The Director’s Preface

The IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute (IRE) is the largest Comprehensive Cancer Centre in central Italy, and is renowned for its excellence in the study and treatment of various cancers. IRE's main research objective is the translational management of cancer, which ensures patient-centered care

Description of the Centre and its History

IRE was established in 1933 and was nominated an IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico - Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization, and Healthcare) for the first time in 1938 and was very recently reconfirmed the title of IRCCS in June 2024. IRE performs around 10.000 surgeries annually, including 1.300 robotic surgeries. It has more than 1.500 staff members, comprising of researchers, physicians, nurses and administration personnel. It is composed of two departments: the Department of Clinical and Oncological Research and the Department of Research and Advanced Technologies.

Main Research Activities

Every year IRE publishes more than 400 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, with approximately 10% of them in journals with an IF > 10 in the last few years. IRE is also greatly involved in clinical trials. In 2023, there were a total of 412 open clinical trials, of which 170 were interventional and 242 observational. In 2020, IRE established seven Translational Research Interest Groups (TRIGs) with the aim to enhance the collaboration between clinical and laboratory investigators on specific research themes. In 2018, the institute also established an Institutional Molecular Tumor Board, the first one in Italy. IRE collaborates with several universities and research centers in Rome as well as on a national and international level. Its research is supported mainly by funds granted from the Italian Ministry of Health, the Italian Ministry of University and Research, AIRC, Lazio Region and EC.

Core Facilities

IRE's Personalized Medicine includes Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) diagnostics and advanced facilities for performing accurate analyses. The Bioinformatics Group interprets data from various sequencing and epigenomic studies, utilizing High-Performance Computing environments. The Biobank collects, stores, and distributes human biological materials for research. Quite recently, a central facility for Tumor Organoid generation, molecular characterization and drug testing has been established.

Education

Recognized by AGENAS, IRE provides Continuing Medical Education (CME) through residential, field training, and distant learning methodologies.