Irish Cancer Society announces further investment in blood cancer research

Mater and Beaumont hospitals to join Blood Cancer Network Ireland. More blood cancer patients to benefit from network expansion 

The Irish Cancer Society is delighted to announce a further significant investment in blood cancer research that will benefit more patients across Ireland. The national cancer charity is committing €450,000 over the next five years to support the expansion of Blood Cancer Network Ireland, a new clinical research network for blood cancers.

Blood Cancer Network Ireland (BNCI) was established by the Irish Cancer Society and Science Foundation Ireland in 2015 to provide blood cancer patients across Ireland improved access to novel drugs and treatments through early stage clinical trials.

On foot of that investment, the Irish Cancer Society is today announcing a further commitment of €100,000 per annum over the next four and a half years to support and facilitate the Mater University Hospital and Beaumont Hospital to join the clinical research network. As of February, both hospitals will join existing clinical research facilities in NUI Galway, University College Cork, and St James’s Hospital/ Trinity College Dublin to extend the reach of the network into all four Health Service Executive regions.

The funding commitment by the Society will support consultant haematologists, Professor Peter O’Gorman, Mater University Hospital, and Dr John Quinn, Beaumont Hospital, and clinical research staff to roll out clinical trials to blood cancer patients in the HSE Dublin/ North East region. The network expansion will ultimately enhance access to clinical trials for blood cancer patients attending cancer treatment centres across the HSE Dublin/North East, HSE Dublin Mid Leinster, HSE West and HSE South regions.

Commenting on the Society’s funding commitment, BCNI Director Professor Michael O’Dwyer, Professor of Haematology at NUI Galway, said the expansion plans would benefit more blood cancer patients and put Ireland on the map in the field of blood cancer research: “The expansion of Blood Cancer Network Ireland will not only benefit more blood cancer patients right across the country but will also consolidate the investment to date by the Irish Cancer Society and Science Foundation Ireland and make Ireland internationally competitive in blood cancer research.”

Consultant haematologist at the Mater University Hospital and Professor of Experimental Haematology at Dublin City University, Professor Peter O’Gorman, said joining the network would bring greater hope for more blood cancer patients: “Over the last five years tremendous progress has been made in participation in clinical trials, providing early access to many Irish patients with blood cancer to the best available treatments. More recently we have started to develop new trials initiated by Irish investigators and joined by international collaborators. Blood Cancer Network Ireland (BCNI) will focus on further developing early phase clinical trials. A key component of the BCNI approach will be developing scientific research and bio banking in tandem with the clinical trial programme”.

Consultant haematologist at Beaumont Hospital, Dr John Quinn, added that joining the network would also strengthen the research capabilities of the hospital and the network: “We have been developing our clinical trial practice in haematology at Beaumont over the past five years, however this major investment by the Irish Cancer Society will open up even greater access to blood cancer clinical trials and the latest treatments for our patients, and also strengthen the network as whole”.

Commenting on the additional significant commitment by the Society to this national clinical research network, Head of Research, Dr Robert O’Connor said: “This additional investment in the expansion of Blood Cancer Network Ireland demonstrates our absolute commitment to innovative and life-changing cancer research and to ensuring that Irish patients benefit from the latest advances in cancer care and treatment.”

Every year more than 1,500 people across Ireland are diagnosed with blood cancer. Blood cancers are the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths in Ireland.

For further information about BCNI visit www.bloodcancers.ie.