LIVER surgeons in Basingstoke are leading the way with ground-breaking research which could benefit thousands of cancer patients.

Around 60 bowel cancer patients with secondary liver cancer are expected to take part in a study run by the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundations Trust (HHFT) which recently got the go-ahead to investigate the reasons that might increase the likelihood of patients developing blood clots after liver surgery and ways to reduce or avoid them.

The Pelican Cancer Foundation is supporting this year-long project which aims to reveal more about the causes of blood clotting following liver resection surgery.

A grant of £20,000 and office space for the research team from the charity, which supports clinical research into ‘below the belt’ cancers, will help fund the Coagulation in Liver Surgery (COALS) study at Basingstoke Hospital.

The Basingstoke liver surgical team, which includes Merv Rees, Tim John, Fenella Welsh and Ben Cresswell, are dedicated to improving the quality of life for cancer patients after treatment and the surgery undertaken.

Consultant surgeon Miss Welsh said: “Receiving the go-ahead for the COALS study is a significant step forward for the Liver Unit in Basingstoke and we are very grateful for the support of the Pelican Cancer Foundation.

“The project will push the boundaries of liver surgery at Basingstoke, with the potential of providing safer treatment and reducing the risks for our patients.”

Basingstoke is one of only 27 centres in the UK treating secondary liver cancer.

The unit has done more than 3,000 surgical removals of liver metastases and 99 per cent of its patients have survived their surgery – which is regarded as an exceptional result.

Pelican chief executive Sarah Crane added: “This charity is pleased to support the COALS study at Basingstoke and we look forward to seeing the research results, which will benefit many bowel cancer patients in the future.”