King’s College London, has recently forged a partnership with the Tata Memorial Centre to promote research and education activities. Arnie Purushotham, Director of the King’s Health Partners Integrated Cancer Centre (ICC) gives more details on the partnership and shares some insights on cancer treatment in India, in conversation with Raelene Kambli
Give us some details about King’s College London and your association with it?
| Arnie Purushotham |
King’s College London is one of the top 30 universities in the world (2012/2013 QS international world rankings), the Sunday Times’ ‘University of the Year 2010/11’ and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, it has more than 24,000 students (of whom nearly 10,000 are graduate students) from 150 countries and more than 6,100 employees.
King’s has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise for British universities, its 23 departments were ranked in the top quartile of British universities; over half of our academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10 per cent in their field in UK and can thus be classed as world leading. The college is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of nearly £525 million.
The division of Cancer Studies at King’s College London is part of one of the leading cancer centres in Europe, the King’s Health Partners’ Integrated Cancer Centre. The division itself forms the major research activity of the Centre.
Our multidisciplinary research portfolio maps onto and spans the entire cancer patient journey. By fostering a culture of innovation in cancer patient care through research excellence, we aim to break down traditional clinical and academic boundaries and draw together members of the division and our associated major NHS partners to achieve a fully integrated cancer research pathway. This is reflected in the coordinated strategic planning that provides the foundations for our Integrated Cancer Centre.
The Integrated Cancer Centre’s mission is to combine first class clinical care with groundbreaking research to bring direct benefits to our patients and those from around the world. Staff in the Division and associated NHS partner hospitals foster a culture of innovation in cancer patient care through multidisciplinary research excellence. Our research covers programmes including those in haemato-oncology, breast cancer, epidemiology, cancer cell biology, thoracic cancer, prostate cancer, imaging and palliative care. Research teams are developing alternative and individualised patient care options, extending the clinical trials portfolio and palliative care programmes designed to optimise quality of life, as well as rigorously quantifying benefits for patients. The Division benefits from unique resources such as the Bio-Bank and the Thames Cancer Registry and the infrastructure support afforded through the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, the Comprehensive Cancer Imaging Centre and the Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) cancer theme.
As Director of the Cancer Centre, I have led the strategic partnership with the Tata Memorial Cancer Centre and continue to develop closer relationships with the 26 regional cancer centres in India.
I am also the lead for the Cancer Clinical Academic Group, Professor of Breast Cancer and Consultant Breast Surgeon.
Tell us about the MOU between King’s College London and Tata Memorial Centre. What is the focus of this partnership?
The MOU with Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) builds on a strong three year partnership between our institutions. The focus is very much on a mission of mutually beneficial programme of research and education that benefits patients in both India and the UK. We have an exciting and active exchange programme of healthcare professionals at all levels studying and visiting respective colleagues. Most recently two of our cancer centre’s lead lung cancer specialists spent time at TMC to learn how treatment and research opportunities in the field of lung cancer could be applied in the UK setting. We have active research programmes in breast cancer, epidemiology, clinical trials, cancer policy and public health.
Why did the Institute choose to partner with TMC in India?
TMC, Mumbai is one of the world’s finest centres for clinical cancer care. At King’s Health Partners Integrated Cancer Centre we have a unique focus on global cancer which aims to partner major cancer institutions and organisations in emerging economies. This global cancer health twinning approach, built on real collaboration around education and research is the best way to build the network for future cancer control. The experience of cancer in India has a great deal to teach and inform about care and research to high income countries as well as other emerging economies. The partnership with TMC, Mumbai has been a very effective way for our respective centres to work together on this ‘grand challenge’.
How do you plan to take this partnership forward?
We will continue driving forward programmes in key areas of research and training. We are engaging with the National Cancer Grid, a partnership of 26 regional cancer centres in India, particularly on major pan-India public policy issues such as healthcare manpower planning and developing systems of affordable cancer care. We are also currently working on a major review of cancer research across India with TMC and other members of the National Cancer Grid. This work is being led by Professor Richard Sullivan, Chair in Cancer Policy and Global Health at King’s College London.
Are there any more partnerships in the pipeline?
We will soon be partnering with the members of the Indian National Cancer Grid – 26 regional cancer centres.
What is your opinion about cancer treatment in India?
The burden of cancer in India is very different from what places like the UK experience. There are far higher volumes, cancer patients often present with more advanced disease, and the spectrum of the types of cancer (for example head and neck cancer is a major public health burden in India) makes cancer one of India’s most important health challenges. Many centres like TMC, Mumbai provide excellent care in highly challenging environments. Indeed, India has been a major innovator in rising to this challenge, from developing cost-effective cobalt-base radiotherapy (Bhabatron II), to driving the generic medicines research agenda through companies such as Cipla. However, India is hugely challenged in terms of being able to provide enough cancer care to meet the present and growing demand, delivering equitable care to all its citizens, irrespective of the ability to pay and creating affordable cancer care for all. One of the privileges of working with TMC, Mumbai and other regional cancer centres in India is being able to share mutual learning on how to develop such systems for the future.
How do we find a cure fo cancer and get new treatments to patients faster?
We need to do more research, and the review of the cancer research agenda in India we are carrying out with our colleagues in TMC, Mumbai and other regional cancer centres within the National Cancer Grid will, we hope, help to inform and frame this essential area of public policy. Research is the only solution to delivering affordable treatments and new ways of prevention for the future. Getting new treatments to all patients is a huge challenge and can only really be achieved once the systems for delivering affordable and equitable care are in place. Our experience with TMC and other Indian cancer centres has shown us that the cancer community in India is unequivocally dedicated to achieving this; what they need is political and financial support to deliver on this. Social justice for cancer in India is entirely achievable.