Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent
cancer research
Cancer research is research into cancer to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure.
Cancer research ranges from epidemiology, molecular bioscience to the performance of clinical trials to evaluate an ...
organization.
It is registered as a charity in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
and
Isle of Man
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, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europ ...
, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.
Cancer Research UK conducts research using both its own staff and grant-funded researchers. It also provides information about cancer and runs campaigns aimed at raising awareness and influencing public policy.
The organisation's work is almost entirely funded by the public. It raises money through donations, legacies, community fundraising, events, retail and corporate partnerships. Over 40,000 people are regular volunteers.
History
The Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) was founded in 1902 as the Cancer Research Fund, changing its name to the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in 1904. It grew over the next twenty years to become one of the world's leading cancer research charities.
Its flagship laboratories formerly at
Lincoln's Inn Fields
Lincoln's Inn Fields is the largest public square in London. It was laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder and contractor William Newton, "the first in a long series of entrepreneurs who took a hand in develo ...
, London, and Clare Hall,
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For gov ...
, and known as the Cancer Research UK
London Research Institute, are now part of the
Francis Crick Institute.
The British Empire Cancer Campaign (BECC) was founded in 1923, and initially drew a hostile response from ICRF and the
Medical Research Council, who considered it a rival.
[Austoker, Joan. ''A history of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, 1902-1986.'' Oxford University Press, 1988.][Cancer Research Campaign formerly British Empire Cancer Campaign](_blank)
1923-1981. Wellcome Library Archive. Retrieved 1 February 2011 "The Campaign", as it was colloquially known, became a very successful and powerful grant-giving body. In 1970, the charity was renamed The Cancer Research Campaign (CRC).
Incorporated on 20 November 2001, the two organisations officially merged on 4 February 2002 to form Cancer Research UK, the largest independent cancer research organisation in the world (the largest, the
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. T ...
, is funded by the US Government).
[World's biggest cancer charity formed](_blank)
''The Guardian'', 4 February 2002. At the time of the merger, the ICRF had an annual income of £124m, while the CRC had an income of £101m.
Based on article share during the period between January 2015 to August 2019,
''Nature'' listed Cancer Research UK in the top 150 of the Top 200 institutions in cancer research in the world.
CRUK had an income of £582.08 million and expenses of £570.56 million for the financial year ending in 31 March 2021.
Research
In the financial year 2014/15 the charity spent £422.67 million on cancer research projects (67% of its total income for that year). The bulk of the remaining costs were spent on trading and fundraising costs with a small amount spent on information services, campaigning, advocacy, administration and other activities or was held in reserve.
Around 40% of its research expenditure (27% of its total spending) is on basic laboratory research into the
molecular basis of cancer . The remainder supports research into over 100 specific cancer types, focusing on
drug discovery and development; prevention, early detection and
imaging; surgery and
radiotherapy; and cancers where survival rates are still low, such as oesophageal, lung and pancreatic cancers.
The charity funds the work of over 4,000 researchers, doctors and nurses throughout the UK, supports over 200 clinical trials and studies cancer and cancer risk in over a million people in the UK.
Research institutes
* The Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, which sits within the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
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, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
and has ties to the
Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre
* The
Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, which sits within the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
close to
Addenbrooke's Hospital on the
Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
* The Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, formerly the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, which sits within the
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The university owns and operates majo ...
and has ties to the
Christie Hospital.
Partnerships
* The Francis Crick Institute, with the
Medical Research Council and the
Wellcome Trust
* The
Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, with the Medical Research Council
* The
Gurdon Institute
The Gurdon Institute (officially the Wellcome/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute) is a research facility at the University of Cambridge, specialising in developmental biology and cancer biology.
History
The Institute was founded in 1989 to prov ...
, with the Wellcome Trust
* The
Manchester Cancer Research Centre
The Manchester Cancer Research Centre (MCRC) was established in 2006 by the University of Manchester, Cancer Research UK and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. It has since been expanded through the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre to inc ...
, formed in 2006 by the University of Manchester, Cancer Research UK, and the Christie NHS Foundation Trust.
*
National Cancer Research Institute which also includes the
Medical Research Council (UK) and
Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Blood Cancer UK, (formerly Bloodwise, Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research and the Leukaemia Research Fund) is a UK-based charity dedicated to funding research into all blood cancers including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma, as well as offering informatio ...
.
*
UK Department of Health, the Wellcome Trust, the
National Health Service
The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
,
NICE
Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative ...
, and the Public Health England National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service.
Citizen-science projects
The charity participates in numerous
citizen-science
Citizen science (CS) (similar to community science, crowd science, crowd-sourced science, civic science, participatory monitoring, or volunteer monitoring) is scientific research conducted with participation from the public (who are sometimes r ...
projects including:
* Cell Slider – its first project set up in 2012. Samples of breast cancer tumours, taken from earlier studies, were analysed through a web-based application.
* Play to Cure: Genes in Space – its first mobile game developed with
Guerilla Tea, which originated as a prototype during a 48-hour
game jam. Players plot routes to guide a spaceship in-game, which corresponds to analysis of genetic data.
* Reverse the Odds – a mobile game based upon 'Play to Cure: Genes in Space' but with greater accuracy, involved completing puzzles and answering questions on lung and bladder cancer samples.
* The Impossible Line – a mobile puzzle game spotting genetic faults in breast cancer data, provided evidence that the game aspect lowered accuracy.
* Trailblazer – a web-based application looking at tissue samples identifying the presence or absence of cancer cells.
Research Centres
The charity funds networks in seven locations across the UK, to drive collaborations between universities, NHS hospitals, and other research organisations. Centre status is awarded to locations performing the highest quality cancer research, to provide funds for equipment and training. Centre status has been designated to:
* Cambridge:
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
* City of London:
Kings College London,
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
,
Barts Cancer Institute
, mottoeng = Temper the bitter things in life with a smile
, parent = Queen Mary University of London
, president = Lord Mayor of London
, head_label = Warden
, head = Mark Caulfield
, students = 3,410
, undergrad = 2,235 ...
,
Francis Crick Institute
* Convergent Science: Imperial University and the
Institute of Cancer Research
* Manchester:
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The university owns and operates majo ...
* Newcastle:
Newcastle University
* Oxford:
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
* Scotland:
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1 ...
and
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
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Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
Achievements and impact
Drugs developed by the organization's scientists include:
*
Cisplatin and
carboplatin
Carboplatin, sold under the trade name Paraplatin among others, is a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of forms of cancer. This includes ovarian cancer, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, brain cancer, and neuroblastoma. It is used ...
, cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs discovered at the
Institute of Cancer Research in London.
*
Abiraterone, a
prostate cancer drug discovered at the Institute of Cancer Research in London.
*
Temozolomide, which has an effect on
glioblastoma
Glioblastoma, previously known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is one of the most aggressive types of cancer that begin within the brain. Initially, signs and symptoms of glioblastoma are nonspecific. They may include headaches, personality ...
, discovered by CRUK scientists at the
University of Aston
Aston University (abbreviated as ''Aston''. for post-nominals) is a public research university situated in the city centre of Birmingham, England. Aston began as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School in 1895, evolving into the UK's first ...
.
*
Rucaparib
Rucaparib, sold under the brand name Rubraca, is a PARP inhibitor used as an anti-cancer agent. Rucaparib is a first-in-class pharmaceutical drug targeting the DNA repair enzyme poly-ADP ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1). It is taken by mouth.
The ...
, a PARP inhibitor drug discovered by CRUK scientists including
Ruth Plummer
Ruth (or its variants) may refer to:
Places
France
* Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France
Switzerland
* Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny
United States
* Ruth, Alabama
* Ruth, Ar ...
at the Northern Institute for Cancer Research .
*
Tamoxifen, a hormone therapy used to treat
breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...
and lower the risk of recurrence.
Several of the organization's scientists have won major prizes, including:
*
Tomas Lindahl
Tomas Robert Lindahl FRS FMedSci (born 28 January 1938) is a Swedish-British scientist specialising in cancer research. In 2015, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry jointly with American chemist Paul L. Modrich and Turkish chemist Aziz ...
: one of three recipients of the 2015
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
)
, image = Nobel Prize.png
, alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then "M ...
, for mechanistic studies of
DNA repair
DNA repair is a collection of processes by which a cell identifies and corrects damage to the DNA molecules that encode its genome. In human cells, both normal metabolic activities and environmental factors such as radiation can cause DNA d ...
,
joined the organisation as a researcher in 1981, and from 1986 was the first Director of their
Clare Hall research institute in
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For gov ...
, since 2015 part of the
Francis Crick Institute.
*
Paul Nurse
Sir Paul Maxime Nurse (born 25 January 1949) is an English geneticist, former President of the Royal Society and Chief Executive and Director of the Francis Crick Institute. He was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine alo ...
and
Tim Hunt: recipients of the 2001
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, accordi ...
, for work started at the
London Research Institute.
*
Renato Dulbecco: recipient of the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, while deputy director of what was then the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.
Other charitable activities
Information services
Through Cancer Health UK, a website written in
Plain English, it provides information on cancer and cancer care, and a unique
clinical trial
Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, diet ...
s database.
A team of nurses provides a confidential telephone service, the Cancer Chat forum provides a place for users to talk to others affected by cancer, and mobile cancer awareness units deliver health information to locations of high cancer incidence and mortality. It provides statistical information via the Cancer Stats section. It also provides publications for the public to order and download.
Cancer Research UK publishes a twice-monthly professional
medical journal, the ''
British Journal of Cancer
The ''British Journal of Cancer'' is a twice-monthly professional medical journal owned by Cancer Research UK (a registered charity in the United Kingdom), published on their behalf by Springer Nature's Nature Research.
The ''British Journal of C ...
''.
Influencing public policy
The charity worked to bring about the
smoking ban in England and continues to campaign for further action on smoking. The charity lobbies for better
screening
Screening may refer to:
* Screening cultures, a type a medical test that is done to find an infection
* Screening (economics), a strategy of combating adverse selection (includes sorting resumes to select employees)
* Screening (environmental), ...
programmes and advises on access to new cancer medicines.
Sources of funding
Income sources include:
* Individual donations, regular giving and philanthropy, raising £191 million in 2019/20.
* Legacies from wills, raising £184 million in 2019/20.
* Royalties and grants from licensing its
intellectual property
Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...
, such as for the drug
abiraterone, generating £118 million in 2019/20.
* Public participation fundraising events such as
Race for Life
Race for Life is a series of fundraising events, organised by charity Cancer Research UK. They involve running, jogging or walking a 5-kilometre, 10-kilometre or 'Pretty Muddy' course and raising sponsorship for doing so. The money raises funds fo ...
,
Stand Up to Cancer UK
Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) is the UK version of Stand Up to Cancer, a US charitable television telethon, broadcast between 2012-2018 on the Channel 4 network in the United Kingdom, and again from 2020. The most recent edition of the telethon was o ...
and a one off
Race Against Cancer, raising £48 million in 2019/20.
* Around 600
charity shops selling new and donated second-hand goods, generating £10 million profit in 2019/20.
On 18 July 2012 it was announced that Cancer Research UK was to receive its largest single donation of £10 million from an anonymous donor. The money went towards the £100 million funding for the Francis Crick Institute in London.
During the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
in 2020, CRUK closed its shops and cancelled mass participation fundraising events. They predicted that this, coupled with economic uncertainty affecting people's ability or willingness to donate, would lead to a 30% fall in income that year and a reduction in income lasting at least 3 years.
Criticism
In June 2011 Cancer Research UK was one of several health charities (along with the
British Heart Foundation, the
Alzheimer's Society and
Parkinson's UK) targeted by the animal rights organisation
Animal Aid in a series of advertisements in British newspapers urging members of the public to stop giving donations to organizations that fund medical research involving animal experiments.
In April 2017 the Information Commissioner's Office fined eleven charities that breached the Data Protection Act by misusing donors’ personal data. Cancer Research UK was fined £16,000.
See also
*
Cancer in the United Kingdom
*
Childhood Cancer Parents Alliance
*
European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer
The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) is a unique pan-European non-profit clinical cancer research organisation established in 1962 operating as an international association under Belgium law. It develops, conduc ...
(EORTC)
*
(EUROPAC)
*
London Research Institute
References
External links
*
*
CancerHelp UKCancerStats
Cancer ChatDownload site for leaflets
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cancer Research Uk
Cancer organisations based in the United Kingdom
Health charities in the United Kingdom
Health in the London Borough of Newham
Organisations based in the London Borough of Newham
Research institutes established in 2002
Research in the United Kingdom
Stratford, London
2002 establishments in the United Kingdom