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Professor Richard Gilbertson, Director of the CRUK Cambridge Centre

Our vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.

The mission of the CRUK Cambridge Centre is to end death and disease caused by cancer through research, treatment and education. More than 1200 laboratory researchers and physicians are pursuing this mission and are united through our ten research programmes, three virtual institutes and four affiliated physical institutes (see our Research pages here ).

Our research is closely aligned to Cancer Research UK's research strategy with a focus on earlier detection of cancer and the most difficult-to-treat cancers, including lung, pancreatic, oesophageal, ovarian and childhood cancer, as well as brain tumours.

Our strategic objectives are:

1. Conduct impactful interdisciplinary cancer research  – we will leverage Cambridge innovation to better understand, prevent, detect, diagnose and treat cancer. By engaging multidisciplinary teams across the CRUK Cambridge Centre and beyond we will implement CRUK’s strategic approaches to build understanding of cancer and tackling cancers with substantial unmet need.

2. Adopt a proactive approach to cancer  – we will change the way we treat cancer from a reactive system that waits for cancer to present, to a proactive, personalised strategy that detects cancer in its earliest form, intervenes precisely, and monitors the disease with minimally-invasive technologies. By implementing CRUK’s strategic approaches we aim to facilitate a major shift in early diagnosis research, accelerate the translation of research and help to realise the NHS Long Term Plan for Cancer to enable 55,000 more people/year to survive >5 years beyond a diagnosis of cancer.

3. Develop the cancer leaders of tomorrow  – we will develop new cancer leaders, trained in fundamental research, early detection and precision cancer medicine, producing a step change in the way cancer is treated by future generations.

4. Partner with patients and the public  – we will communicate the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of preventing, detecting and treating cancer early and precisely, engaging and involving patients and the public in our research.

One of the main principles of the CRUK Cambridge Centre is the open exchange of scientific knowledge and skills across the many disciplines involved in cancer science, creating a culture of continuous learning and development for all members.

In keeping with this aim, the Centre also supports a broad programme of formal education and training designed to nurture the next generation of cancer researchers and clinicians.

Cancer Research UK is investing £100 million over five years (2022 – 2027) into seven Cancer Research UK Centres across the UK. The Centres in the new network will be Cambridge, City of London, Convergence Science, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford and Scotland.

Our strategic plan, below, explains our structure, aims and achievements from 2017 – 2022.

stratplan.png

Download CRUK Cambridge Centre Structure and Strategy Beyond 2019 (7.2 MB file)

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Importance of clinical research for the UK's 10-year cancer plan

Richard w lee.

a Early Diagnosis and Detection, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at The Royal Marsden and The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JJ, UK

Sarah Danson

b Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

c Department of Oncology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK

Martin Elliot

d Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK

e NIHR Clinical Research Network, Leeds, UK

Thomas D Pinkney

f Academic Department of Surgery, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

Clare E Shaw

Dale vimalachandran.

g Department of Surgery, Countess of Chester NHS Trust, Chester, UK

Tim Maughan

h Medical Research Council Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford

Matt Seymour

i Department of Oncology, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK

Pippa Corrie

j Department of Oncology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK

Jonathan Wadsley

k Department of Oncology, Weston Park Cancer Centre, Sheffield, UK

The ambition of the UK Government's 10-year cancer plan consultation document to transform cancer outcomes is highly welcome. 1 This consultation must reflect on the extraordinary role played by the UK research community in responding to COVID-19—a response enabled by clinical research delivery infrastructure embedded within the National Health Service (NHS), which allowed rapid clinical evaluation of novel treatments and vaccines to save and transform lives. This unique national research delivery capability is the legacy of more than two decades of national clinical research networks, with co-operation between government agencies, charitable funders, and many others. This national capability started in cancer with the inception of the National Cancer Research Network and the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) in 2001. Now, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN), it extends across the full spectrum of health and social care. Cancer outcomes have been radically improved during this time, but further gains will require reinvigoration and realignment of our research capability at multiple levels, starting with the health-care workforce.

Driving large-scale research programmes requires major clinical leadership, time, and resources. The NCRI Research Groups and NIHR CRN Cancer Specialty Oversight Groups are established networks of expert clinicians, scientists, and consumers, ready to advise on key priorities and develop research proposals addressing them, whereas both the NIHR and medical royal colleges have initiatives to train and enthuse tomorrow's investigators and innovators. However, urgent attention is needed to maintain momentum, and support existing consultants, who, in the post-pandemic climate of a severely overstretched cancer workforce, face unprecedented service demands; time for research is scarce. National leaders applauding COVID-19 research programmes demand that research becomes integral with NHS service delivery. 2 , 3 To achieve this goal, research time must be embedded within consultant job plans. Furthermore, releasing highly trained staff to lead research requires funding to backfill service commitments. Clinical academic excellence must be valued and fairly rewarded, to avoid demoralisation and clinicians disengaging from research.

