Irish Cancer Society and Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute Partnership
Our 5 year multi-million investment will foster outstanding cancer care in Ireland.
We are proud to have invested €4.5m to fund new programmes integrating scientific discovery with patient care to pioneer novel ways to prevent, detect and treat cancer - in particular to address the rise in the incidence of gastrointestinal cancers among patients under fifty years of age.
About the partnership
The Irish Cancer Society – Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute partnership will see the Society invest €4.5million in several specific exemplar programmes aimed at delivering a new model of cancer care for patients in Ireland.
By investing in the Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute (TSJCI) the Irish Cancer Society aims to accelerate the translation of cancer research into new treatments and better support for patients.
The partnership will integrate Irish Cancer Society services into the hospital pathway and enhance the patient experience by ensuring better collaboration with patients across research, cancer clinical trials, clinical care, and education.
Aims of the project
The goals of this programme will be achieved through four projects:
The Society has funded the development of a pioneering 5-year multidisciplinary initiative which provides an innovative, integrated and coordinated model of care to address the specific unmet needs for people under 50 affected by cancer (young onset cancer patients). Building on the existing expertise in TSJCI, gastrointestinal cancers will be the initial focus of this initiative, with the view to expanding to other cancer types and patient cohorts (e.g., head and neck cancer). Specific focus areas to be addressed will include the provision of social and psychological support, development of primary care pathways, sexual health, fertility, survivorship and wellbeing.
A dedicated clinical and translational research infrastructure and training hub will be central to the initiative. Research focus areas will include examining the underlying biology and aetiology of young onset cancer. Screening and early detection will also be a focus. All research will be underpinned by the development of a TSJCI data registry. This initiative will be driven by a multidisciplinary team of experts.
Two Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) have been appointed as part of this partnership and are integral to the delivery of the initiative. One ANP is focused on Survivorship and Wellbeing, (Katie O’Neill, candidate ANP) and one on Sexual Health, Menopause and Fertility (Louise Kelly, ANP).
The Society has developed and will fund a 5-year senior level post within TSJCI to provide for public and patient involvement and partnership, and the development of patient centric programmes. This role will form part of a genuine and substantive commitment to patient involvement, partnership and service development.
Through this role the Public and Patient Partnership Lead, Gráinne Smith , is working closely with the Patient Representative Group, and other key stakeholders to embed a culture of public and patient involvement and partnership across research, cancer clinical trials, clinical care and education.
This work includes the development of public and patient involvement (PPI) structures and governance, working in partnership with existing involvement networks and communities to drive forward PPI in cancer research in Ireland, ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion is at the centre of the TSJCI PPI programme, and supporting service innovation.
The Irish Cancer Society has also provided funding towards a Cancer Clinician Research Leader, a dedicated post which includes part-clinical and part-research commitments. This post ensures that the Academic Cancer Clinician Leader has dedicated time away from clinical commitments to drive cutting-edge research aimed at accelerating clinical trials and patient accrual, developing new treatments, and ultimately delivering improved patient care and outcomes. A key role of the Cancer Clinician Research Leader will be to help lead and deliver the Irish Cancer Society Young Onset Cancer Care Initiative (Project 1).
Prof. Gráinne O’Kane held the Academic Cancer Clinician Leader post from 2022 – 2024. Prof. O’Kane’s work included numerous research projects in gastrointestinal cancer, with a focus on colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Prof. O’Kane further investigated hereditary and young onset cancers in these cohorts. Prof. O’Kane is now the Pat Smullen Chair in Pancreatic Cancer at University College Dublin (UCD).
Since 2024, Dr Jessie Elliott has taken on the role of Academic Cancer Clinician Leader. Dr Elliott’s work will also focus on gastrointestinal cancer research, namely oesophageal and gastric cancers. This will involve a variety of approaches, including liquid biopsy, which will help detect the return or the spread of stomach and foodpipe cancers.
The Irish Cancer Society has funded an initiative, which will aim to pilot a nurse-led model of care in TSJCI. The model will hope to alleviate the burdens and pressures faced by some clinical teams, and to help the development and the delivery of a holistic and supportive care programme for people affected by cancer.
There will be two Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) appointed as part of this pilot, who will act as direct points of care for patients. They will work to provide individual need assessments, alongside developing follow-up plans and referral pathways to multidisciplinary teams.
