Tag: Worldwide Cancer Research

Team GB medalist joins capital Cancer Charity at the starting line on World Cancer Research Day

Team GB 1500m runner Josh Kerr has joined Worldwide Cancer Research at the ‘starting line’ to help highlight how discovery research can lead to life-saving advances. 

Josh, who returned from the United States to his hometown of Edinburgh this week, took time out of his schedule yesterday to back the charity’s World Cancer Research Day drive, sharing his hope that continued investment in science will help those affected by cancer.   

Edinburgh-based charity Worldwide Cancer Research aims to end cancer by starting new cures across the world – and has funded over £200m of pioneering discovery research in over 30 countries to help with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

The charity is currently funding 70 active research projects – charting numerous breakthroughs, including research which resulted in a clinical trial that will aim to repurpose a psychiatric drug available on the NHS as a preventative treatment for bowel cancer.

Josh said: “With the average cancer research project taking around 20 years, it’s definitely a marathon not a sprint. But without that important first step in the research process, there can be no end to cancer. 

“That’s why I’m joining Worldwide Cancer Research at the starting line today and would encourage others to get involved too.”

Josh clocked a spectacular new Scottish Record for the 1500m at 3:29.05 when in Tokyo this summer. Next, he wants to make his Commonwealth Games debut for Team Scotland at Birmingham 2022.”

Josh continued: “The start is such an important part of running; from mindset, the stance, and timing. The same goes to cancer research.

“Without charities like Worldwide Cancer Research believing in scientists all over the world and backing their bold new ideas, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Survival rates have doubled, but still 1 in 2 of us will get cancer. We can do better.”

Dr Helen Rippon, Chief Executive, Worldwide Cancer Research said: “World Cancer Research Day is a chance for us to shine a light on the incredible global effort to drive forward advancements that will change, and ultimately, save lives.”

“We are so grateful to Josh for joining us at the starting line today. Without the all-important start of first-stage research, there can be no end to cancer. That’s why we won’t stop until cancer does.”

Since it was established in 1979, the Edinburgh-based charity has funded over £200million of research in over 30 countries to start new cancer cures.

For more information about Worldwide Cancer Research or to find out how you can help start new cancer cures, please visit: 

https://www.worldwidecancerresearch.org/support-us/donate/

Edinburgh student helps start cancer cures in mum’s memory

An Edinburgh student has raised over £3,900 to help Worldwide Cancer Research start cancer cures, in memory of her beloved mother who passed away three years ago following a breast cancer diagnosis.

Alex Burns, 21, joined by best friend Tara Haworth, 22, completed a 100km walking challenge along the Union Canal at the beginning of May, inspired by her mum Anne’s desire to raise money for life-saving research, and to bring together those who loved her to do something positive.

Anne Burns, who passed away in 2018, was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008.  The mum of two went into remission but was told the cancer had returned in 2014.

Speaking about coping with losing her mum, Alex, originally from Helensburgh, said: “Four years after her second diagnosis in 2014, my mum passed away on 25th March 2018, which was also her birthday. It’s been really difficult since then, and I’ve not really talked about it much.

“Although cancer is a part of her story, she is better remembered for the love and laughter she brought to everyone in her life. People didn’t really know what to say to me and my sister when mum passed away, but being able to celebrate her memory three years on has brought together all the people that loved her and helped us do something positive to remember her.”

Since it was established in 1979, Edinburgh-based UK charity Worldwide Cancer Research has funded over £200million of research in over 30 countries to start new cancer cures.

This year, 16 institutes, in 15 cities across eight countries have now received £3.2m of funding – three of which are UK-based – to fund research into 11 different cancer types, as well as fundamental research. 

Alex added: “Supporting a local charity like Worldwide Cancer Research, and particularly supporting the funding of research into new cancer cures, was something that my mum would have loved.

“When my mum was at the end of her journey, she wanted to make sure there were new avenues to explore and bring hope to others who might find themselves in the same position as her.

“There’s nothing you can say to make losing your mum easier, but doing something like this walk to, not only bring together everyone who loved my mum, but to also raise funds so that this doesn’t happen to others in the future.

“My mum loved raising money for cancer research, and I wanted to honour that by doing something I think she’d be proud of.”

Alex completed the walk with best friend Tara Haworth.

