The Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre is leading the Irish contribution to a major new European research initiative aimed at transforming the diagnosis and treatment of rare head and neck cancers.

The project, known as SPELCASTER, brings together world-leading experts from across Europe to develop innovative tools that will enable faster, more accurate diagnosis and personalised treatment strategies for cancers that develop in the nose, sinus area and salivary glands. 

Tumours inside the nose, sinus cavities (sinonasal) and salivary glands are rare but aggressive cancers that are often difficult to accurately diagnose due to their visual similarity under the microscope. Current treatment approaches also lack precise predictors of patient response, making it challenging to tailor therapies effectively. 

The study aims to address these challenges through a new kind of test that uses chemical markers on DNA to help doctors identify and sort different types of tumuors more accurately. This technology, a novel DNA methylation-based classification tool powered by machine learning, will allow researchers to better identify tumour subtypes and predict treatment responses – helping clinicians make more informed decisions at an earlier stage in the patient journey.

The Irish arm of the project will be led by scientists and doctors at the Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre with principal investigator Dr Sudipto Das, senior lecturer in the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, working in collaboration with clinical lead Mr Robbie Woods, consultant otorhinolaryngologist with specialist interest in head and neck cancer, at Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre.