Cancer Research UK

Our story

We’ve been going since 1902 and along the way we’ve achieved a long list of firsts. Now we’re pushing well into the future – developing newer, kinder treatments, getting closer to cures.

Every step we make towards beating cancer relies on every pound, every hour, every person. And as a collective force we’ve helped double survival rates in the last forty years. But we can’t stop there. More than 1 in 3 of us will develop cancer at some point in our lives and with our ageing population, this statistic is getting worse.

We’re fighting for a world where no one’s life is cut short by cancer. And there is real hope. Each year our scientists get closer to finding cures for cancers – whether through targeted treatment or simply detecting cancers earlier. Genome mapping and new technologies have put us on the brink of major breakthroughs. With the continued help of our supporters we will help turn these breakthroughs into treatments that could save millions of lives and accelerate our progress against this devastating disease.

To save lives; to add years; to make treatments kinder; to inform, prevent; to expel fear and to cure. The only ones fighting over 200 cancers – including the 1 that matters most to you.

Our ambition
Our ambition is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. This is our long-term vision. It won’t be achieved today or in our lifetime. But one day, it will happen. And if we stand united, cancer doesn’t stand a chance. With relentless determination we can push forward more quickly towards a future where cancer doesn’t have to be feared.

Every day we are achieving this ambition step by step together. From our volunteers and supporters on the ground to our scientists, doctors and nurses in the hospitals and labs, we’re all here to save more lives by preventing, controlling and curing all cancers.

Sooner or later we will find cures for all cancers. Let’s make it sooner.

Our work
We fund over half of the UK’s cancer research, including the life-saving work of over 4000 scientists, doctors and nurses fighting cancer on all fronts. Every day, our researchers make cutting-edge discoveries in our labs, and our doctors and nurses pioneer new treatments with patients in hospitals. This is why our research is so vital and why we need the public’s support to keep forging ahead to create more tomorrows for more people with cancer.

Research isn’t the only thing we do. Every year we help millions of people get the information they need to understand the disease. And, together with our supporters, we campaign on key cancer issues including access to cancer drugs, screening and reducing the use of tobacco.

We work in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer. We provide life-changing information to anyone affected by cancer. We run awareness initiatives so that cancer can be detected early and help people reduce their risk of the disease. And our campaigning and lobbying keeps cancer at the top of the political agenda.

For more information read about our current research.

Our progress is your progress
None of this would be possible without our supporters and volunteers. As a result of this amazing support, our work has helped transform the way cancer is prevented, diagnosed and treated today.

Here are some of our proudest achievements:

Our scientists and doctors have contributed to most of the world’s top cancer drugs, including:

Tamoxifen and herceptin – which have saved the lives of thousands of women with breast cancer
Temozolomide – used worldwide to treat people with the most common type of brain tumour
Carboplatin – one of the most successful cancer drugs ever developed.
We pioneered the use of radiotherapy to treat cancer, leading to a dramatic increase in the number of patients whose cancer could be cured.

We influenced the three national screening programmes for breast, bowel and cervical cancer which save thousands of lives each year.
And we were instrumental in bringing in smokefree law in England, which has helped more smokers to quit than ever before and will help prevent an estimated 40,000 deaths by 2018