Presentation of the Centre
ATOP is a unique model of organisation of care, research and teaching in oncology in France. This public cancer network built in 2014 gathers two partners in excellence of care, research, teaching and education: IUCT-Oncopole (in an CCC A&D program) composed of Oncopole-Claudius Regaud and some oncology units of Toulouse University Hospital.
The different specialities that make up the area’s comprehensive and innovative offer are divided, with no overlap, among three sites: IUCT-Oncopole, IUCT-Purpan and IUCT-Rangueil/Larrey.
Main Research Activities
The CRCT (Toulouse Cancer Research Centre) integrates research programs in four different fields: Cell Signaling & DNA Damage Response, RNA & Cancer, Microenvironment & Metabolism, Onco-Immunology. It is the main research institution, located at IUCT-Oncopole, working with all clinicians of the network, whatever their hospital. In 2023, more than 574 articles were published, 677 clinical trials were open including more than 1 779 patients.
Core Facilities
Cancer care and research is organised by organs allowing to concentrate strong medical and research expertise in each partner of the network and all partners are involved in MDTs so as to ensure the best pathway in terms of quality of care, including schedules and access to innovation.
The innovative techniques for diagnosis and treatment:
- Units of medicine and surgery, conventional or outpatient
- Resuscitation unit (in each location)
- 56 MDT
- Surgery (operating theatre, two surgical robots, stereotactic radiosurgery…)
- Nuclear medicine and imaging: PET Scan, MRI, gamma cameras, 3D imaging
- Radiotherapy: 7 accelerators (including tomotherapy), innovative techniques
- Biology pole: biochemistry, haematology, cytology, bacteriology, immunology, anatomo-pathology, genetics
- Pharmacy: 125 000 chemotherapies a year, including 113 000 intravenous administration chemotherapies and 12 000 oral administration chemotherapies, radiopharmacy, certified ISO 9001 since 2015
Education
This network gathers all disciplines and makes an ideal environment for initial and continued training across the entire oncology field. ATOP is strongly linked with the two medical universities, the pharmacy and the dental surgery universities of Toulouse. More than 1000 students are trained in the network every day. Furthermore, 11 schools dedicated to caregivers welcome 1800 students per year.