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MEDICAL SCHOOL Oncology |
“Novel biotechnologies in clinical decision making for precision in cancer care”Dr Anastasia Constantinidou is an Assist Professor in Oncology/ Haematology at the Medical School of the UCY and a Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Bank of Cyprus Oncology Centre (BOCOC). She gained Membership of the Royal College of Physicians in the UK and subsequently completed her clinical training in Medical Oncology (CCT) at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. She holds an MSc in Oncology and a PhD in Molecular Pathology from the University of London, Institute of Cancer Research, UK. Her research includes translational applications in oncology with emphasis on the utilization of laboratory discoveries related to gene expression to identify new targets for anticancer therapy and biomarkers to guide management in the context of personalized and precision medicine. She is also highly involved in the conduct of early and later phase clinical trials in oncology as well as incorporation of new technologies, analytics and AI in clinical practice. Her research work either as a principal investigator or a participant, has been funded by the Wellcome Trust UK, the Sarcoma UK, the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF Cyprus), the Horizon 2020 and the Horizon EUROPE Programmes, the European Organisation for Research and Treatment in Cancer. She was the recipient of the 2020 Young Investigator Award in Life Sciences by the RIF. Young medical trainees and postgraduate students are involved in research related to precision medicine through the Medical School, UCY MSc programme ‘Precision Medicine in Clinical Practice’, which she coordinates. Dr Anastasia Constantinidou Assistant Professor Oncology/ Hematology and Consultant Medical Oncologist Medical School University of Cyprus
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My research work is largely related to the areas of my clinical practice which include breast cancer and sarcoma in the context of precision medicine. European and international collaborations are key to most of our research activity but at the same time, we seek to produce original research results from Cypriot patients, leveraging on the uniqueness of our genetic, molecular, environmental, or other characteristics, to shed light on mechanisms of development and progression of cancer. Current clinical practice can be largely benefited by the knowledge and experience exchange between bench and bedside. Biomarker DiscoveryThis work aims to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the biology of cancer through the identification of novel biomarkers following the precision medicine paradigm. To achieve this, we explore the role of biomarkers in (a) defining the prognosis of different cancer subtypes, (b) reflecting response or resistance to specific therapies, (c) influencing treatment related toxicity. Importantly, potential regulation of specific biomarkers’ expression in cancer could represent an innovative strategy for new drug discovery or drug repurposing. Through screening of blood and cancer tissue samples the expression of biomarkers at different time points of the patients’ journey is documented and compared to controls. These findings are correlated with patient clinical characteristics as well as disease and treatment related data. Recent examples of this work include: (a) Project of validation of the prognostic and predictive value of the molecular test EndoPredict in ER+/HER2- premenopausal women with breast cancer, in collaboration with Nottingham University Hospitals, UK. This included a series of molecular testing from almost 300 Cypriot women under 50 (ESMO Annual Meeting 2022, publication Constantinidou et al 2022, Clin Cancer Res). Funding: Myriad Genetics (USA/Germany). Phase II Clinical Trial on the use of ketotifen in sarcoma patients, to support the development of a new mechanical biomarker in sarcoma, addressing a pressing clinical need. This was developed as a proof-of-concept trial transferring knowledge from bench to bedside. Funding: under the Consolidator ERC grant "Immuno-Predictor (Prof T Stylianopoulos, 2020-2025). |
Clinical Trials & Clinical ResearchIn the field of clinical trials, we consistently work with organizations and centers in Europe to facilitate the participation of Cypriot patients in multinational clinical trials. Examples include our role as the local PI in academic trials/ studies funded and sponsored by the EORTC including: (a) 1809-STBSG ‘STRASS 2’ study: A randomized phase III study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery versus surgery alone for patients with High Risk RetroPeritoneal Sarcoma (RPS), (b) TOLERANCE: a 3 arm randomized study on healTh-related quality Of Life of EldeRly pAtients with advaNced soft tissue sarComa undergoing doxorubicin every three weeks or doxorubicin weekly or cyclophosphamide plus prednisolone treatment. In terms of clinical research, we are focusing on the combined analysis of the demographic, clinical, genetic, environmental, laboratory and other characteristics of breast cancer and sarcoma patients so as to deepen our understanding of the patterns of presentation and behaviour and response to treatment, of these cancer subtypes in the local population. New (bio) technologies inClinical practiceAlong the paradigm of precision medicine, we explore the roles of new (bio) technologies (i.e. sensing devices, smartwatches), analytics (i.e. big data, artificial intelligence) imaging (i.e. functional imaging analysis) in assisting clinical decision-making towards better clinical management strategies. One example comprises our participation in the multinational project CARDIOCARE, funded by Horizon 2020 (6 million over 4 years), as a clinical partner. |
The project aims to change the current practice in 
the assessment and management of Cancer Therapy-Induced Cardiotoxicity in elderly multimorbid patients with breast cancer. It employs an interdisciplinary holistic patient-oriented approach by acquiring, processing, and analysing multidimensional datasets generated through imaging, clinical, biochemical, molecular and psychological parameters, which will be combined and processed using algorithms and artificial-intelligence technologies for delivering a risk prediction model.
We participate in several similar projects including mammographic image analysis for enhancing accurate breast cancer diagnosis, magnetic resonance image analysis for early detection of brain metastasis secondary to breast cancer, AI analysis for the prediction of aggressive breast cancer subtypes after initial treatment.
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