Join Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald to hear about her practice-changing work on the early detection of cancer at the next CBC on Virtual Tour event. She will explain how she has developed the Cytosponge or ‘sponge on a string’ pill test as a screening tool to identify people at greatest risk of cancer of the food pipe (oesophagus) – from the initial idea through to the latest clinical trial results.
When cancer is found earlier it can be easier to treat successfully. Statistics from Cancer Research UK show that the ten-year survival rate for eight different types of cancer combined is more than three times higher if the disease is diagnosed at stage one or two, compared with survival rates when diagnosed at stage three or four.
Rebecca Fitzgerald is Professor of Cancer Prevention at the University of Cambridge where she directs a multi-disciplinary research programme on the early detection of cancer. Rebecca also practices medicine as an Honorary Consultant in Gastroenterology at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. The focus of her research group which is located in the Hutchison-MRC Research Centre on the Biomedical Campus, is on understanding how cancer of the oesophagus develops and applying this knowledge to the early detection and treatment of cancer of the oesophagus.
Her work on the development of the Cytosponge and related lab tests to detect the pre-cancerous condition, Barrett’s oesophagus has been awarded a number of prizes including the Westminster Medal in 2004, an NHS Innovation prize in 2008, the BMJ Gastro team of the year in 2016, and the CRUK Jane Wardle Prevention and Early Diagnosis Prize in 2018. In 2013, she was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
This event is part of the new series of the ‘CBC on Virtual Tour’ – the chance to learn more about the Cambridge Biomedical Campus where over 20,000 people at the forefront of the changing face of healthcare are working.
This event will be recorded and a link will be sent to all participants afterwards.