Cancer Research at Velindre Cancer Centre 
 

More than 1 in 3 people in the UK will develop cancer during their lifetime.

Velindre Hospital is one of the 10 largest Cancer Centres in the UK and has a commitment to high quality care which means that Velindre is widely regarded being a Centre of Excellence. Velindre Cancer Centre has been providing support and care to cancer patients for over 50 years.

Velindre Cancer Centre is well known for being the largest non - surgical cancer Hospital in Wales and providing Radiotherapy, Chemotherapy and

other specialised treatments.

It is not so well known that Velindre Cancer Centre also manages an active, extensive and award winning programme of research into a wide variety of cancers. Supported by Velindre Cancer Centre research funds, Cancer Research Wales and Cancer Research UK, Velindre hosts the Professorial Unit of Clinical Oncology and Palliative Medicine, the Wales Cancer Trials Network and the Clinical Research Collaboration Cymru.

Velindre Cancer Centre also launched the Wales Cancer Trials Unit.

It is estimated that by 2015 there will be a 30% increase in the most common forms of cancer in Wales.

More people in the UK survive cancer now than ever before thanks to early detection and better treatments. Survival rates for the most common forms of cancer at Velindre Cancer Centre compare favourably with national and international standards.

We are determined to increase awareness of cancer research at Velindre so that we can raise the necessary money to continue to fund our research programmes.

We are always extremely grateful for any donations which help us to continue our research work, and we would like to offer donors the opportunity to support specific areas of interest:

The Bowel Cancer Research Fund is managed by Professor Tim Maughan and funds local research into the causes and treatments of bowel cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers. Bowel cancer is the second commonest cause of cancer in the UK and affects men and women equally. 36,000 people are diagnosed with this cancer each year in the UK and about half that number die of the disease.  Cardiff is known as a centre for bowel cancer research in three particular areas:

The basic cause of bowel cancer led by Professor Alan Clarke in the Nobel prize winner Professor Martyn Evans’ lab in Cardiff University School of Biosciences.  Clinical fellowships in this lab are enabling us to test very new therapies for bowel cancer in preclinical models.

The genetics of bowel cancer led by Professors Julian Sampson and Jeremy Cheadle in the Institute of medical genetics at Heath Park, Cardiff. This group were awarded the Queens prize for research in 2007 and discovered a new gene which predisposes to high risk of bowel cancer. This group is working with Professor Maughan’s team to identify genetic markers which predict response to chemotherapy so we can be better at choosing the right treatment for the right patient.

Clinical trials in bowel cancer. Professor Maughan’s main research is in running large UK wide trials of new treatments for bowel cancer. The COIN trial completed accrual in May 2008 and includes 2,400 patients from 110 hospitals across the UK. All the samples from these patients are collected in Cardiff and there is a major programme of research aiming to predict the most effective treatment for each individual patient and to identify new mechanisms for treatment of those who do not respond well at the moment.

This fund will help these major projects by providing:

Funding for bowel cancer research projects. These groups are very successful in winning national grant funding, but this is restricted and having local funding to explore new avenues quickly and exploit the opportunities we discover enables the research groups to keep up with the international forefront and help us make new discoveries faster.

Research fellowships for doctors, scientists, nurses and other health professionals involved in bowel cancer research or the care of bowel cancer patients. This will help us to provide research opportunities for a wider group of personnel and enable staff to be fully aware of the scientific developments in the field and to provide the best care possible for bowel cancer patients.

Equipment provision.  Advances in technology mean that research is moving faster and treatment is being delivered more efficiently and safely. The Fund will help purchase equipment both to improve the research capacity and to improve the way we treat bowel cancer patients.

The Lung Cancer Research Fund at Velindre Cancer Centre is managed by Dr Jason Lester and funds local research into treatments and management of the illness.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in England and Wales. There are nearly 2000 people newly diagnosed with lung cancer in Wales every year, so it is a significant health problem. Although most cases are associated with smoking, we are seeing and increasing number of sufferers who have never smoked. In fact, in England and Wales, 4000 people die every year from lung cancer who have never smoked, and this number is increasing.

In the past, lung cancer research has been relatively poorly supported compared to higher profile diseases like breast or bowel cancer.

Money raised will allow us to improve lung cancer services in many ways:

Educational grants to doctors, nurses and other health professionals involved in the care of lung cancer patients. This will help us to provide the best care possible for lung cancer patients.

Funding for Local lung cancer research projects. It is increasingly difficult to fund research in medicine. Increased income means we will be able to provide support for local research projects looking at improving patient care.

Equipment provision.  Advances in technology mean that treatment is being delivered more efficiently and safely. The Fund will help purchase equipment to improve the way we treat lung cancer patients.

If you would like to support lung cancer research at Velindre Cancer Centre please make your cheque payable to:

Velindre Cancer Centre lung cancer research.