Summary
Team leader: Prof Rob Coleman
The bone oncology team has six ongoing areas of research that will continue to be developed.
Clinical Studies
- Use of bisphosphonates to prevent the development of bone metastases and to protect the skeleton from treatment induced bone loss
- Development of bone specific treatments
- Late effects of cancer treatments on skeletal health (see Late Effects Research)
Laboratory based studies
- Investigating mechanisms and therapeutic strategies to modulate the interface between cancer and bone.
- Studies of molecular and cellular interactions involved in cancer-induced bone disease in breast and prostate cancer
- Elucidating the role of the bone microenvironment in driving primary tumour growth
Background
The Department has an international reputation in the management of bone metastases especially in the context of advanced breast cancer. We continue to perform a variety of treatment studies and have developed our translational research activities through a number of project grants and a programme grant from Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Our work on the role of bone biochemical markers in advanced malignancy has been a major interest in recent years, leading to some landmark publications and forming the basis for a CR-UK supported national clinical trial, BISMARK.
Sheffield is co-ordinating a large international trial of adjuvant treatment with zoledronic acid in early high-risk breast cancer (AZURE). Recruitment of 3360 patients has been completed. In addition to the clinical questions this trial will answer over the next few years, the study will provide clinical material for a range of translational studies.
Following on from the development of the bisphosphonates, a range of new bone targeted therapies are in development. We have been involved in the early phase development of denosumab and anticiapate a number of other novel therapies to be made available to us over the next few years.
Sheffield is unique in the United Kingdom in terms of its expertise in bone oncology and has laboratory programmes of research within the medical school in myeloma bone disease, prostate cancer and breast cancer. Dr Holen heads up the breast cancer group which has been successful in achieving international recognition and securing a number of grants to fund her team.