Progress, issue 27

Five alive!Celebrating fi ve glorious years of The Marsden March

Take on The Big CWhich challenges could you do this September?

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Fun with fossils

Welcome to the latest issue of Progress, in which we look at the exciting fi eld of robotic surgery, and

how the generosity of supporters like you can help us train the next generation of robotic surgeons.Our new da Vinci robot, generously funded by long-time hospital supporter Don McCarthy and his children, will allow us to train up to 10 specialist robotic surgeons over the next 10 years. But we need your help to do this. We need to raise £80,000 to start training our fi rst surgeon this year. You can help by making a donation today or by taking part in this September’s Big C Challenge, back for its second year. We’re asking supporters to join us on a month of simple sponsored challenges that begin with C. With your help, we hope to reach our Robotic Fellowship target so that we can start training our fi rst robotic surgeon in 2015.I hope you enjoy this issue.

Let’s rise to the challenge

R. Ian Molson Chairman, The Royal Marsden

What you’re tweeting

Finally home after two weeks in @royalmarsden hospital! What an amazing hospital… from the food to the care… what a credit to the #nhs.Laura J (@Laura_Cianna)

22 years down the line, off to the @royalmarsden today for my two year check up... such a brilliant hospital and they do so much great work.Mark (@marktasker20)

Your support counts

Young patients at The Royal Marsden’s Oak Centre for Children and Young People in Sutton enjoyed a special visit from scientists from London’s Natural History Museum earlier this year. Some of the exhibits they brought along included fossils, insects and specimens of deep-sea creatures – some millions of years old. A morning session was held for younger patients, with an afternoon session for teenage patients. Leon Sateney, aged 7, said: “My favourite part of the visit was seeing the dinosaur skull and fossils.”

The event came about after the museum joined the Charities Forum, the group of organisations for which TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and HRH Prince Harry serve as presidents or patrons, of which The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity is also a member. Cally Palmer, Chief Executive of The Royal Marsden, said: “Working with the Natural History Museum through the Charities Forum has provided us with a wonderful opportunity to explore how we can work collaboratively for the benefi t of patients.”

The children enjoyed the hands-on visit from the Natural History Museum

2 The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity

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The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity has helped to fund a new radiotherapy system, the MR Linac, which will be used by The Royal Marsden and The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) as part of a research collaboration with healthcare company Elekta.

The MR Linac combines two technologies – magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a linear accelerator (linac) – in one machine. For cancers that are difficult to scan and target with radiotherapy, the MR Linac allows radiation fields to be adapted to each patient’s anatomy to improve tumour control and reduce side effects.

Professor Christopher Nutting, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden and Joint Head of the Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging at the ICR, said the research was “hugely exciting”. Royal Marsden and ICR physicists, computer scientists, clinical consultants and radiographers will be supporting Elekta’s pre-clinical research programme before the MR Linac is made available to patients.

Charity funds new radiotherapy kit

3m+

Over to you…

people watched Panorama – Can You Cure My Cancer? on BBC One on 11 February

Sadie Rance was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer in September 2013, and raised over £35,500 for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity before she sadly passed away in March 2015. Her husband Jason and their family and friends took part in numerous fundraising events, including cycling the length of the country and taking on the Nuts Challenge Assault Course. “It is an amazing amount of money,” said Jason, “but I think it’s the least we could do after everything The Royal Marsden did for Sadie.” Tell us your own fundraising story by writing to [email protected]

BBC puts us in focus

Dr James Larkin and patient Vicky Brown featured in the documentary

he Royal Marsden and The Institute of Cancer Research featured in an hour-long BBC

Panorama documentary in February that focused on our groundbreaking drug development work.

Can You Cure My Cancer? looked at the science behind drug trials, as well as the patients’ views on being part of experimental treatment.

Seven patients who were undergoing drug trials at The Royal Marsden took part. They were filmed by the television crew for a year during their hospital visits and at home with their families.

Several of the patients were treated in the Oak Foundation Drug Development Unit in Sutton, which is dedicated to finding the next breakthrough in cancer treatments.

