Centre for Cancer Research

Cancer Biology

Laboratory head: Dr Elizabeth Williams

The spread of cancer, or metastasis, is the major cause of death in most cancers, and new therapeutic strategies are desperately needed. Prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men, most commonly metastasizes to the lymph nodes and bone. Scientists woring in Dr Williams' laboratory have established a panel of systems to study the interaction of prostate cancer cells with the endothelial cells of the prostatic lymphatic vessels, with the aim of identifying key molecules involved in the process.

Breast cancer also commonly spreads to lymph nodes. The removal of lymph nodes as part of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment may cause lymphoedema, a condition where a part of the body (the arm for breast cancer survivors) becomes swollen and painful. Dr Williams and her team are investigating why lymphoedema occurs, and working towards developing better predictive tools to facilitate early intervention and ways to cure lymphoedema.

This team is also aiming to identify molecules involved in bladder cancer metastasis. Initially identified through global gene expression profiling, a number of candidate pathways and molecules are being examined for their role/s in metastasis.