Campus Bio-Medico: A Catalyst for Patients, a Megaphone for Science

“Clinicians are essential in recruiting patients, but recruiting does not simply mean taking a blood sample; above all, it means involving the patient fully in the project and in the study”, says Dr. Roberto Cammarata, a general surgeon at the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico (Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital Foundation) of Rome.

A central and profoundly human contribution, essential to guiding patients in understanding the path they are undertaking.

This is exactly the role of Campus Bio-Medico within the LaserBlood project. “We are one of the leading institutions in Rome, in Italy, and also at the European level”, says Cammarata. “Our General Surgery Unit deals broadly with oncological surgical diseases, with a particular focus on pancreatic diseases, and we are increasingly seeking to combine surgery with minimally invasive approaches through robotic technologies”.

Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico of Rome.

Campus Bio-Medico is also involved in surgical research, with a particular focus on post-operative outcomes and on strategies to improve the oncological management of diseases such as pancreatic cancer, both in terms of early diagnosis and potential new therapies.

“We manage patients affected by pancreatic cancer on a daily basis, as well as patients who present a range of risk factors for this disease, including specific cystic lesions of the pancreas recognized as precancerous lesions”, explains Cammarata.

This is one of the areas on which the Campus Bio-Medico team is focusing its attention, considering that pancreatic cancer is characterized by an extremely poor prognosis. Identifying these patients before they develop the disease is therefore a highly important strategic objective.

“As a clinical partner in close contact with this type of patient, we are able to act as a catalyst for patients at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer, and are therefore essential for generating and obtaining biological data”, adds Cammarata.

But how can we ensure that the samples and clinical data collected are representative of the immense complexity of patients? To do so, careful planning is required, beginning many months before the actual enrolment process.

“The main objective of the study is established months in advance – Cammarata notes – and in order to achieve it a threshold is also defined: a quantitative cohort of patients needed to obtain the intended results from a statistical standpoint”.

This is the phase in which the study method is defined, laying the groundwork for its subsequent clinical application, with enrolment representing the second phase.

“We are talking about signing the consent form, acquiring biological material and, more broadly, following clearly defined steps that cannot be subject to arbitrary changes”, Cammarata emphasizes.

Dr Roberto Cammarata

Campus Bio-Medico is not the only clinical partner involved in the project. “Having the broadest possible cohort of clinical partners adds value and statistical power to the results”, says Cammarata.

Including clinically homogeneous populations, sharing the same risk factors but coming from different geographical areas, also makes it possible to obtain even more robust evidence.

“If the technology proves effective in identifying and distinguishing these categories of patients across large numbers and across cohorts from different regions, with different demographic characteristics, this certainly represents a further strength of the project”, Cammarata adds.

Beyond the strictly clinical context, the project also requires strong collaboration among all the partners involved. “Translating a clinical insight into an experimental procedure requires a strong spirit of teamwork, certainly driven by scientific ambition”, Cammarata argues.

This approach takes shape through regular discussions aimed at interpreting emerging scientific evidence and understanding how it can be translated into clinical practice. “The LaserBlood project is the result of years of work built precisely on coordinated effort and continuous exchange”, Cammarata says.

The hope is that this collaboration can contribute to achieving LaserBlood’s goals and, more broadly, to advancing the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. “In this process, Campus Bio-Medico can act as a megaphone for the project’s scientific results, amplifying their relevance within a leading clinical and academic setting”, Cammarata concludes.