World Cancer Research Day
Tuesday 24th September 2024
World Cancer Research Day is dedicated to highlighting the importance of cancer research in improving outcomes of people living with cancer.
Organisations and charities around the world come together to raise vital awareness of research into cancers. At Guts UK Charity, we are proud to fund life-changing and live-saving research into the gut, liver and pancreas.
WHAT DO WE DO?
At Guts UK, we fund research into a range of digestive conditions and cancers found in the gut, liver and pancreas.
We provide expert information and support for people living with a range of digestive conditions and cancers, including:
Since 1971, we have funded 60 research grants focused on cancer, amounting to £4.7million in life-changing and live-saving research.
WHY IS RESEARCH INTO THESE CANCERS IMPORTANT?
Of the cancers listed above, liver cancer, oesophageal cancer and stomach cancer are all known to be less survivable cancers, alongside pancreatic cancer, lung cancer and brain tumours.
Following decades of underfunding, all of these cancers have a five-year survival rate of less than 20%. These cancers account for 42% of the cancer deaths in the UK each year.
If those diagnosed in the UK survived at the same rate as some of the highest surviving countries, over 8,000 lives would be saved annually.
Guts UK is part of the The Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce. Alongside other organisations, we call for research into these cancers to be prioritsed in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
For cancers of the digestive system, Guts UK funds research into liver cancer, oesophageal cancer and stomach cancer. Research into pancreatic cancer is undertaken by the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK.
Research into these cancers could:
- Reduce the stark inequalities in prognosis between cancers.
- Lead to earlier diagnosis.
- Increase life expectancy.
- Improve quality of life for people living with cancer.
- Lead to kinder treatments for people living with cancer.
- Ultimately, lead to a cure.
OUR CURRENT CANCER RESEARCH PROJECTS
Liver cancer research by Dr Daniel Patten
Dr Daniel Patten at the University of Birmingham was awarded an Early Career Researcher Development Grant for £14,715 from Guts UK.
Dr Patten and his team are conducting research into improving therapy effectiveness in liver cancers through reprogramming blood vessels.
Liver cancer, primarily hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.
Liver cancers are highly resistant to conventional anti-cancer therapies (such as chemotherapy) and often present at an advanced stage, when treatment to cure the cancer is not possible. It’s important that new therapies are developed to treat this cancer and enhance the effectiveness of existing treatments.
One of the most promising recent developments in cancer therapy has been the emergence of immunotherapies. This type of treatment works by harnessing the patient’s own immune system to recognise and kill cancers.
The research aims to provide new information on the mechanisms of localised tumour progression, disease spread and resistance to current therapies. From this information, Dr Patten and his team hope to develop combination strategies to help boost the effectiveness of immunotherapies.
Bowel cancer research by Dr Morven Allan
Dr Morven Allan at the University of Edinburgh was awarded a Trainee Award for £4,959 from the BSG/Guts UK.
Dr Allan’s research seeks to answer the question ‘Do gut microbiomes increase bowel cancer risk in certain populations?’
Bowel (colon and rectal) cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, with 1.8 million new cases each year. A person’s risk of developing bowel cancer can depend on many things, including genetics.
Dr Allan will investigate whether a gene called FUT2 – which is found in glands throughout the body, including the digestive system – influences the composition of the bacteria in your gut, known as your gut microbiome. It is thought that the gut microbiome plays a role in the development of bowel cancer.
Dr Allan hopes that the results of her research will help to develop new bowel cancer strategies that focus on changing the gut microbiome.
Polyps research by Dr Stephen McSorley
Dr Stephen McSorley at the University of Glasgow was awarded an Early Career Researcher Development Grant for £14,562 from Guts UK.
Research by Dr McSorley and his team seeks to answer the question ‘Can we use a detailed analysis of the immune response in colonic polyps to better predict who will get more polyps or bowel cancer in the future?’
Colonic polyps are benign growths found in the bowel. If left untreated, they can become cancerous over time. In the UK, a combination of bowel screening stool testing and colonoscopy (a test to check inside your bowels) are used to find bowel cancer early, and to find polyps which can be removed using the colonoscope, to try and prevent future bowel cancer.
Currently, the methods used to try and predict people’s future risk of bowel cancer are basic. They are based on the number and size of polyps, which is inaccurate. This means that many people undergo unnecessary colonoscopies. In addition, for patients who are at higher risk of bowel cancer, there are not currently any treatment options other than polyp removal at repeated colonoscopy, to prevent further polyps forming or cancer developing.
The team hopes that the research will both improve the ability to predict the risk of developing future polyps or cancer for patients who are found to have polyps at colonoscopy, and to identify other ways in which future risk can be reduced, such as diet or medication.
HOW CAN I HELP THIS WORLD CANCER RESEARCH DAY?
- Fund life-changing researching into digestive conditions and cancers by donating £3 per month to Guts UK Charity. You can improve the future of so many, starting today.
- Help us raise vital awareness of by sharing our posts on World Cancer Research Day – and any day. You never know who we might reach and help together. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X.
