Newcastle University

Roles and Responsibilities

Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology (Sarcoma & Neuro-Oncology) at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 

CLINICAL: I currently run the bone sarcoma practice (osteosarcoma & Ewing's sarcoma) for older teenagers and young adults, as well as HIV related malignancies at the North of England Bone & Soft Tissue Sarcoma Service, one of five DoH centrally funded supra-regional sarcoma surgical centers within the UK.

Additionally, I treat patients with soft-tissue sarcoma and administer systemic therapies in brain tumours, mainly gliomas, at the Northern Centre for Cancer Cancer (NCCC) at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

I am PI for biobanks in sarcomas and neurological tumours under the auspices of the Newcastle University BioBank which also permits blood collection from our patients.

I am currently PI on a Hedgehog signalling phase II trial in advanced chondrosarcoma and co-investigator on various phase II & III trials related to sarcoma & gliomas. Additionally, i have extensive experience in using anti-angiogenic therapies and other targeted agents in adult cancer medicine.

I am currently a member of the national brain tumour CSG group.

RESEARCH: I am developing translational research interests in tumour metabolism, cancer-host interactions, comparative human & canine sarcoma biology, as well as trying to develop novel models of sarcoma biology to replace traditional laboratory xenografts within the auspices of the NC3R criteria from the major national research funding bodies. 

My primary translational research interests are in bone sarcomas and glioma biology with a developing focus on:

1). Development of cell surface zinc-peptidases as biomarkers in human sarcomas and the role of zinc-peptidases in sarcoma cell invasion. This is in collaboration with Professor John Lunec at the NICR and with colleagues in the Musculoskeletal Research Group (MRG) in Newcastle University - Dr Kenneth Rankin, Academic Clinical Lecturer in Orthopaedics & Dr Mark Birch, Senior Lecturer in Bone Biology.

2). Tumour metabolism & redox mechanisms within the cancer cell and host stroma. Principally initiating translational studies in human gliomas.

3). Comparative biology of human and canine sarcomas with collaborations at Cambridge University Vet School, the Animal Health Trust in Cambridgeshire and Royal (Dick) Vet School at Edinburgh University

4). Development of novel models that spare the use of traditional rodent models in cancer research with Dr Bill Chaudhry at the Institute of Genetic Medicine (IGM) at Newcastle University.

• Rankin KS, Starkey M, Lunec J, Gerrand CH, Murphy S, Biswas S. Of Dogs and Men: Comparative Biology as a Tool for the Discovery of Novel Biomarkers and Drug Development Targets in osteosarcoma. Pediatric Blood & Cancer 2011, (epub ahead of print).
• Biswas S, Eisen T. The management of renal cancer. In: Ajithkumar, T.V., Barrett, A., Hatcher, H., Cook, N, ed. Oxford Desk Reference: Oncology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
• Cook N, Basu B, Biswas S, Kareclas P, Mann C, Palmer C, Thomas A, Nicholson S, Morgan B, Lomas D, Sirohi B, Mander AP, Middleton M, Corrie PG. A phase 2 study of vatalanib in metastatic melanoma patients. European Journal of Cancer 2010, 46(15), 2671-2673.
• Biswas S, Troy H, Leek R, Chung YL, Li JL, Raval RR, Turley H, Gatter K, Pezzella F, Griffiths JR, Stubbs M, Harris AL. Effects of HIF-1α and HIF2α on Growth and Metabolism of Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma 786-0 Xenografts. Journal of Oncology 2010, 2010, 757908.
• Basu B, Biswas S, Wrigley J, Sirohi B, Corrie P. Angiogenesis in cutaneous malignant melanoma and potential therapeutic strategies. Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy 2009, 9(11), 1583-1598.
• Biswas S, Kelly J, Eisen T. Cytoreductive nephrectomy in metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma: perspectives in the tyrosine kinase inhibitor era. The Oncologist 2009, 14(1), 52-59.
• Biswas S, Eisen T. Immunotherapeutic strategies in kidney cancer - when TKIs are not enough. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology 2009, 6(8), 478-487.
• Biswas S, Burke A, Cherian S, Williams D, Nicholson J, Horan G, Jefferies S, Williams M, Earl HM, Burnet NG, Hatcher H. Non-pineal supratentorial primitive neuro-ectodermal tumors (sPNET) in teenagers and young adults: Time to reconsider cisplatin based chemotherapy after cranio-spinal irradiation?. Pediatric Blood & Cancer 2009, 52(7), 796-803.
• Biswas S, Eisen T. Adjuvant therapies in primary clear cell renal cell carcinoma. In: Bellmunt Molins, J, ed. Recent advances in renal cell carcinoma. Barcelona: Permanyer, 2008, pp.53-78.
• Li JL, Sainson RCA, Shi W, Leek R, Harrington LS, Preusser M, Biswas S, Turley H, Heikamp E, Hainfellner JA, Harris AL. Delta-like 4 Notch ligand regulates tumor angiogenesis, improves tumor vascular function, and promotes tumor growth in vivo. Cancer Research 2007, 67(23), 11244-11253.