Cambridge Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)

The Cambridge ECMC aims to develop molecular prognostic and diagnostic tests to aid treatment decisions. The Centre focuses on genetic predisposition to cancer and the identification of high risk groups. This is being achieved by building on local strengths in genomics, pharmacogenetics, molecular pathology, molecular imaging, clinical informatics and computational biology.

The Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres Network
ECMC Network

Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres (ECMC) researchers are world-leading scientists and clinicians who drive the discovery, development and testing of new treatments to combat cancer. The funding supports over 200 staff involved in early phase trials and translational research. The ECMC Network is made of up 17 adult Centres and 12 paediatric locations across the UK. Find out more about the Centres.

Open public event in October 2023

Our 4th annual 'Experimental Cancer Medicine Demystified' event occurred on 20 October 2023.

The themes this year were precision medicine, ovarian cancer, paediatric cancer, radiotherapy, cancer immunology and cancer vaccines.

Benefiting patients

The Cambridge ECMC underpins all clinical trial activity within the CRUK Cambridge Centre, providing the vision and critical infrastructure necessary to translate our science into patient benefit. The Cambridge ECMC has focused on early phase clinical trials (EPCTs) and the discovery and development of cancer biomarkers and devices to characterise both the patient and their cancer.

Since 2012 the Cambridge ECMC has overseen the treatment of 7,740 cancer patients on over 230 clinical trials; 91 of these studies were supported directly by the Cambridge ECMC. All trials were conducted within the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH).

Find out more about the Cambridge ECMC programme here.

ECMC research in Cambridge

Cancer control will ultimately be achieved through prevention, through early diagnosis, through better use of currently available treatments, and through the development of new better targeted therapeutics. The Cambridge ECMC provides support related to each of these areas. In particular, the Cambridge ECMC provides infrastructure support for six broad research areas:

  • Early-phase clinical trials and experimental therapeutics
  • Tumour monitoring (advanced cancer imaging)
  • Tumour monitoring (liquid biopsy, cfDNA)
  • Predictive biomarkers
  • Translational research in late-phase trials
  • Screening and intervention in high-risk groups
Experimental Cancer Medicine Demystified Public Event

This event took place on Friday 14 January 2022.
The event provided an opportunity to share our current cancer research with patients and the public. There were a variety of talks by oncology specialists, researchers, nurses and patients on topics including; early phase trials in adults, public involvement in research, trials in teenage and young adults (TYA) and lung cancer.

Contacts

University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Department of Oncology
Programme Lead
University of Cambridge
Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute
University of Cambridge
Department of Oncology
University of Cambridge
Department of Oncology
Programme Manager