Doctor Corrado D ' Arrigo and his team Bottom : Dr ' Arrigo in his laboratory
GROUNDBREAKING CANCER RESEARCH
A year after the official opening of the Poundbury Cancer Institute we met with its founder Doctor D ’ Arrigo to discuss its pioneering work
Within minutes of walking into the Poundbury Cancer Institute and meeting the staff , it is instantly clear that the centre ’ s founder Dr D ’ Arrigo aims to put its work at the forefront of cancer research . In what the team describe as a very uncertain time for the NHS nationally , they are attempting to put pathology at the forefront of diagnosis so that cancer is treated more specifically , therefore giving the patient a higher life expectancy . Originating from Italy , Dr D ’ Arrigo founded the centre after finding a need evolving from his work at the Department of Histopathology at Dorset County Hospital . A major emphasis of the centre is to provide local patients with cancer diagnostic tests not yet available nationally or for which there were lengthy delays . Alongside his colleagues Dr Sarah Wedden and Dr Keith Miller , Dr D ’ Arrigo says they are working to “ bring industry , national healthcare service and quality assurance together to expand the use of companion diagnostics and important biological markers .” He says : “ The path to implementing a new companion diagnostic test is often a long and difficult one : lack of familiarity with a test , inadequate knowledge and training , and inability to acquire funding , can all foil tests before they even make it to the hospital lab . “ I co-founded the Poundbury Cancer Institute ( PCI ) with the sole aim of alleviating many of these issues , and accelerating the adoption of companion diagnostics and other important lab tests .” The team is confident that with the right approach they can help NHS trusts to increase standards in treating cancer using enhanced pathology tests . He said that this is especially important in the near future because of the amount of drugs coming into the market is about to increase from a handful to around 150 drugs . Since opening , Dr D ’ Arrigo has seen many local patients with cancer who have flocked to the centre for a second opinion . His career in cancer biology traces back to medical school , where he became interested in research and went on to become a lecturer at the Hedley Atkins Breast Unit in London , where he was also consultant pathologist at Guy ’ s Hospital and director of the Breast Tissue Bank . To find out more about the institute visit www . poundburycancerinstitute . org
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