Scientists at the School of Cancer Sciences have started a new study to understand why some cervical cancers are more aggressive than others.
Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. In the UK, there are around 3,300 new cases each year. The most common type is cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC).
Recent research by the University of Southampton revealed that CSCC can be divided into two categories (C1 and C2) based on their ‘molecular fingerprint’.
C2 cancers were found to be more clinically aggressive and have different genetic changes and a lower number of killer T-cells, the white blood cells responsible for killing tumour cells.
The new study will be led by Damian Amendra, an NIHR-funded academic clinical fellow in histopathology at the University of Southampton and a specialist registrar at University Hospital Southampton. It is funded by the Pathological Society and the Jean Shanks Foundation.
The study will take a more detailed look at the genes expressed by each individual cell (including cancerous cells, immune cells and stromal cells) within a set of CSCC samples previously donated by patients.
By studying the differences between C1 and C2 tumours in such fine detail, the team hopes to provide new insights into the biology of CSCC, understand why C2 tumours behave so aggressively, and identify new targets for cervical cancer treatment.
Dr Amendra said: “We have entered a new age of pathology and precision medicine that was spearheaded by large-scale projects such as the Human Genome Project and 100,000 Genomes Project that allow us to look at detailed molecular information in tissues, in high detail and on a large scale.
If we can better understand the biology behind the differences in C1 and C2 cancers, we may be able to move to more individualised treatments and targeted therapies that will improve the outcomes for our patients.”