Potential new Genes for early Prostate Cancer and Cancer Audit Report win main poster awards at CANCER 2008

Research identifying new genes which may predispose to prostate cancer and a Six Year audit of Cancer Care at St James’s Hospital were the main winners at the poster competition associated with the 6th International Cancer Conference at Dublin Castle (7th – 9th May 2008).  An international judging panel made three awards based on the posters presented at the meeting. Ms Therese Murphy, a HRB funded PhD in Molecular Medicine Postgraduate student and  Dr Antoinette Perry an Irish Cancer Society funded postdoctoral fellow working in the laboratory of Prof Mark Lawler, Institute of Molecular Medicine, St James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin, in collaboration with Prof Donal Hollywood Marie Curie Chair of Clinical Oncology, TCD and Mr Thomas Lynch Consultant Urological Surgeon, St James’s Hospital used an in silico computer based approach to identify new genes linked to cell death that may have relevance in the early detection of Prostate Cancer. 
Omer Raheem, a medical doctor doing postgraduate research in the same research group has identified a number of genes in a particular cell signalling pathway which are specifically deregulated in Prostate Cancer cells.  Both projects are part of the Prostate Cancer Research Consortium (PCRC) a research partnership between Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, Royal College of Surgeons and Dublin City University funded through the Irish Cancer Society. 
Commenting on the awards, Mr John Mc Cormack CEO of the Irish Cancer Society said that the Irish Cancer Society is delighted that research funded through its research arm Cancer Research Ireland has received recognition at this international meeting. “We are committed to Prostate Cancer care and we regard the Prostate Cancer Research Consortium as one of our Flagship Projects

A comprehensive audit of cancer activity at St James’s Hospital also received an award at the meeting.  Lead investigator Prof John Reynolds, Prof of Surgery at TCD stated that St James’s Hospital is committed to cancer audit and identifying key quality indicators of cancer services. This 6 year audit, which has been published last month, provides clear performance indicators for cancer care.