ABC UK IOPP (Improving Outcomes for Patients Programme) 2023

 GRANTS AWARDED IN 2023 

Following the on-going impact of COVID-19 (both on clinicians and on research) over  recent years, we were pleased to see strong applications being made in this round.

The grants awarded in 2023 are as follows. 

 

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 The Jack Birch Unit for Molecular Carcinogenesis, York Biomedical Research Institute at The University of York

 Project Title: Cancers going against the flow: identifying the origin of upper tract cancers which appear after a primary bladder tumour.

A project which looks at improving outcomes for those with bladder cancer by investigating recurrence. By screening DNA and RNA of multiple tumours from the same patients, the project aims to describe the relationship between these tumours, understand how they started, and inform methods for detecting recurrence.

Project Lead: Dr Andrew Mason

 

 

This project was also the recipient of the first Andrew Meadows Award - a special ABC UK award for a grant project felt to be of particular interest from each application round.  The Panel felt this was a potentially important study looking at the genetic relationship between primary upper tract disease and bladder cancer and investigating a long-standing conundrum in Urothelial Cancer, with translational importance and a potential impact on outcomes for patients. This study will also generate a large amount of data which will help to understand the origin of these cancers and have future uses, and will also support future development of this work and further funding applications.

The Andrew Meadows Award is an annual special Award within the IOPP Programme - which was launched in 2023.  A special in memory research Award given each year to the project which, in the view of the judging panel, is most deserving of special funding.  We wish to commemorate Andrew Meadows, who sadly died from bladder cancer in 2018 - this special Award is in his memory.   We thank Andrew's family for their generosity in supporting vital research into bladder cancer.

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The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

Project Title: Carbogen-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Bladder Cancer

Project Lead: Michael Dubec

 

A project looking at using carbogen gas to image patients receiving radiotherapy.

Inhalation of carbogen gas (98% oxygen and 2% carbon dioxide), during treatment, increases the effects of radiotherapy.  This could adapt treatment to aggressive tumour regions in the hope of improving treatment response and survival.

 

 

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The University of Surrey

Project Title: Investigation of gender-specific microbial and immunological differences in normal, healthy bladder.

Project Lead: Professor Hardev Pandha/Madhavi Natarajan.

A project investigating the bladder microbiome, looking at microbial and immune cell differences in normal, healthy bladder tissue to help knowledge on the context of normal vs abnormal tissue to assist the understanding of treatment effectiveness.

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ABC UK NURSING AWARDS 2022/2023

Grants awarded in 2023

We are delighted to award a 2023 grant to a very interesting project which looks at a neglected area of patient care.

 

 

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Urology Centre

 Project Title: Supporting female sexual function post radical cystectomy

 A project developing a programme to support rehabilitation in female patients who undergone radical cystectomy and help them to improve their sexual function (a neglected area of treatment).

Lidia Ksiazek, the CNS leading this project, was also a key speaker at the 2023 ABC UK Nurse Education Day in September 2023.

 

Project Leads: Lidia Ksiazek - Bladder Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist/Victoria Dawson - Consultant Urological Surgeon