Latest Developments in Cancer Treatments
Clinical trials being carried out by Cancer Research UK are making a real difference, helping more people to beat the deadly disease. The charity is at the forefront of the latest developments to improve cancer treatments so that more people can survive.
Recruiting more than 25,000 patients every year as researchers endeavour to develop new treatments, the clinical trials are designed to ensure that the latest treatments are an improvement on the current alternatives, but above all, they are safe for people to use.
Cancer Research UK funds pioneering researchers across the country, with scientists conducting many clinical trials to develop new treatments – trials are crucial to help cancer patients and those whose family history makes them at greater risk of developing cancer.
Research not only studies faulty genes to try and eradicate the disease, it also searches for drugs and treatments to improve the quality of life and the life expectancy of existing patients.
According to the World Cancer Research Fund International, there were around 14.1 million cancer cases worldwide in 2012, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer – with men accounting for 7.4 million cases. These are the most recent global figures available.
Medical studies show that the most prevalent type of cancer is lung cancer, accounting for 13% of the total number of new cases diagnosed among men and women in 2012. Breast cancer among women was the second most common cancer, accounting for 11.9% of cases in the same period.
The third most common was colorectal cancer, accounting for 9.7% of new cases, followed by prostate cancer (7.9%), stomach cancer (6.8%), liver cancer (5.6%) and cervical cancer (3.7%).
Current research includes searching for new faulty genes, using the immune system to tackle childhood cancers, probing cancer cells’ shape-shifting abilities, new treatments for ovarian cancer, improving treatments for breast cancer and tackling acute myeloid leukaemia.
Researchers include Dr David Adams, based at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the Cambridge Cancer Centre. He is searching for new faulty genes in cancer. This involves studying millions of samples of DNA to check for genetic mistakes that could lead to faulty cancer-causing genes. Dr Adams is looking for the cancer-causing genetic faults in lung and liver cancers, with the aim of using this information to develop new, improved treatments.
Professor Judith Bliss who leads the Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, conducts clinical trials into new and improved ways of treating breast cancer, including chemotherapy, hormone therapy and radiotherapy.
How trials make a difference
The current and past clinical trials are already making a difference to patients. Professor Bliss’s breast cancer trials were instrumental in improving treatments for women. Her trial showing that giving larger doses of radiotherapy, at fewer sessions, was safe and effective was adopted by hospitals. This meant that women who had breast cancer didn’t have to attend as many radiotherapy sessions to reduce the risk of the cancer returning. This had significant benefits for patients, saving them time, stress and money by reducing the number of hospital visits.
Cancer Research UK relies on public donations to carry on its vital research work to beat cancer. As a charity, it is reliant on the money donated to fund a wide range of activity, including basic research and clinical trials.
It has five research institutes and funds investigator-led programmes and training opportunities to research a wide variety of cancer variables. Around £17 million has been spent on investigating the causes of cancer, with a further £38 million spent on clinical trials and an additional £37 million spent on potential new drugs.
Page1 Charity Run
On 3rd November 2018, Page1 will be attempting Cornwall’s toughest mud run in aid of Cancer Research. Running over 15km of tough terrain, we will be braving 40 obstacles in an attempt to raise £1000 for this worthy cause. Would you be kind enough to sponsor us?