The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity funded the unit 10 years ago, and has now committed to fund a £9 million research grant over the next three years to help our world-class experts find the next breakthroughs.

Turn to page 4 for more about the research we are funding.

You can still watch Panorama – Can You Cure My Cancer? on BBC iPlayer.

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www.royalmarsden.org 3@royalmarsden royalmarsden


Thanks to you

A long with funding research staff and trials, The Royal Marsden’s translational

research programme has involved the purchase and installation of new equipment and facilities across both Chelsea and Sutton.

One such new addition is the Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR)machine, which will support the increasing amount of molecular testing being conducted on patients.

Dr Brian Walker, Senior Scientist at the Centre for Molecular Pathology, says: “Our new ddPCR machine is critical to our work in circulating tumour DNA. It will allow us to analyse blood samples

in order to carry out molecular diagnosis and to monitor a patient’s progress, rather than taking a biopsy. This has clear benefits, as a biopsy can be invasive and risky.”

The £9 million grant will also fund new projects in breast, prostate, and head and neck cancers, as well as in drug development and targeted radiotherapy equipment to ensure that physicists and radiographers have the best possible images in order to plan radiotherapy. Targeted treatment ensures that healthy tissue is not exposed to radiotherapy, and we can give higher doses to the cancerous cells.

In the final part of our series on the £9 million, three-year translational research programme funded by The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, we explain how advances in molecular testing are enhancing diagnosis

DNA diagnosis: it’s in our blood



What is circulating-tumour DNA?Tumours shed DNA into the bloodstream, so our scientists can test a blood sample for this circulating tumour DNA to establish whether a cancer has returned. We also look at the types of mutations in the tumour DNA to see if they are important in driving cancer growth.

What is radiotherapy?Radiotherapy is the use of high-energy X-ray radiation to treat cancer.Modern techniques shape the beam of radiation to precisely target the tumour, meaning that any damage to healthy tissue and organs is minimised.

“�With�next-generation�sequencing,�we�� can�analyse�blood�samples�to�diagnose�and�monitor�patients��rather�than�taking��a�biopsy”

£9mcommitment by

The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity for research at

The Royal Marsden

40%of cancers

are cured by radiotherapy

clinical patient samples have been tested by Molecular

Diagnostics since 2007

10,000www.royalmarsden.org 5@royalmarsden royalmarsden


The future of cancer

surgery is in your hands.

Help us train the next generation of surgeons. Now.

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Help us to raise £80,000 so we can begin training a specialist in robotic surgery this year Mr Pardeep Kumar, Consultant Urological Surgeon and Robotic Surgery Lead for The Royal Marsden, says:

“I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from some of the best surgeons in the world. This has broadened my skills and benefited the patients I operate on.

“But it is vital to make sure we can train the next generation of surgeons. The Robotic Surgery Fellowship on the new da Vinci Xi will allow us to do this.

“As well as enabling consultant surgeons like me to supervise the trainees during live surgery via the da Vinci Xi’s dual console – at no risk to the patient – the new robot also features a virtual reality simulator, which gives trainee surgeons the opportunity to practise new techniques without having a patient present.”

At The Royal Marsden, robotic surgery has transformed the way we perform operations. Since 2007, we’ve completed more than 1,000 robotic surgical procedures.

Our surgeons manipulate robotic arms to make microscopic incisions with far greater accuracy and control compared with open surgery. For cancer patients, this means they lose less blood, experience less pain, recover more quickly and spend less time in hospital.

Now, our brand-new da Vinci Xi robot allows us to not only operate on multiple parts of the body, but also train new robotic surgeons via the system’s dual console. We’re launching the UK’s first Robotic Surgery Fellowship – we need your help to get it started in 2015 and train our first surgeon.

What is robotic surgery?

“ Our Robotic Surgery Fellowships and the da Vinci Xi will allow us to train the next generation of robotic surgeons”

We need £80,000 to help make the first Robotic Surgery Fellowship happen this year, and to enable us to train the surgeons of tomorrow, today.

