The MFICM currently encompasses a total of five open clinical trials and additional translational and clinical studies to collate real-time data from patients, which will be utilised to provide a big picture view of each patient’s disease and potential treatment pathway.
Patients treated on prospective clinical trials, are subject to advanced imaging approaches including hyperpolarized MRI, PET and endoscopy to track and monitor cancers including metabolic pharmacodynamic response to trial therapies. Tissues procured in parallel will be submitted for digital pathology testing and to the Cancer Molecular Diagnostics Lab (CMDL) for examination of tumour ‘omics and ‘liquid’ biopsies including ctDNA and circulating tumour cells (CTC).
Integration of these and imaging data will enable personalised assessment of each cancer to build appropriate stratification, treatment and prediction of disease response and resistance. Once established, the continual, iterative and integrated analysis of these complementary, complex data streams – made possible by advanced machine learning and other computational approaches will enables a new decision matrix for optimal cancer treatment selection and improved chance of cure.
The Mark Foundation Institute for Integrated Cancer Medicine (MFICM) at the University of Cambridge aims to revolutionise cancer care by affecting patients along their treatment pathway.
