Bowel cancer

Each day, around 110 people are told they have bowel cancer. Thanks to improvements in diagnosis and treatment, the number of people surviving their disease for five years or more has doubled in the last 40 years. But sadly, bowel cancer still claims around 44 lives each day.

We are the largest funder of bowel cancer research in the UK. Our scientists and doctors are leading the way in trying to identify the people most at risk of developing the disease, and testing cutting-edge new treatments. We hope this will help ensure that more people survive bowel cancer than ever before.

You can help us beat bowel cancer by donating the money you raise for Shine to our ground-breaking bowel cancer research.

Meet Clive

Clive Barley from Lytham St Annes was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2003 after he noticed he was passing blood in his stools.

Tests revealed Clive had a cancerous tumour in his bowel and the following month he underwent surgery to have the tumour removed. He made a good recovery and is now fighting fit. 

Since his recovery, Clive has completed seven marathons and numerous half marathons to help raise money, and has also taken part in the Shine Manchester walk for the last two years.

Clive said: “Luckily my cancer was caught in its early stages, and thanks to the excellent treatment I received, my cancer experience has been a very positive one and I have made a good recovery.  It’s incredibly important that we all do our bit to help raise money so that vital research can continue.”

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Breast cancer

With around 130 women diagnosed every day, breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. Men also get breast cancer but it is rare and only around 310 men every year are diagnosed.

Thanks to research, more than 8 out of 10 women now survive the disease beyond five years. But around 12,000 women and 70 men still die from the disease each year in the UK. That’s why we’re still working tirelessly to make sure more people survive breast cancer than ever before.

Cancer Research UK is the largest funder of breast cancer research in the UK and our work includes finding new ways to prevent the disease, understanding how we can stop it spreading around the body, and discovering better treatments. Without the help of supporters like you, we couldn’t continue our groundbreaking efforts to beat breast cancer.

Help us keep this work going by giving the money you raise for Shine to our breast cancer research.

Meet Margaret

Margaret Boyle,  from Stoke Newington, London, has been through treatment for breast cancer twice.

She was initially diagnosed in 2003 at the age of 38 and then again, seven years later in April 2010.   Margaret, who has a 10-year-old daughter, Eilidh with husband Ken, underwent surgery and chemotherapy treatment, and is now doing well, although continues to have regular check-ups.

The former chemotherapy nurse, who now works as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Palliative Care, said: “Being diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time was hard enough to deal with but to receive the news again seven years later was devastating.  Luckily I came through the other side and slowly feel like I’m getting my life back again. The experience has had a huge impact on me.  Things that would have worried me before seem so unimportant to me now.”

Margaret added: “Signing up and training for Cancer Research UK’s Shine marathon walk really gave me a great goal to work towards as well as the chance for me to give something back.”

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Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with over 37,000 cases diagnosed every year. In the 1970s less than a third of men survived the disease for five years or more. Now more than three-quarters do.

But prostate cancer still claims around 10,400 lives a year. So it’s crucial that we continue our work and find new ways to tackle the disease.

Our work on prostate cancer is extensive – our researchers are searching for the faulty genes that cause the disease, are finding ways to improve radiotherapy treatment, and are working to understand why some prostate cancers do not respond to treatments.

We are committed to helping even more men beat prostate cancer. You can help us by donating the money you raise for Shine to prostate cancer research.

Meet Graham

Graham Burge from Stevenage was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February 2000. At the same time he was also given the news he had bowel cancer.

Graham said:  “I started wanting to go to the loo all the time and I couldn’t wait, it got very embarrassing. After about nine months of this my wife Margaret finally persuaded me to see the doctor and I was sent to the hospital to get it checked out. They suspected prostate cancer but then also discovered I had bowel cancer as well.”

Graham was successfully treated with surgery and is now in good health.

On 1 October 2011 Graham took part in Shine London along with his wife Margaret, daughter Melanie and son-in-law Paul.

Graham added: “My experience has taught me that there is life after cancer. I am now well and enjoying my retirement, but I couldn’t have got through it without the love and support of my family and friends which helped to keep me positive during my treatment. 

“My family also helped me finish the Shine marathon. Their encouragement and support really kept me going on the night. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

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Lung cancer

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the UK, with around 112 people being diagnosed every day.  The good news is that male lung cancer rates in the UK are dropping thanks to fewer men smoking.

We’ve played a key role in raising the awareness of the dangers of tobacco.  But there’s still more to do – sadly, when it comes to improving survival, progress has been slower for lung cancer than for some other cancer types.

 

We are the largest funder of lung cancer research in the UK and we are committed to increasing our investment in this area even further. Our scientists and doctors will continue to work hard to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease.

Help us work to improve the outcome for people with lung cancer by donating the money you raise for Shine to our lung cancer research.

Meet Ann

Ann Long from Formby in Merseyside was diagnosed with lung cancer in December 2003.

In January 2004, Ann had an operation to remove half of her left lung. The surgery was successful and, more than eight years on, Ann is leading a full and active life.

Ann, 76, said: “I was brushing my teeth one morning and realised there was a little spot of blood – it looked like a small tadpole with a tiny dot of blood in the middle. Sometimes when you brush your teeth, your gums bleed. It wasn’t like that – it wasn’t fresh blood. So I went to see my GP and was sent for a chest x-ray.

"Lung cancer never crossed my mind. Any sort of cancer never crossed my mind because I felt fit and healthy and was just getting on with my life.

“I think if anybody has any signs or symptoms at all that they are worried about just go to your doctor as quickly as possible. Being diagnosed with lung cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence. There’s so much that can be done, and there is life after cancer.”

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Childrens' cancers

Today almost three-quarters of children with cancer in the UK are cured of their disease. Our many successful clinical trials for children’s cancer have helped to transform the outlook for these children with cancer and their families. But around 260 children a year in the UK still lose their lives to cancer, so our groundbreaking work has to continue.

Cancer Research UK is a major funder of research into children’s cancer in the UK. We fund a variety of research, including the work of the Children’s Cancer Trials Team (CCTT). They co-ordinate groundbreaking clinical trials for children’s cancers in 21 centres across the UK and Ireland. They are working hard to bring cutting-edge research discoveries from the lab bench to the bedside, to benefit children with cancer as quickly as possible.

Help us make sure even more children have a bright future, please donate the money you raise towards our vital research into children’s cancers.

Meet Harvey

Harvey Davies from Leigh near Wigan was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in March 2009 aged six. His mum, Clare, first became concerned something was wrong when she spotted a lump on Harvey’s neck. Further tests revealed Harvey had four tumours in his neck and one in his stomach.

Harvey underwent surgery to have the tumours removed followed by six months of chemotherapy and two weeks of radiotherapy treatment.  Harvey continues to have regular check-ups but is now doing well and has returned to school.

Last year Harvey was one of four youngsters to help launch the Shine Manchester 2011 event. 

Clare, who is married to Stuart and also has a four-year-old son, Carter, said: “What started off as a lump in Harvey’s neck ended up turning our lives upside down. 
 
“We are all so amazed at how well Harvey has dealt with everything. He is an absolute inspiration to us and we’re so proud of him.”

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Brain cancer

Every year around 9,100 people in the UK are diagnosed with a brain or central nervous system tumour. But they can sometimes be hard to treat and over 4,750 people in the UK lose their lives to the disease every year.

To help more people beat the disease, Cancer Research UK is committed to funding all areas of brain cancer research. Our scientists and doctors are trying to understand what causes brain tumours, finding better tests to diagnose the disease and developing new treatments. It is only by funding this whole range of research that we will make the breakthroughs that will truly change the outlook for people with brain tumours in the future.

Help us make this brighter future a reality by dedicating the money you raise for Shine to our vital brain cancer research.

Meet Calum

23- year-old Calum Elliot from Paisley was diagnosed with a brain tumour after he started having seizures.

Calum was initially diagnosed with epilepsy, however, in September 2010 a routine scan revealed Calum had a mass in his brain and he was devastated to be told he had an aggressive brain tumour.

Calum underwent a five-hour operation to have 90% of the tumour removed before taking part in a trial at Glasgow’s Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre where he was the first person ever to receive a new treatment vaccine.

He completed the trial earlier this year and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment every six weeks.

In April 2011 Calum helped launch the Shine Glasgow event and in September his mum and her friends took part to raise money for brain cancer research.  

Calum said: “Being told you have cancer is something you don’t want to hear but you have to deal with it and be strong. I was more than happy to go on a trial. It was good to think my experience might help other people like me who are diagnosed in the future.”

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Cancer Research UK's work

Cancer Research UK’s work has saved millions of lives in the UK and around the world by finding new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. Our work has helped ensure that survival rates in the UK have doubled in the last 40 years and we remain the world’s leading charity dedicated to saving lives through research. Our scientists and doctors have contributed to most of the world’s top cancer drugs and we have pioneered and helped revolutionise the use of radiotherapy to treat cancer from its beginnings over 100 years ago.

But we’re not stopping there. It’s hard to imagine that more than one in three of us will get some form of cancer at some point in our lives.  But the aim of all our research is to beat cancer, and make sure fewer people lose their lives to the disease. And, amazingly, all our research is entirely funded by the public. It’s thanks to the generosity of supporters like you that our scientists, doctors and nurses are leading the world in discovering new ways to tackle cancer.

Your support makes a difference

All your fundraising efforts really do make a  difference. By deciding to support our general work you will be helping us carry out research into many different types of cancer across the whole research spectrum.
From studying the faulty genes that influence how the disease develops, to developing new cancer drugs and testing them in world-leading clinical trials – we’re doing everything we can.

In almost every type of cancer, we support more research in the UK than any other funder. Find out more about the different types of research we fund to beat cancer.

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Skin cancer

The last 30 years has seen malignant melanoma incidence rates in Britain more than quadruple  and now 32 people are told they have the disease every day.  Sadly, around seven people lose their lives to the disease every day.

Most skin cancers are caused by excessive exposure to harmful UV rays from the sun or from using sunbeds. Our national campaign, SunSmart, promotes staying safe in the sun – helping give people the knowledge to reduce their risk.
 

Cancer Research UK is the largest funder of skin cancer research in the UK. Our research focuses on understanding how the disease develops and finding even better treatments to help beat it.

You can help us raise awareness of skin cancer and fund our research by donating the money you raise for Shine to help us beat skin cancer.

Meet Caroline

Caroline Begg from Glasgow was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2006. She went to see her GP after becoming concerned about a mole on her back which had changed shape and colour.

After having the mole removed Caroline, who had been a regular sunbed user in the past, was shocked to learn she had melanoma skin cancer. She had an operation to remove a wider area of tissue from her back and went on to make a full recovery. 

Caroline, who helped launch the Shine Glasgow event in April 2011, said: “I never really thought sunbeds were dangerous. When I noticed a mole had changed the way it looked I went to my GP and was stunned to learn I had skin cancer. It was terrifying.

“Thankfully it was caught early, but I have been left with a large scar on my back where they removed the cancer.

“I wish I had known earlier just how dangerous sunbeds can be and I count myself lucky that I was successfully treated.  If it wasn’t for the work of Cancer Research UK, I might not be here today.”

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Ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer in UK women, with around 130 women every week being told they have the disease.

The good news is that, over the last 30 years, five-year survival rates for ovarian cancer have almost doubled. But around 4,300 women still lose their life to the disease every year. That’s why we’re a major funder of ovarian cancer research in the UK and why we want to help reduce the number of women losing their lives to the disease. Through our research we hope to find better ways to detect the disease earlier and discover more effective treatments to help  more women survive.

You can help us help more women to beat ovarian cancer by donating the money you raise for Shine to our ovarian cancer research.

Meet Clare

Clare Coombes from Caerphilly was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in February 2006 at the age of 38 after noticing a lump on the left hand side of her stomach.

The following week Clare visited her GP and was immediately referred for an urgent scan, which showed a mass.

Upon having a hysterectomy the surgeon found a tumour the size of a grapefruit, which Clare was told was a grade three aggressive tumour which had almost certainly developed rapidly.

Clare underwent four months of chemotherapy treatment and went onto make a full recovery.  In 2010 Clare helped launch the Cardiff Shine event and took part in the half-marathon walk with family and friends.

Mum-of-two, Clare, said: “I was shocked to be told I had cancer. It was a tough time, especially trying to keep things as normal as possible for the children. However it was not all doom and gloom and I had great support from family and friends. Five years on I am now doing well and have my life back again.”

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Leukaemia

Around 7,600 people of all ages are diagnosed with leukaemia every year in the UK - that’s around 21 people each day.

Five year survival rates for leukaemia have more than tripled in the last thirty years. That’s amazing progress, but around 4,400 people still lose their lives to the disease every year.

This is why our scientists are working to transform the treatment of leukaemia. They’re busy searching for the faulty genes behind the disease, and running clinical trials looking for better treatments.

You can help us improve leukaemia treatment in the future by contributing the money you raise for Shine to our vital leukaemia research.

Meet George

George Crompton from Stockport was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in September 2005 aged just seven.

For the next three-and-a-half years George underwent chemotherapy treatment.  He is now doing well and has returned to school full-time. 

In May 2011 George was a special guest at Shine Manchester and his parents, John and Karen Crompton, took part in the walk.