How your support can make this happen

With the installation of the new da Vinci Xi and its dual-console capability, we want to run the first Robotic Surgery Fellowship this year.

During training, our robotic surgeons will focus on three different types of cancer – urological, gynaecological and colorectal – so they can operate on tumours anywhere in the pelvic and abdominal region.

So if a cancer spreads from the prostate to the bladder, the robotic surgeon will be able to operate across both specialities. This reduces the need for further open surgery and for several surgeons to be involved – meaning less complex, more efficient procedures and a speedier recovery for the patient.

Why do we need your help?

“ Surgeons will be trained to operate on different cancers and multiple sites, meaning less complex, more efficient procedures and a speedier recovery for the patient”

To find out more about how you can help, visit

www.royalmarsden.org/robotic£80k

3different specialities

covered in the fellowship – gynaecological, urological

and colorectal

“ Robotic surgery has transformed how we perform operations”

is needed to fund the first Robotic Surgery

Fellowship

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5 he Marsden March celebrated five years of fundraising this spring, as 5,500 supporters

walked between the Chelsea and Sutton hospitals to raise funds for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

The annual event started in 2011, with 2,000 participants walking the full 14-mile route or the family-friendly five-mile section at the end. The amount raised in the first four years totals almost £5 million, with early indications that this year’s total is on track to reach our fundraising target of £1.6 million.

Margaret and Stephen Hanks (above) took part in that inaugural Marsden March after Margaret was diagnosed with myeloma – she was referred to The Royal Marsden, where she continues to receive

This spring, thousands of patients, staff, family and friends came together for the fifth annual Marsden March to support The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. We hear from two amazing supporters who have been with us from the very start

Did you know that you can organise your own Marsden March, any time, anywhere? With My Marsden March, you don’t have to wait until next year to walk in support of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. To find out more, visit www.royalmarsden.org/mymarch

Our supporters

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The 2016 Marsden March will take place on Sunday 13 March. See more photos, read marchers’ stories and find out how to register for next year’s event at www.royalmarsden.org/march

20112,000 marchers raise £829k

20124,000 marchers raise £1.2m


20155,500 marchers on target to raise £1.6m

“�This�year,�5,500�walkers�took�part�in�the�Marsden�March�–�more��than�ever�before”

126m steps taken in total by 4,000 of our supporters on the 14-mile walk

taking part. The spring sunshine always makes an appearance too!”

Stephen adds that he and Margaret found The Royal Marsden to be “absolutely exceptional. It’s not just the clinical care – it’s that everybody associated with the hospital is helpful and many go beyond the call of duty.”

Among the 5,500 walkers this year were several familiar faces. Richard and Fred Fairbrass from pop band Right Said Fred started the walk in Chelsea – Richard has also walked in every Marsden March since 2011. And award-winning comedian Tim Vine kicked off the five-mile walk from King George’s Playing Fields, Lower Morden. Charles Hallatt (left), Chairman of event sponsors Banham, also took part with a team of employees.

Amanda Heaton, The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity’s Community and Corporate Fundraising Manager, says: “A big thank you to everyone who gave up their Sunday to take part in our fifth Marsden March – we had more walkers than ever before. We were overwhelmed with the support we have received from our walkers, volunteers, staff and celebrities.”

treatment every eight weeks. The couple, from Surrey, are now in their late sixties, but have completed the 14-mile route every year since. “We enjoy the whole route, but the highlight has to be the sea of balloons and marchers at the start,” says Stephen. “It’s really special.”

The marchers always get a great response. “We get passers-by cheering us on, as well as cars tooting their horns,” he says. “It really spurs you on, especially when your legs are starting to feel it!

“The whole day has a fun feel. In Nonsuch Park [close to the Sutton hospital], there’s often a band to help you through the final few miles. It’s always a really inspirational day, and it’s so moving to read the other walkers’ panels to see why they’re




here are many ways that people can celebrate a landmark birthday.

Supporting The Royal Marsden, through Special Occasion Giving, is just one.

