Luís Costa is the director of Santa Maria Hospital’s Oncology Unit, director of the Applied Clinical Research Unit of the IMM (UIAOC) and also a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon. He set up the series of seminars ‘Oncology Series’, which divulges relevant scientific and clinical topics in the field of cancer. The next will focus on kidney cancer and will be held at the Large Auditorium of the Egas Moniz Building, on the 5th May
What were the objectives behind the setting up of the Oncology Series and who is the target audience?
Prof. Luís Costa: The Oncology Series resulted from the wish of the Oncology Unit and UIAOC to encourage the dissemination of relevant scientific and clinical topics in the field of cancer to a combined audience of practicing doctors, basic researchers, and pharmacists, among others.
Guests are internationally renowned and able to address an audience that has distinct perspectives about the same topic.
Usually, each Oncology Series has a speaker, but occasionally we have thematic and multidisciplinary Oncology Series, which involve various specialists and researchers on the topic.
What cancer-related topics have been addressed at these seminars by international specialists?
Prof. Luís Costa: Breast cancer; micrometastatic disease; sarcomas; innovations in the treatment of bone metastases; colon and rectal cancer. In the current year, we will have two more Oncology Series: one on kidney cancer and another on triple negative breast cancer (the latter will be a thematic session with 3 speakers).
What is your opinion of cancer research in Portugal and its connection with clinical practice?
Prof. Luís Costa: I believe that basic research in oncology has advanced considerably over the last 5 years, but that clinical research and translational research need a strong push. With regard to clinical research, I believe that one needs to distinguish between intervention clinical studies sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Industry and national research. The former has a considerable presence in Portugal but runs a serious risk of dropping due to the absence of professional structures for that purpose in large hospitals. Research carried out at Portuguese clinical centres is much more scarce and very little supported. It could play a more important role and be an important source of investment in Portugal, as happens in other countries with a population similar to ours in size (like in Austria). We have major cultural and organizational problems regarding this type of research. Translational research can become relevant if we succeed to foster the necessary interactivity between practicing doctors and researchers. We are taking major steps in this area and feel enthusiastic about it.
What are the main challenges cancer research is facing nowadays?
Prof. Luís Costa: It is the lack of a strategic vision on the part of some local authorities on how research can be an important source of investment for the institution and for the country.
We need to train scientist doctors and scientists interested in medical issues. This work starts in medical school. We are contributing to it with Oncobiology, which is taught in year 3 of the integrated master degree in medicine.
We need to expand our horizons with regard to collaboration among the various groups in Portugal.
We need to be recognized internationally for a specific topic, a field that justifies our being considered a useful partner. Accordingly, we need to set our priorities right.
Professor Luís Costa is the director of the Applied Clinical Research Group of the IMM. What are the main research objectives of this Unit?
Prof. Luís Costa: The main objective of the UIOC is to carry out translational research in the field of metastization. Our first topic is bone metastization, but we also have projects where we study molecular signatures in metastization patterns associated with colon and rectal cancer.
All our important projects have a compulsory clinical component (tumours in human tissue studies, evaluation of the clinical evolution of patients).
Some of our projects are supported by FCT and others result from the interaction with companies based in the USA and Europe.
As a professor at FMUL, a doctor at SMH and director of a research group at the IMM, how do you see the setting up of the Academic Medical Centre of Lisbon (CAML)?
Prof. Luís Costa: CAML is necessary to be able to achieve a good connection among the services and missions of the three institutions. In our case, which is a small example, this already exists, given that it combines the activity of the oncology unit with that of the UIOC and with Oncobiology. However, we need to be an operational body within an entity that is legally in existence.
The next session in the Oncology Series, on 5 May, will be on renal cell carcinoma, with the doctor and researcher Robert J. Mozer, from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, USA. What are your expectations about this session?
Prof. Luís Costa: Dr. Robert Motzer is the most prominent name in kidney cancer research and this will be his first time in Portugal. Kidney cancer is one of the best examples of the clinical contribution of research to molecular research.
It will be a unique occasion for doctors and researchers at SMH and IMM and it will also be an amazing educational opportunity for our students, since in addition to the Oncology Series, Dr. Motzer will also speak at a conference dedicated to Oncobiology students and to the celebrations of the one hundred years of the University of Lisbon.