Meeting the Editorial Board Member of CCO: Prof. David J Kerr

Posted On 2024-09-04 16:35:22


David J Kerr1,2, Jin Ye Yeo3

1Oxford-Sichuan Gastrointestinal Cancer Centre; 2Nuffield Division of Clinical and Laboratory Sciences, University of Oxford, Weill-Cornell College of Medicine, New York, USA; 3CCO Editorial Office, AME Publishing Company

Correspondence to: Jin Ye Yeo. CCO Editorial Office, AME Publishing Company. Email: editor@thecco.net

Expert introduction

Prof. David J Kerr (Figure 1) contributes to Oxford as Professor of Cancer Medicine, where he has worked with colleagues to build a new Institute for Cancer Medicine and Cancer Hospital. He has an international reputation for the treatment of and research into colorectal cancer and the quality of his work has been recognised by the award of several international prizes and the first NHS Nye-Bevan award for innovation. Prof. Kerr has made a significant contribution to reforming the NHS as a Founding Commissioner for Health Improvement, Chair of the National Cancer Services Collaborative, Instigator of the Department of Health’s networked approach to clinical cancer research, and developed a 20-year plan for the future of the NHS in Scotland, the “Kerr Report”. He was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2000, Honorary Fellow of Royal College of General Practitioners in 2007, appointed Commander of the British Empire in 2002, and was elected President of the European Society of Medical Oncology in 2010.

Figure 1 Prof. David J Kerr


Interview

CCO: What initially inspired you to focus on colorectal cancer research? How has your perspective of the field evolved over the years?

Prof. Kerr: I have studied the biology and therapy of colorectal cancer (CRC) for thirty years. It was one of the most intractable cancers to treat and there was a huge unmet need for better treatment. This could only come from understanding the genetics and cell biology of the tumor better and converging my interest in basic and clinical science.

CCO: Could you provide a brief overview of the current publications in colorectal cancer? What do you see as the most promising developments in this field?

Prof. Kerr: We are interested in the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to digital pathology to develop new prognostic and predictive biomarkers (1,2), development of new genetic markers for CRC susceptibility to identify individuals who would benefit from screening and genetic markers of fluoropyrimidine toxicity (3), and the exploration of the tumour microenvironment to find new immunotherapy approaches (4).

CCO: In your opinion, what are some areas of colorectal cancer research that received insufficient attention?

Prof. Kerr: Improve chemotherapy safety using pharmacogenetic markers, better treatment for Microsatellite Stable CRC, and improved management of peritoneal metastases.

CCO: You have played a significant role in global cancer care, especially in under-resourced regions. What are the most urgent challenges in global oncology, and how can they be addressed?

Prof. Kerr: The Lancet Commission on cancer control in Africa highlighted several challenges which need to be addressed, such as creating cancer registries, publishing National Cancer Control Plans which are costly, improving awareness of cancer in the general population, and having better access to cancer therapy like drugs and radiotherapy.

CCO: What future directions do you envision for cancer research, particularly in gene therapy and personalized medicine for colorectal cancer?

Prof. Kerr: I would expect to see more research in cell therapy for CRC, such as tumor- educated-T cells and genetically modified natural killer (NK) cells; all of which can be genetically modified ex vivo. Personalized cancer vaccines applying the mRNA technology will also be studied intensively over the next 5 years.

CCO: As someone who has worked extensively across different healthcare systems, what insights have you gained about global cancer care that can inform future policies?

Prof. Kerr: I believe that there is a great opportunity for China and the UK to collaborate to form a cancer forum which allows us to learn from each other to improve the delivery of cancer care in both nations.

CCO: How has your experience been as an Editorial Board Member of CCO?

Prof. Kerr: Excellent – the staff handles publications very efficiently and fairly, and we have seen an increase in the number and quality of submitted papers.

CCO: As an Editorial Board Member, what are your expectations for CCO?

Dr. Kerr: Onwards and upwards.


Reference

  1. Kleppe A, Skrede OJ, De Raedt S, et al. Designing deep learning studies in cancer diagnostics. Nat Rev Cancer 2021;21(3):199-211.
  2. Skrede OJ, De Raedt S, Kleppe A, et al. Deep learning for prediction of colorectal cancer outcome: a discovery and validation study. Lancet 2020;395(10221):350-360.
  3. Palles C, Fotheringham S, Chegwidden L, et al. An Evaluation of the Diagnostic Accuracy of a Panel of Variants in DPYD and a Single Variant in ENOSF1 for Predicting Common Capecitabine Related Toxicities. Cancers (Basel) 2021;13(7):1497.
  4. Zhang N, Ng AS, Cai S, et al. Novel therapeutic strategies: targeting epithelial-mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer. Lancet Oncol 2021;22(8):e358-e368.