Head and Neck Cancer
Precision Oncology Head and Neck Cancer
Head and neck cancers including both nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC). Although the term head and neck cancer comprises cancers of different causes and from different subsites, they do share a common anatomical region, which is characterized by many crucial structures with vital physiological function (e.g. swallowing, breathing, facial expression) packaged into a very small confined space of the head and neck regions.
Head and Neck Cancer Genomics, Radiomics and Immunomics (HNCGRI) Programme
NPC occurs when cancer cells develop from the tissues in the nasopharynx, the area behind the nasal cavity and above the back of the throat. The HNCGRI Programme aims to study the pre and post radiotherapy treatment tumors in recurrent NPC to identify the mutations that drive cancer development and causes the cells to become resistant to radiation therapy. These mutations could serve as targets for testing new therapeutic agents. In this area of study, NCCS has a strong collaboration with Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center in Guangzhou, China, and are recruiting 5000 NPC cases to analyze collectively to pinpoint the mutations leading to this cancer.
The HNCGRI Programme incorporates large “–omics” datasets, including genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, and radiomics to build robust models to personalize risk stratification and therapies in patients. The Programme has successfully developed a novel prognostic index (PRANCIS), which personalizes treatment recommendations for radioresistant NPC patients; and is currently collaborating internationally with two other cancer centers: OncoRay - Center for Radiation Research in Oncology (Germany) and Gemelli ART – Advanced Radiation Therapy (Italy) to combine Pyradiomics and MODDICOM pipelines for in-depth radiomics analyses of real-time treatment-captured CT images for adaptive radiotherapy planning in NPC patients.
The Programme also aims to improve NPC cure rates by studying the use of radiotherapy to trigger the patient’s own immune response to fight cancer together with the use of specific immunotherapy agents. For this, NCCS is collaborating with a local start-up biotechnology company with cutting-edge technology to map human immune responses against cancers and pathogens. The outcome of the collaboration aims to better understand anti-cancer immunity, improve and prolong the life of cancer patients. This inaugural collaboration will leverage the strengths and capabilities of both institutions for joint research and development projects aimed at understanding anti-cancer immunity with the ultimate objective of improving and prolonging the life of NPC cancer patients.
Understanding the Root Cause of Nasopharyngeal Cancer
The HNCGRI Programme will identify genetic mutations leading to NPC development and recurrences, and further analyze if these mutations could serve as molecular targets for novel therapeutics. The Programme will utilize the information extracted from large datasets to develop novel tools for personalizing treatments for NPC patients.
The programme will also define the immune responses triggered by radiotherapy, and improve current combinational treatment designs. Collectively, we aim to better understand the roots of NPC as well as immunity induced by radiotherapy to fight cancers, and eventually develop better combinational treatments to improve and prolong the life of individual cancer patients.