Screening, Prevention and Early Detection (SPED) research has perhaps the greatest potential to reduce our population's cancer mortality. Rapidly evolving SPED technologies need detailed evaluation through robust, large-scale prospective trials. National clinical initiatives, such as Targeted Lung Health Checks, Rapid Diagnostic Centres, and Community Diagnostic Hubs, are ideal platforms for such endeavours, exemplified by NIHR portfolio lung screening and biomarker research. Multicancer early detection tests, such as in the Galleri trial and related studies supported by NHS England and NIHR, are particularly attractive, but require rigorous analysis of many aspects of implementation, beyond simply assay performance. 4 The UK's research infrastructure is uniquely capable of rapidly recruiting large numbers of at-risk individuals across wide geographical and cultural strata. However, SPED research is predominantly a community endeavour, done outside acute hospital oncology and surgery departments, so requires new infrastructure distinct from existing resources, which instead focus primarily on patients already diagnosed with cancer. Stretched primary care services are poorly equipped to embrace research expansion that is crucial for SPED to flourish. This needs careful consideration with better resourcing, and primary and secondary care experts collaborating on optimal use of finite resources. In particular, systematic expansion of research infrastructure supporting screening, Rapid Diagnostic Centres, and Community Diagnostic Hubs should be mandated to host research as a matter of course.

Modern cancer drugs, which have transformed survival outcomes for some types of cancers, largely stem from laboratory discoveries associated with cancer biology, with effective partnership between academia and life sciences industries. In the UK, much of this early-phase research has been led by our Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre Network, which must be sustained and expanded if we are to retain the strong pharmaceutical industry relationships that exist, given international competition from EU member countries, the USA, and Australia, among others. NHS genomics services are developing rapidly, offering many benefits for precision medicine; however, our full research potential is often constrained by manpower, equipment, and commissioning arrangements, which are substantial barriers to attaining our full research capability. The current NHS genomics focus is necessarily on comparatively few genetic alterations associated with approved targeted cancer medicines—generation of far more extensive genetic information to signpost patients to trials of novel diagnostics and therapies must be developed and made readily accessible in real time through initiatives such as Our Future Health .

The NIHR portfolio contains more than 1300 cancer studies, with more than 800 actively recruiting. The burden on multiple elements of the NHS to undertake this research activity is not insignificant. Our resources are finite, so we need a manageable portfolio, but with sufficient breadth and variety to ensure that all patients who wish to engage with research can benefit from state-of-the art interventions. We must propagate the successes of the urgent public health COVID-19 studies and generate efficiencies in study setup and study design (eg, platform studies) if we are to become more cost-effective with our time and manpower. The new NIHR National Patient Recruitment Centres are generating successes by adopting single approval and costing processes that need to be implemented across all NHS trusts. Regulatory and research governance processes, so risk averse that they restrict even access to anonymised patient data, require urgent revitalisation and risk-proportionate approaches.

Demand for access to new treatments is fierce, generating a substantial risk of new treatment adoption based on scarce early positive data, not borne out in subsequent phase 3 trials. The UK's robust evidence-based approach to evaluating new innovations gives an important opportunity to work with commercial partners to address health economic endpoints and prioritise cost-effective interventions. Our new proton beam radiotherapy centres in Manchester and London, combining traditional randomised trials and thorough Commissioning through Evaluation by NHS England, is already generating data likely to be internationally practice changing. Learning from this approach (ie, bringing health-care providers closer to our research community) and applying it to other expensive health-care technologies could become a key UK strength. For example, evidence-based practice in surgery has grown rapidly in the past decade, and remains a key treatment modality for many patients with cancer. Implementation of new surgical technologies or devices needs well governed processes if we are to avoid harm and adverse outcomes. 5

Above all, we are mindful that substantial inequalities in access to routine health services and research participation were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients with cancer in England, UK, deserve equitable access to clinical trial participation, evidenced transparently by NIHR and NHS England data collection systems. The NIHR Be Part of Research platform has huge potential to signpost patients and clinicians to clinical trials in real time, but needs substantial development to be truly effective. The NIHR Best Research for Best Health: The Next Chapter expects research to improve outcomes for diverse and underserved communities, addressing at-risk populations and promoting equity of access. 2

Routinely collected real world health data must revolutionise research data curation. Despite impressive UK national datasets and IT capability, data remain disproportionately difficult to access. Flagship digital policy documents, such as those of The Health Foundation and Goldacre Review, 6 should be scrutinised for research opportunities, and recommendations implemented. The 10-year cancer plan must include investment in technologies to facilitate research within all services and in digital environments, with focus on keeping patients closer to home, using virtual interaction tools, remote consultations, and e-consent platforms.