Karen said: “George has been through so much during the last few years and at times was very ill, but despite everything he had to go through, he never once moaned or complained. It’s wonderful to see him now back at school and living a full and happy life like any other boy of his age. It’s vital that research continues to give more people like George a chance in the future.”

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Pancreatic cancer

Around 22 people hear they have pancreatic cancer every day. Sadly, survival rates have only increased slightly since the 1970s – often because the disease is diagnosed late.

Cancer Research UK is the largest funder of pancreatic research in the UK. We’ve already helped to shape the way that pancreatic cancer patients are treated, giving people precious extra time. But we know that to save more lives we still urgently need to find better ways to detect and treat the disease and we are committed to doing this through our research.

Our scientists are working hard on many aspects of pancreatic cancer research, including pioneering new diagnostic tests and finding new ways to stop the disease from spreading to other parts of the body.

Enter Shine and donate your funds to our much-needed pancreatic cancer research to help more people beat the disease than ever before.

Meet Ali

Ali Stunt from Haslemere in Surrey was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in August 2007 at the age of 41.

Ali had surgery to have the tumour removed together with 80% of her pancreas and all of her spleen. She then began six months of chemotherapy, followed by a six-week course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. 

Ali, who is married with two teenage sons, said: “It was a complete shock when I was diagnosed.  I was only 41 at the time and had no recognisable symptoms until shortly beforehand. But thanks to the excellent treatment I received, as well as the unconditional love and support of my fantastic husband, my gorgeous boys and my many dear friends, I came through it. I feel like one of the lucky ones.

“My experience has made me want to do everything I possibly can to help increase awareness of pancreatic cancer.  It’s vitally important that money is raised to help fund more research into this disease and hopefully help save more lives in the future.”

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Cervical cancer

Around 56 women in the UK find out they’ve got cervical cancer every week. What’s more, it’s the most common cancer in younger women under 35.

If pre-cancerous cells in the cervix can be detected early  they can be easily treated – preventing cervical cancer from developing.  Because of this, the national cervical cancer screening programme saves thousands of lives every year.

The HPV vaccine protects girls against the virus that causes cervical cancer – it has the potential to prevent around 7 out of 10 cases of the disease.

Sadly, despite these advances, around 950 UK women still lose their lives to cervical cancer every year. So there’s still more to do if we’re to beat the disease. 
 

Our scientists are working to understand the best way to use the HPV vaccine so it’s as effective as it can possibly be. They’re also working to understand how the human papilloma virus (HPV) can cause the disease – giving us vital insights into how the disease develops and the best ways to conquer it.

Help make more strides to beat this disease by contributing the money you raise for Shine to our cervical cancer research.

Paula – cancer survivor

Paula Jones, from Crewe, was diagnosed with cervical cancer aged 23. She had booked an appointment with her GP after irregular bleeding between periods.

Following the diagnosis, Paula underwent a full hysterectomy and did not need any other treatment.

The 38-year-old, who works for Cancer Research UK as a regional events manager, said: “I was absolutely gobsmacked when I was told I had cancer. Undergoing a hysterectomy at such a young age was tough going.

“But I was fortunate that my cancer was diagnosed at a very early stage and I didn’t need further treatment.

“Having cancer has changed my life. My perspective is completely different now and I can appreciate what is important.”

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Testicular cancer

Around 2,100 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer every year in the UK, and rates are rising, which could be partly due to better diagnosis. Thanks to research like ours, treatment for testicular cancer is very effective and now more than 95% of men with testicular cancer are cured, compared to less than 70% in the early 1970s.

Our work on testicular cancer now focuses on refining and improving the treatment for this disease. To help ensure all men survive this disease, we still need to develop more effective treatments for advanced testicular cancer and for those men who do not respond to chemotherapy treatment.

You can donate the funds you raise for Shine to help our research looking to improve the effectiveness of treatment and ways to monitor men with the disease.

Meet Craig

Craig Carson from Cathcart, South Glasgow, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in February 2011 after finding a lump on his right testicle.

Following surgery to have his right testicle removed, Craig underwent a three-week course of chemotherapy treatment.

He has since made a good recovery and in September 2011, Craig completed the Shine marathon walk in Glasgow.

Craig said: “Like most men, I didn’t want to bother my GP, so after I found the lump I let it go for a few weeks. But my experience has made me realise how important it is to be open about it.  My message for other men who find a lump would be – do not wait, go and see your GP; they have seen it all before. I cannot imagine what would have happened had I put it off for longer.”

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