“We’ve been friends since our first year at the University of Edinburgh, where we were in rooms next door to each other in halls. Tara is my only friend from Edinburgh who actually met my mum as she passed away early in my first year.

“I wasn’t really ready to be massively social during this time, but Tara has just been so empathetic and understanding throughout this whole journey. She’s been by my side every step of the way, and now quite literally as we take on this 100km walk!

“We started walking at 4am and finished around midnight, walking from the Edinburgh Quay to the Falkirk Wheel and back, with five breaks to meet friends and family en route and celebrate my mum’s memory.

“We’ve already raised almost £4,000 which is just amazing, and we’re so thankful to everyone who has sponsored us and hopefully this money helps bring hope to more people in the future.”

Dr Helen Rippon, Chief Executive at Worldwide Cancer Research said: “Breast cancer affects a huge number of people right across the world. By funding more discovery research, we can continue to start cancer cures and save more lives in the future.

“We are so grateful to Alex and Tara for their amazing fundraising efforts and for helping us continue to make our ground-breaking research possible. Together, with the help of Curestarters like them, we can end cancer.”

For more information about Worldwide Cancer Research or to find out how you can help us start new cancer cures, please visit: 

https://www.worldwidecancerresearch.org/support-us/donate/

To support Alex’s fundraising, go to: 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/alexandra-burns42

Mum with brain tumour marks end of awareness month by raising over £80,000 to start cancer cures

Worldwide Cancer Research thanks supporters for funding over 3,500 hours of research

Scottish charity Worldwide Cancer Research has today marked the end of Brain Tumour Awareness Month (March 2021) by thanking Suzanne Davies, a mum from Aberdeen living with stage four glioblastoma, for helping raise over £80,000 towards vital research.

Just five per cent of people will survive five years or more after a glioblastoma diagnosis – the most aggressive type of brain cancer. Seven years on, Suzanne is defying all odds and is on a mission to raise awareness of the cancer type.

As the face of their Winter Appeal, Suzanne’s story lead to over £84,194 in individual donations.

The fundraising total will support over 3,500 hours of research, backing the brightest minds around the world in their quest to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

Since it was established in 1979, the Edinburgh-based charity has funded over £200million of research in over 30 countries to start new cancer cures.

The charity is currently funding two brain tumour research projects, worth over £410,000, one looking at how to beat treatment resistance in childhood brain cancers, and the second hoping to better understand how a gene in our DNA allows brain cancer cells to survive and grow.

In 2014, Suzanne’s consultant told her she’d only have a year to live. Seven years on, she said: “It was a really hard time and came from nowhere. I suddenly found myself having vacant moments, where I couldn’t hear, speak or even breathe.

“When the doctors told me I had a tumour the size of a golf ball in my brain and that I’d only have a year to live, I had my two children (aged four and seven at the time) and husband to think about.

“Now seven years on, I’m so thankful for research and for the treatments, surgery advances and drugs that were and are available to me. I didn’t think I’d get to see my 40th birthday, let alone see my sister get married and have children of her own.

“2020 turned our lives upside down and I think we’ve all breathed a sigh of relief that the year is over, but thanks to the generosity of Worldwide Cancer Research’s supporters, I’m feeling really positive about the year ahead.

“I am thrilled to hear that this campaign has raised over £80,000 towards life-changing cancer research. Any research that can help us get closer to cures, clinical trials and everything in-between is incredible. And the fact it’s a charity close to home starting the research across the world makes it even more incredible.

“I want to be a Grandma and to be able to live my life like I should be able to. And thanks to charities like Worldwide Cancer Research, I might be able to.”

Brain tumours kill over 5,000 people each year in the UK and over 400 in Scotland alone.

Dr Helen Rippon, Chief Executive at Worldwide Cancer Research said: “Brain cancer affects a huge number of people – not only in Scotland, but right across the world. By funding more discovery research, we know that we can save more lives in the future.

“We’d like to say a massive thank you to Suzanne for fronting this campaign, and helping us raise over £80,000 towards cancer research, helping us continue to make our ground-breaking research possible. This money will help us fund over 3,500 hours of ground-breaking research. Together, with the help of Curestarters like Suzanne, we can end cancer.”