UK cancer research has a strong track record in designing and delivering academically led studies investigating treatment de-escalation, reducing the burden of treatment on individual patients physically, emotionally, and financially, and on the health-care system, while maintaining best outcomes. 7 , 8 , 9 Such trials save health-care resources and are globally relevant. However, few countries can deliver such trials, which are rarely prioritised by pharmaceutical companies. Optimising use of high-cost cancer interventions through prospective studies depends on a strong programme of NIHR-led and NCRI-led research, underwritten by coordinated support from regulators, research funders, and cancer care commissioners. This unique strength of UK academia could be the focus of a specific Health Technology Assessment programme supported by NIHR and NHS funding. Much academic research developed in direct partnership with patient and public involvement includes important patient-centred outcomes focusing on quality, as much as quantity, of life. Our strong research programmes addressing end-of-life care and long-term survivorship issues are unique strengths affording great potential for the UK to be world-leading in these challenging areas of cancer care.

Health-care innovation and technological advances depend on important research infrastructure and translational research community resource. It is imperative to prioritise and properly resource all aspects of cancer research capacity, from bench to bedside, if we are to make substantial gains in cancer outcomes in the next decade. We call on the UK government and oncology research community to draw on these views to ensure a research-embedded 10-year cancer plan.

Acknowledgments

RWL reports funding for this work from the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN); reports grants from Innovate UK—Cancer Research UK, Roche—Optellum, RM Partners Cancer Alliance, National Health Service (NHS) England, NIHR, and SBRI Healthcare—Qure; reports consulting fees from the Royal Marsden Private Care; reports honoraria from Cancer Research UK; reports fees for travel from Royal Marsden and NIHR CRN; has a role in NHS England's Joint National Clinical Lead Targeted Lung Health Check programme; is a non-financial member of the Lung Screening Research Steering Group for the IDX Lung Study, and is co-chair for the Early Diagnosis Steering Group for the NIHR Oncology Translational Research Collaboration. SD reports funding for being the chief investigator for the DANTE study, and funding from NIHR—Cancer Research UK for the role as a clinical lead at the Sheffield Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre; reports grants for being a chief investigator at the Yorkshire Cancer Research, Weston Park Cancer Charity, and Sheffield Hospital Charity; reports honoraria from Cancer Research UK; and participates in data safety monitoring board for various trials run by the Glasgow Clinical Trials Unit and Leeds Clinical Trials Unit. TM reports grants from the Medical Research Council, the NIHR Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Programme, and Cancer Research UK; reports consulting fees from AstraZeneca and Teysuno; reports participation fees from Pierre Fabre and Pfizer; and has a role at Perspectum, NCRI, and the Institute for Cancer Research. PC reports grants from Merck Sharpe & Dohme, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Nektar, Pfizer, Pierre Fabre, Iovance, InstilBio, and Achilles, all paid to the institution; reports personal fees from Merck Sharpe & Dohme, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, and Pierre Fabre; and is chair and receives personal payments for participation on an advisory board at Bristol Myers Squibb. All other authors declare no competing interests. All authors have secondment roles within the NIHR CRN as National Specialty Leads or in an advisory capacity to the NCRI. Authors were not precluded from accessing the content of the Comment. No original data were necessary to the creation of this Comment, which derives from the views of previous meetings and correspondence between the group as well as cocreation electronically. All authors accept responsibility for publication. PC and JW contributed equally. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

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Together we’re changing yorkshire’s cancer story, for good.

Yorkshire Cancer Research exists so that more people in our region can live longer healthier lives, free of cancer. Thanks to the kindness of supporters, our independent charity has been funding research and saving lives since 1925. 

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Skin cancer cases reach all-time high

27 May 2024

With warm weather approaching, it’s time to start thinking about staying safe in the sun.  

And that’s just as important than ever, with new analysis showing that melanoma skin cancer rates have increased by almost a third over the past decade.  

In fact, researchers have projected a record high of 20,800 cases this year in the UK*.  

This rise may sound alarming, but it’s important to note that around 17,000 cases of melanoma each year are preventable. That’s because almost 9 in 10 cases in the UK are caused by exposure to too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and sunbeds.   

