Last week, Mr Keaton Jones, Consultant Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgeon and Wellcome Trust Early Career Fellow in the Department of Oncology attended a Pancreatic Cancer UK parliamentary reception at the House of Commons. The event, Driving Treatment Breakthroughs, brought together 50 MPs, government representatives, researchers, patients, and supporters to discuss how the UK can accelerate progress in pancreatic cancer treatment and improve outcomes for patients.
Alongside showcasing Pancreatic Cancer UK-funded research from Oxford, the event focused on the charity's calls for pancreatic cancer to remain a priority within the Government's National Cancer Plan. Key messages included improving access to personalised treatment through tumour testing, increasing access to clinical trials by ensuring eligible patients are linked to available studies, and increasing investment in pancreatic cancer research and treatment development.
With funding from Pancreatic Cancer UK’s Interdisciplinary Treatment Grants initiative, Mr Jones and Dr Michael Gray, Senior Research Fellow in Clinical Therapeutic Ultrasound, are co-leading a research project exploring how focused ultrasound can boost the immune response against pancreatic tumours. The team will investigate how different types of focused ultrasound therapy can alter tumour immunity and potentially render tumours sensitive to immunotherapy.
The reception highlighted the urgent need for action given the poor outcomes associated with pancreatic cancer and the limited treatment options currently available to many patients. Discussions throughout the event emphasised the importance of supporting research that can lead to new treatment breakthroughs and ensuring that patients can access innovative therapies and clinical trials more quickly.
The event provided an opportunity to engage directly with parliamentarians and policymakers about the challenges facing pancreatic cancer patients and the role that research, innovation and clinical trials can play in improving survival.