability in drug response and toxicity is a major problem in clinical medicine and has a genetic basis, Dr Balram and Dr Lim will also investigate how pharmacogenetic factors will affect response and survival of different ethnic groups receiving the intensified form of this regimen. Pharmacogenetics is the study of how an individual's genetic make up can determine drug efficacy and toxicity. 'Individual tailoring of treatment in cancer patients is extremely important to maximise therapeutic outcome and minimise toxicity for our patients,' says Dr Balram. Recent studies have shown that genetic DNA sequence variations called polymorphisms in genes greatly influence the response and toxicity profile of a drug.

Targeted Therapies to Fight Kidney Cancer
For Dr Tan Min- Han, the grant will be used to identify tumor-related genes that stimulate or repress tumor growth in kidney cancer. Dr Tan has recently been honoured with a Merit award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and is the second Singaporean to receive the award in its 20 year history. Kidney cancer is the 7th leading cancer in males in the United States, and is growing in incidence worldwide, for unknown reasons.

'Mapping cancer genomes is critical to the identification of novel genes for cancer development, survival and prognosis. Our goal is to pinpoint areas in the chromosomes that are likely to harbor such genes so as to develop successful targeted therapies for kidney cancer,' explains Dr Tan whose research is in collaboration with the Department of Urology at the Singapore General Hospital.

The implication and potential for development of targeted treatments using Dr Tan's research is vast. Indeed, the recently developed drug trastuzumab, a genetically-engineered monoclonal antibody that targets a particular cancer-related gene in breast cancer, has been developed with similar genetic research. Besides benefiting local kidney patients, it is hoped that Dr Tan's research will also benefit kidney cancer patients worldwide.

Collaborating closely with Dr Tan is Prof Teh Bin Tean, deputy director of the Van Andel Research Institute in Michigan, USA. Prof Teh believes, 'This project has profound and immediate implications, both for the development of new anti-cancer drugs in kidney cancer, as well as for kidney cancer genetics.'

Cutting edge Therapies
Research work conducted by NCCS has over the years offered patients with the latest cutting edge therapies. As a premier cancer centre, NCCS houses many clinician scientists who have clinched international and national awards. Their expertise is crucial in helping NCCS offer clinical excellence through a multi-disciplinary and holistic approach to cancer treatment.