Press release posted 15 July 2025
Researchers at The Christie have classified all the genetic mutations related to a rare appendiceal cancer – pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) - for the first time ever.
The team has also successfully grown this cancer outside the body which will allow them to trial existing drugs, also for the first time.
Why is this important? Personalised medicine is the future of cancer treatment, so by identifying this information they’ll be able to ‘match’ patients with existing drugs that target those mutations in other forms of the disease, opening up more treatment options.
“The current standard treatment for this form of cancer is surgery,” comments Professor Omer Aziz, Consultant Surgeon and Lead at The Christie’s Colorectal and Peritoneal Oncology Centre (CPOC). “Although this is very effective, there are no other options for those who are unable to have the operation, or whose cancer comes back. This is why this ground-breaking work is so important.”
“We’re so excited about this next step of this research as it’s what all these years of work have been leading up to – being able to explore new treatment options for patients,” he continues.
The PMP Accelerator Team has been awarded one of the largest ever research grants for this type of cancer - £2.5m from Cancer Research UK – to complete the work.
Once everything is ready, they’ll publish the full list of genetic mutations, making the information available to clinicians and researchers from all over the world via a database hosted by the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute.
How we managed to grow tumours outside the body
PMP is caused by a tumour in the appendix which produces a jelly-like cancerous substance called mucin which, as the tumour grows, spreads into the abdomen, coating the abdominal wall and major organs.
Trying to get a valid sample is difficult as the tumours can be very small and there is often so much mucin that it’s hard to find the cells.
For the first time ever, the team have not only collected primary and secondary tumour samples but have been able to grow them in a petri dish, creating tumours that are big enough to carry out further research on. Around 130 valid specimens have been created, just under half of which are in Manchester.
It’s a lengthy and difficult process which takes around 4 to 5 months. A physical sample is taken from a patient and put in a fluid that allows it to be cut more easily. This is then put into a replica of collagen – a type of protein which provides structure, support or strength to your skin, muscles, bones and connective tissues – that allows the cells to grow into a 3D tumour that can then be used in further research.
“There have been attempts in the past to create these samples, but it’s so complicated that it’s never been done properly before. The way we’re set up here in Manchester has really helped – our research building is connected directly to the hospital, meaning samples can get from the operating table to the lab within minutes. You can’t underestimate how valuable that is,” comments Dr. Raghavendar Nagaraju, a Senior Scientist at The Christie CPOC.
What does this mean for patients?
Once we understand what mutations are most commonly found in the tumours, then we can start to set up clinical trials involving drugs that are already licensed to treat those mutations in other cancers.
71-year-old retired librarian, Alison McCready, was one of the first people to be treated for PMP at The Christie back in 2001. Of the research, she says:
“My treatment worked, but if it hadn’t, I might not have had any other options. There haven’t been any new developments for a long time, so I’m really happy to hear that the team at The Christie is working on identifying much-needed new treatments. What they’re doing is truly groundbreaking and has the potential to help so many people.”
More about PMP
PMP is a rare but life-shortening cancerous condition that affects 1 to 3 out of every million people a year.
There are few symptoms in the early stages and, if left untreated, the condition can be deadly.
Surgery is currently the way we treat PMP. People have an operation to remove any affected organs and then heated chemo introduced into tummy to remove any leftover cancerous cells.
Find out more about The Christie’s Colorectal and Peritoneal Oncology Centre.