Cancer Trials Ireland is proud to partner with the Beatrice Pembroke Walsh Foundation on a new initiative to improve access to specialist follow-up care and strengthen research for people affected by sarcoma in Ireland.
Developed in collaboration with St Vincent’s University Hospital’s Sarcoma Network Ireland, the partnership will support two linked areas of work: regional outreach clinics for sarcoma patients and new research activity focused on leiomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
Through this partnership, specialist sarcoma outreach clinics will be established in the Midlands, at Tullamore and Portlaoise hospitals. These clinics will provide planned follow-up care closer to home for up to 100 people with sarcoma, while maintaining strong links to the national sarcoma service in Dublin.
The partnership will also support the development of a national sarcoma registry and biobank, helping clinical information and biological samples to be collected and studied in a structured way. This kind of research infrastructure is essential to building knowledge in rare cancers and helping Ireland to develop and deliver future clinical trials.
A practical new research project will also analyse existing tumour samples from Irish patients with retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma. These samples are already available; this support creates the opportunity to study them for immune cell patterns that could help guide future treatment and trial development.
Leiomyosarcoma is an extremely rare cancer. Beatrice Pembroke Walsh died from leiomyosarcoma in 2022, at the age of 53. The Foundation established in her memory is dedicated to raising awareness, supporting earlier diagnosis and funding research into improved treatments.
David Walsh, Chairperson of the Beatrice Pembroke Walsh Foundation, said the initiative reflects the Foundation’s commitment to improving both patient experience and long-term outcomes:
“When Beatrice was ill, I was fortunate to be able to take time away from work to bring her to appointments in Dublin. I know that is not the reality for many families. Travel adds stress at an already difficult time and can be a real barrier to care.
“These outreach clinics in the Midlands will make a very real difference for sarcoma patients. They will allow people to be monitored closer to home, reducing the burden of travel and helping patients stay connected to specialist care.
“At the same time, we are investing in research that will improve understanding of leiomyosarcoma and help build better treatment options in the future. That was always at the heart of what Beatrice wanted to achieve.”
For Cancer Trials Ireland, the partnership is also a powerful example of what philanthropic support can make possible for patients in Ireland.
As a not-for-profit organisation, Cancer Trials Ireland works with partners across Ireland and internationally to make cancer trials and research opportunities available to patients in Ireland. Partnerships with foundations, families, patient organisations and individual donors can play an important role in turning personal commitment into practical progress for patients.
This partnership shows how philanthropic support can deliver immediate patient benefit, through outreach clinics that reduce travel and disruption, while also investing in the research foundations needed for future clinical trials.
Angela Clayton-Lea, CEO of Cancer Trials Ireland, said:
“This partnership allows us to address two key challenges in sarcoma care in Ireland: access and evidence. The investment in research infrastructure, including a national registry and biobank, will help ensure Ireland is better positioned to develop and deliver future clinical trials.
“We are grateful to the Beatrice Pembroke Walsh Foundation for its support and shared commitment to improving outcomes for patients with sarcoma.”
Cancer Trials Ireland is committed to working with partners who share our ambition to improve cancer research and access to trials for patients in Ireland. This new partnership with the Beatrice Pembroke Walsh Foundation demonstrates how philanthropy can help accelerate progress in rare cancer research, support patient-focused services and honour a personal legacy through meaningful action. To find out more contact info@cancertrials.ie