Presentation Of The Centre
National Cancer Institute (NCI) is the only specialised cancer research institution in Lithuania, which was established in 1931. The mission of the NCI is to carry out international research in the field of oncology and to achieve results, which could improve cancer treatment efficiency and reduce mortality from cancer, to train scientists and highly qualified specialists, to strengthen the country’s scientific potential and competitiveness in the European Research Area.
Main Research Activities
– Cancer epidemiology
– Molecular oncology: genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics
– Tumour immunology and immunotherapy
– Antioxidative system
– Nanoscience
– Biomarkers
– Cells and tissues cryopreservation
– Organism – tumour interaction
The National Cancer Institute has the following important units - the Biobank, the Genetic Diagnostics Laboratory, the Biomedical Physics Laboratory with the Open Access Centre, the Cancer Epidemiology Laboratory with the Cancer Registry, the Molecular Oncology Laboratory, the Immunology Laboratory and the Clinical Research Centre. At the same time, it should be noted that the National Cancer Institute has an efficient scientific administration management, which is ensured by the establishment of the Scientific Administration Unit.
The National Cancer Institute manages the Lithuanian Cancer Registry, which is the country's only oncology database that collects information on cancer diagnoses and mortality data. The registry allows for monitoring trends in oncological diseases, analysing patient survival and causes of death, as well as contributing to research and health policy-making. As the manager of this database, the NCI ensures the quality of the data and its accessibility for international research, strengthening Lithuania's role in the European oncology area.
Core Facilities
Clinical Core Facilities: From 1 January 2025, the clinical part of the National Cancer Institute was transferred to Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, which became a separate branch of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, the National Cancer Centre. This newly created branch will continue its clinical activities. The National Cancer Institute cooperates closely with the newly created clinical branch and carries out scientific activities in the field of oncology and clinical research. It should be noted that the main objective of this development is to create a national Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC) that meets the standards of the EU network of CCCs through the following measures:
Optimising patient care pathways, ensuring comprehensive care and improving the quality of care, which will allow patients to receive not only treatment, but also psychological support, rehabilitation and social support tailored to their needs; it will also ensure that all phases of treatment are coordinated in a single location, reducing patients' stress and improving quality of their lives;
Furthermore, quality improvement will allow the application of the most advanced treatment methods, based on the latest scientific evidence, and will ensure the continuous professional development of staff; consolidating the expertise of both institutions in cancer care, improving access to multidisciplinary care, emergency care, diagnostic and technological tools; strengthening and promoting ongoing cancer research and education activities, encouraging innovative approaches and creating new institutional capacities.
Research Core Facilities for nanoparticle synthesis and modification, optical steady state absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, ultra short pulse duration (fs) laser systems for two photon absorption, excitation and imaging experiments, scanning probe microscopy, laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy with spectral and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), in vivo confocal reflection microscopy of skin for detection of skin cancer, small animal fluorescence imaging system, micro-dissection system, pyro-sequencing system and other.
Education
The NCI is a base that provides opportunity for the training Lithuanian and foreign colleagues, PhD students, residents and students to get an access to the latest scientific material, treatment methods, as well as to observe scientific achievements.