Aida Niven, a former patient of The Royal Marsden, decided that her 60th birthday was the perfect opportunity to celebrate her special day a little differently.

Aida was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma in 2012. After treatment at The Royal Marsden, she was given the all-clear.

The support and care Aida received while undergoing treatment at the hospital inspired her to give something back. So for her 60th birthday, she asked her friends and family to donate to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, instead of buying her presents.

“I received amazing care from The Royal Marsden,” she says.

“�At�my�age,�I�don’t�need�presents�or�more�material�things,�so�I�asked�guests�to�support�The�Royal�Marsden�instead”�Aida Niven, former patient of The Royal Marsden and charity supporter

�How�to�get�involved

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A�good�cause�for�celebration“At my age, I don’t really need presents or more material things. So I spoke to my husband and family, and we came up with the idea of asking our guests to support the work of The Royal Marsden instead.”

Aida celebrated her 60th birthday with a party in her local village hall, which was attended by over 100 friends and family. “My friends were incredibly supportive – I was quite overwhelmed on the day,” she says. “I think it helped them in dealing with my diagnosis too, and it has since brought us all closer together.”

If you have a birthday, anniversary or wedding

coming up, you too can use Special Occasion Giving to support the work of

The Royal Marsden and make a donation in lieu

of gifts. For more information, contact the Special Occasion

Giving Team on [email protected]

or 020 7811 8073

14��The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity

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All you have to do is ask your friends and family to sponsor you to take on a series of challenges beginning with the letter C – such as giving up coffee, wearing canary yellow and crunching 10 sit-ups. If just 800 people raise £100 through their Big C Challenge this September, we’ll be able to make the Robotic Surgery Fellowship a reality and begin training our first surgeon this year. This will make a really big difference to the treatment we can offer to our patients.

£80k is needed to run the first Robotic Surgery Fellowship

This year, join us for a range of fun and easy C-themed challenges throughout September, such as a round of crazy golf, wearing your craziest, most colourful socks, using your camera to snap things beginning with C, or getting in the saddle for a spot of cycling

Help us take on the Big C this September

The Big C Challenge is back! This September, join us for a month of fun challenges and help us raise £80,000 to fund the training of a specialist robotic surgeon via the first Robotic Surgery Fellowship

Three simple steps to get your Big C Challenge started today

1 For more information, visit www.royalmarsden.org/bigC

2 Set up a Big C Challenge fundraising page at www.justgiving.com and

share it with everyone you know

3 Share photos of your Big C Challenge on Twitter using #BigC during September


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Get involved

1 August

Mudnificent SevenPrepare to get muddy at this race through sodden Warwickshire fields. This fun obstacle course is only for the toughest! Visit www.royalmarsden.org/mudnificent-7

8-9 August

London TriathlonTaking place around London’s ExCeL Exhibition Centre, this event has five different distances and a relay option, so there’s something for everyone! Register for your place before Sunday 26 July. Visit www.royalmarsden.org/london-triathlon

19 June

Jump JuneExperience the thrill of a lifetime and the sheer exhilaration of a 120mph freefall! We have 20 places up for grabs at this unique Royal Marsden Parachute Day at Salisbury airfield. Visit www.royalmarsden.org/parachute

May onwards

Spartan RaceThis is the world’s largest obstacle race, designed for fundraisers of all ages and abilities, with three distances to choose from. Comprising exciting obstacles and challenges, this is the perfect all-round fundraising event. Visit www.royalmarsden.org/spartan-race

2015

Have fun and raise money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. To find out how you can get involved and help make a difference to people with cancer, please visit www.royalmarsden.org/do-something

6 December

Santa RunJoin our team and don a Santa suit for this fun-filled 5km or 10km run, which returns to Victoria Park for another year. Visit www.royalmarsden.org/santa-run

5-9 September

The Big Cycle London to ParisA unique opportunity to join one of Europe’s great cycle rides. Visit www.royalmarsden.org/london-to- paris-cycle

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Progress, issue 27

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