These figures highlight the importance of taking precautions to protect your skin from the sun and the dangers of sunbed use.   

What’s behind the rise?

This upward trend in melanoma cases is seen across all age groups, although researchers found that the biggest rise was in adults over the age of 80. This age group has seen an increase in incidence rates of 57% over the past decade.   

Rates are also rising for young adults between the ages of 25-49, with a 7% increase in incidence in the last ten years.   

It is likely that young people today are more aware of the link between UV and skin cancer risk than older generations. This could mean they are more likely to take precautions to stay safe in the sun.   

On the other hand, older groups might have known less about the dangers of tanning in their youth and may have taken advantage of the cheap package holiday boom from the 1960s, likely leading to increased sun exposure.   

But there are also other reasons behind this rise in skin cancer cases, such as the growing and ageing population. Improved awareness of the signs and symptoms of skin cancer likely means more people are visiting their doctor when they notice unusual skin changes, which has also contributed to record numbers of people being diagnosed in the UK.

Staying safe in the sun  

With summer approaching, more people are likely to head outside when the UV level is high. That’s why we’re joining NIVEA Sun in urging people to stay safe when enjoying the sun.  

We recommend three steps to protect your skin and reduce your cancer risk.   

• Spend time in the shade, especially between 11am and 3pm in the UK  
• Cover up with clothes, a wide-brimmed hat and UV-protection sunglasses  
• Apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and 4 or 5 stars generously and regularly  

Prevention is key  

Despite increasing cases, the number of deaths from melanoma is projected to continue to fall. This is thanks to research and improvements in early diagnosis and treatment, which have resulted in melanoma survival doubling in the last 50 years.   

“Survival from cancers including melanoma continues to improve, demonstrating the substantial progress made possible by research. But it’s vital that people try to reduce their risk of getting the disease in the first place,” said Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK.   

Getting sunburnt just once every two years can triple the risk of developing skin cancer, compared to never being burnt. So, whether you are enjoying the good weather at home or abroad, make sure to protect yourself from too much sun, especially if you burn easily. 

It is also important to remember that sunburn doesn’t only happen when it’s hot – it can happen on cooler or cloudy days too.   

Caroline’s story  

Caroline, now 57, was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2018 after spotting a tiny mole-like blemish on her leg.  

After surgery, she is now living cancer free. 

“I was so scared when I first received the news. I feel really lucky that treatment was successful, but I know others who haven’t been as fortunate as me,” she said.  

“I’ve never been a sunbather, but I have burnt my skin on holiday in the past. Now, I’m so much more careful. I hope my story will encourage people to think about their habits and take care when they’re enjoying the sun.   

“It’s really sad to hear that the numbers of people getting melanoma are still going up, especially when so many cases are preventable. If you see any unusual changes to your skin, make sure to see your GP. It could make all the difference!”  

Staying aware  

If you notice any unusual changes to your skin – whether that’s a new or changing mole, a sore that doesn’t heal, or an area of your skin that looks out of the ordinary, make sure to contact your GP.  

You can find out more about the signs and symptoms of skin cancer on our About Cancer pages .   

*Projections calculated by the Cancer Intelligence team at Cancer Research UK, February 2023. Data available here

Please provide a link to cited research (as here in para 3). It’s infuriating not to be able to go directly to the source data—so easy to implement with hyperlinks, or at least footnotes. I’m a doctor, but I can’t be the only person wanting to check the methodology, confidence intervals of the point estimate, and external validity of results, and so on. It’s just good practice!

Thanks for your comment. You can find the projections data here and information on the methodology here . I’ve also added a footnote including a link to the data.

I hope that helps, Jacob, Cancer Research UK

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Sex and chemotherapy

Some people carry on with their sex lives as normal during chemotherapy. Others find their treatment changes how they feel emotionally or physically. Most of these changes won’t last long. They won't affect your sex life permanently.

Sometimes you may feel:

not strong enough to be very active

sick or sore

not in the mood

unhappy with changes to your body

anxious or low

There's usually no medical reason to stop having sex during chemo. The drugs won't have any long term physical effects on your performance or enjoyment of sex. You can’t pass cancer on to your partner during sex.

• Read more about sex, sexuality and cancer

Sex and chemotherapy for women

Sometimes chemotherapy can cause women to have an early menopause. Symptoms from the menopause may affect your sex life for a while.

