World leading work to treat and prevent cancers caused by infections will continue, thanks to a $2.8 million National Health and Medical Research Council grant recently awarded to our Senior Staff Haematologist, Mark Polizzotto.
15 December 2022
World leading work to treat and prevent cancers caused by infections will continue, thanks to a $2.8 million National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant recently awarded to Canberra Health Services’ Senior Staff Haematologist and Professor of Medicine at ANU, Mark Polizzotto.
‘We tend not to think of cancer being caused by infections,’ Professor Polizotto said.
‘That is probably because here in Australia those cancers are not common. Many of the infections are not common here, in part because we have resources to prevent them. One example is our programs of vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV) and screening to prevent cervical cancer.
‘Globally though, one in five cancers are caused by infections, and in many developing countries across Africa and Asia that figure is much higher. These cancers often arise in young people, and they can be devastating.’
NHMRC awards Investigator Grants to the highest performing researchers in the country to help foster innovative and creative research.
‘It will go a long way towards developing simple but effective drugs that can be used in developing countries, ensuring the new treatments we develop can be accessed by those in greatest need.’ Professor Polizzotto said.
Professor Polizzotto’s interest in infections causing cancer began 15 years ago when he was working as a Haematology Registrar. Since then, he has devoted his time and energy into better understanding how they occur and how best to treat and prevent them, including a six-year stint working at the US National Cancer Institute with Dr Robert Yarchoan – a key figure in the development of the first successful treatments for HIV.
‘I’ve also spent time in different countries across Africa,’ he said.
‘The medical professionals working there are brilliant and the patients themselves are dedicated to understanding their illness and their treatment. Coming from Australia, the gap in resources available to them was a real culture shock. This is a global equity issue and I feel very strongly that everyone deserves the best health care possible.’
Despite the immense numbers of cancer cases in developing countries – more than HIV, malaria and tuberculosis combined – Professor Polizzotto remains positive about the future.
‘When you think about the way the global medical profession has come together to address the HIV epidemic, it gives me hope. The model is already there, and we can adapt that to combat these cancers caused by infections.
‘We have a social responsibility to ensure that people in developing countries have access to effective therapies to prevent and treat cancer. Ideally, we’ll get to a point where the research and development is done by brilliant people in their own countries.
‘That’s the kind of future I’d like to see.’
- Professor Polizzotto leads the Clinical Hub in Interventional Research at The Australian National University’s College of Health and Medicine.
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