For more information about Worldwide Cancer Research or to make a find out how you can help us start new cancer cures, please visit: 

https://www.worldwidecancerresearch.org/support-us/donate/

Scotland’s only cancer research charity marks 40th anniversary with First Step campaign

 

  • World’s leading cancer researchers meet in Edinburgh on 14 November to allocate a further £4 million funding
  • First Step campaign launching to increase public awareness and drive funding
  • Charity identifies urgent need to close the funding gap to find the cures for cancer

Worldwide Cancer Research, Scotland’s only cancer research charity, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month. Since being founded in 1979 cancer survival rates have doubled, and the charity has funded 1,870 projects across the world, worth over £191 million.

To mark this milestone the charity is launching a bold new look and campaign to raise awareness of the vital research it funds and help drive donations.

The First Step campaign, launched yesterday, will highlight the charity’s commitment to funding the very earliest research. A series of specially designed ‘first steps’ will appear across some of Edinburgh and Glasgow’s busiest streets and shopping centres, encouraging people to take their own first step in helping to find the cures for cancer by donating to the charity.

The campaign was launched by STV presenter and Worldwide Cancer Research ambassador Laura Boyd, who was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2009.

David Sole, Chair of the Board for Worldwide Cancer Research, who joined Laura Boyd to launch The First Step campaign, (above) said: “There is so much support for later stage cancer research that very often the first breakthroughs are forgotten or ignored. The First Step remains as critical as ever, and this is where Worldwide Cancer Research plays such a crucial role.”

This campaign coincides with the charity’s annual ‘Bold Ideas Gathering’, which sees the world’s top cancer researchers arrive in Edinburgh to discuss how to invest the money raised through fundraising and generous public donations. This year the charity has £4 million to spend on pioneering cancer research projects.

At the meeting, the group will go through the ideas put forward by scientists from all over the world to identify the projects that they believe will have the greatest impact on the lives of people with cancer.

With an average research project costing around £200,000, the panel will have to select around 20 from 130 projects. That means there will be 110 projects, and 110 possible cures, lost.

This year’s applications are from researchers based in 24 different countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Malaysia and Scotland, and cover topics ranging from how cells repair DNA to new immunotherapy techniques.

Dr Helen Rippon, Chief Executive of Worldwide Cancer Research, said: “When Worldwide Cancer Research was founded forty years ago by Dr Colin Thomson, it was with one clear goal: to conquer cancer within his lifetime.

“Tragically, he died from multiple myeloma. His legacy is our mission – to find and fund life-saving research around the world to end the suffering and death caused by cancer.

“Over those forty years Worldwide Cancer Research has funded close to 2,000 projects around the world, helping to discover and develop new life-saving treatments.

“The First Step campaign underlines our belief that providing funding for the brightest new ideas in cancer research is vital to finding treatments and cures for cancer.

“Our ‘Bold Ideas Gathering’ is the most important date in the charity’s calendar. It’s incredibly exciting to think that a research project we decide to fund at this meeting could be the key discovery that unlocks a new drug or treatment for cancer.

“The cancer researchers who take part in the meeting all give up their time to review applications. They do this because they believe wholeheartedly in ensuring that our supporters’ money is used in the most impactful way possible. They truly are heroes in and out of the lab.”

Worldwide Cancer Research is one of the few cancer charities in the UK, and the only one in Scotland, to fund research into all types of cancer. This is because while some cancers have seen vast improvements, others have seen little or no change.

Approximately 784 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in Scotland, and with only 1% of those diagnosed surviving ten years or more it has the lowest survival rate of the 29 most common cancers.

Adam Coulson, chose to fundraise for Worldwide Cancer Research after the death of his father to pancreatic cancer, and his mother to bowel cancer. He said “Cancer has a devastating effect on our lives. I think almost every single one of my family and friends has been affected in some way or another.

“Sadly, there are some cancers that are simply not understood as well as others, and more research is urgently needed in order to improve treatment outcomes and survival rates. Worldwide Cancer Research funds vital research into those in most urgent need.”

Dr John Maher, Clinical Senior Lecturer at King’s College London and Chair of the meeting said: “Worldwide Cancer Research is truly unique as the only UK-based charity that funds research into any type of cancer, anywhere in the world.

“Every year we see so many exciting ideas from some of the world’s most innovative researchers that it is often very difficult to decide which projects deserve funding. It can’t be stressed enough how important the supporters of Worldwide Cancer Research are to make this research possible.”

For more information about Worldwide Cancer Research, visit https://www.worldwidecancerresearch.org.