Most women going through the menopause have some symptoms. These include:

hot flushes

night sweats

anxiety, low mood and mood changes

feeling very tired (fatigue) and poor sleep

problems with thinking, concentration and memory – sometimes called brain fog

a dry vagina

less interest in sex

joint pains and muscle aches and you may have thinning and weakening of the bones (osteoporosis) over time

headaches and worsening migraines

itching, irritation or dryness of your vulva or vagina

vaginal pain or discomfort during sex

vaginal bleeding after sex

urinary problems such as needing to wee urgently, infection or incontinence

• Read more about menopausal symptoms and things that might help

Help with symptoms of early menopause

There are a range of treatments and things you can do to help cope with the effects of  menopause. You may need to try different things before you find something that works for you.

If your vagina is dry and sex is uncomfortable, your doctor can prescribe a cream or ointment for you. Or you can use a lubricant to moisten your vagina. You can get these from your chemist without a prescription. There are a variety of lubricants available. So if one doesn’t suit you, there are others you can try.

Some people find that olive oil is a useful lubricant. But don’t use it if you’re using condoms or dental dams as it may damage them. It’s important to take advice from your healthcare team.

• Read more about sex and cancer for women

Sex and chemotherapy for men

Rarely, chemotherapy can make a man’s testosterone levels drop. Testosterone is the male sex hormone. So some men find that while they’re having treatment, they lose interest in sex. 

Chemotherapy can also affect the nerves that control erections. So you may have trouble getting and keeping an erection.

These changes are usually temporary. They don’t last more than a couple of weeks after the treatment has finished.

High dose treatment

Higher doses of chemotherapy are more likely to affect your sex life. You may have high dose chemotherapy with a stem cell or bone marrow transplant.

Many people having this treatment have radiotherapy as well. This combination is more likely to make you lose your sex drive or have erection problems.

This may happen during treatment and for a while afterwards. Research shows that high dose treatment reduces some men’s testosterone levels for a while.

Most of these side effects are temporary, but treatments are available. These include hormone replacement and drugs to help you get and maintain an erection.

• Find out more about managing erection problems

Contraception to avoid pregnancy

It’s important to use reliable contraception during treatment. Avoid getting pregnant or getting someone else pregnant while you are having chemotherapy. This is because the drugs may harm the baby.

Talk to your healthcare team about what type of contraception is best for you. This might depend on:

• your cancer type
• your medical history

For example, if you have a hormone dependent cancer or have a risk of blood clots, it might not be safe for you to use hormone based contraceptives. This includes the contraceptive pill, the contraceptive injection, or the intra uterine system (IUS).

Protecting your partner

It is not known for sure whether chemotherapy drugs can be passed on through semen or secretions from the vagina. So some doctors advise using a barrier method (such as condoms, femidoms or dental dams) if you have sex during treatment. This applies to vaginal, anal or oral sex.

Generally, you only need a barrier method when you are having treatment and for about a week afterwards. You may be asked to use contraception for longer to avoid pregnancy. The length of time depends on the chemotherapy you have.

Advice like this can be worrying, but this does not mean that you have to avoid being intimate with your partner. You can still have close contact with your partner and continue to enjoy sex.

Talking about sex and chemotherapy

Talk to your healthcare team before your chemotherapy starts if you're worried about the effects chemotherapy might have on your sex life. 

They can discuss:

• the general side effects to expect from your treatment
• how these side effects might affect your sex life

Try not to feel embarrassed about discussing sexual problems with your healthcare team. If sex is an important part of your life, you need to know about any possible changes. They are used to answering questions about sex.

Discuss your feelings and any worries with your partner too. Even though there's only a small chance you will have problems with sex, your partner may feel worried. Your partner could go with you if you decide to have a chat with your doctor or nurse.

Other help and support

You or your partner could also contact an organisation that helps with relationships and sexuality issues. Some of these organisations have useful factsheets that they can send to you.

• Find useful organisations

Related links

Sex, sexuality and cancer.

Cancer and its treatments can affect sex and sexuality. Get information and support for people with cancer, partners and single people.

Fertility and chemotherapy

Chemotherapy might affect your ability to have children (fertility). You might want to look into fertility treatments or get support to help you cope.

Pregnancy and chemotherapy

You should not become pregnant or get someone pregnant while having chemotherapy. Talk with your doctor if you are pregnant when you are diagnosed with cancer.

Living with chemotherapy

Chemotherapy might affect your everyday life, from the way you feel to socialising and holidays. You can get tips and support to help you cope. 

Side effects of chemotherapy

Most chemotherapy side effects are temporary, but some people are affected months or years after treatment.

Chemotherapy main page

Chemotherapy is a standard treatment for some types of cancer. It uses anti cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells. 

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