Dear Prime Minister: “Please don’t delay action again, we’re counting on you”

Dear Prime Minister,

In February I had the great pleasure of being part of a small group of supporters from Cancer Research UK to visit you in Downing Street to celebrate World Cancer Day.

I left feeling extremely positive and elated after hearing you commit to the Government’s support to improving cancer outcomes in the UK and, in particular, to improving the early diagnosis of cancer. Clearly, since February we have seen some unimaginable changes and challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic but this has shown us the huge importance of investing in research, public health and our NHS.

My passion for improving early diagnosis stems from my own experience of my wife, Pam, being misdiagnosed three times before she was eventually admitted to hospital through A&E. Pam was diagnosed with stage 4 incurable bowel cancer. She died 12 months later, aged just 52.

Pam taught English in a Secondary school and had a great love of literature. There was nothing she enjoyed more than spending time as a family with our two children. She had a great sense of fairness and justice along with a wicked sense of humour and great love of life, which tragically was taken from her too soon.

Pam’s death motivated me to volunteer for Cancer Research UK and campaign for better outcomes to stop others from having to go through the same devastating experience.

I’ve found it heartening to see the progress we’ve made it recent years. Back when I was a teenager in the 1970’s, only a quarter of people diagnosed with cancer survived 10 years or longer. Now, it’s just over half – but it could be so much better. Every day, around 450 people die from cancer. On 16 March 2007, one of those people was Pam. These numbers are not inevitable.

The Comprehensive Spending Review is an opportunity for a cancer reset to truly build back better and fulfil the Government’s existing commitments. We’re not asking for anything new, but simply for your Government to follow through on its own manifesto commitments, including to “increase cancer survival rates” and “boost early cancer diagnosis”. The NHS Long Term Plan makes a commitment to detect 75% of cancers at an early stage by 2028, now only 8 years away.

When I heard of these commitments, I thought of Pam. If she had been diagnosed at an early stage, she would have had 90% chance of survival, but as she was diagnosed very late, she had less than a 10% chance. Although we don’t see such numbers on our daily news bulletins many cancer patients are dying every day who could be saved. As of yet, no concrete steps have been made towards these ambitions.

I know now that millions of people are in a screening and testing backlog, which means thousands are missing out on vital early diagnosis and sadly, dying unnecessarily. From my own experience, I know the terrible strain as you wait between tests and diagnosis. The uncertainty, the fear, the dread and that ultimate feeling of losing control and helplessness.

Many more statistics could be quoted but what should motivate us even more is the fact that behind every statistic there is a real person, a real family going through devastating and life changing experiences. Pam had plans to go travelling with me in her retirement, but these were never realised. She never got to see her son graduate; she never attended the weddings of her son or daughter and more recently she never experienced the joys of seeing her three grandchildren.

Put simply, this is about saving lives. It’s about more couples spending longer together, about families sharing those special occasions together, about grandchildren being spoiled by grandparents. It’s about people and about trying to ensure that more people survive and live well with cancer.

I’m regularly inspired by the many nurses, doctors, clinicians, scientists and researchers with their passionate commitment to improve cancer outcomes. Along with our political leaders that is such a powerful force, making a difference and transforming lives. I believe with the NHS and our incredible research, the UK could and should be the best in the world when it comes to cancer survival.

Hopefully one day we’ll be able to meet again to mark World Cancer Day as a disease of the past, and you, as Prime Minister who took steps toward this future. I’m sure that is a world we all want our children and grandchildren to grow up in.

We’ll be looking to you to fulfil the commitments made in your manifesto – to provide the NHS cancer staff and life-saving medical research with the funding it needs in the upcoming Spending Review so that more lives can be saved.

Together, we can beat cancer. Mr Johnson, please don’t delay action again, we are counting on you.

Thank you.

Patrick McGuire

PS: You may remember that I wasn’t the only one there that day in February. There was a group of us – cancer survivors, researchers, campaigners, coming together that day to speak of the change we needed to see. Here are some stories from others who you met with, but you know there are millions of others too.

Lesley Daisley: “I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what Paul experienced”

My husband Paul Daisley, the late MP, died at the age of 45, after his bowel cancer was missed at the early stages. This resulted in 2 years of multiple operations, months in various ICU’s, stomas, pain, dashed hopes and a terminal diagnosis 6 months before his death. Now due to the bowel cancer screening programme, introduced over the last 20 years, so many more people are still here, with their loved ones. It is just so important that these programmes are continued and expanded to cover a wider cohort of people.

I do not want anyone else to have to go through what Paul experienced. He had so much to live for and was just starting out on his new adventure as a MP.

Over the 17 years since his death, the information available on and the awareness of cancer has increased so much. People are now much more willing to talk about it.  It is no longer a taboo subject.  We need this openness to be supported by the early diagnosis programmes across the full range of cancers. We all need to fight for improved survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients.

Nicola Boyd: “Cancer isn’t waiting for us to get back on track, we need to act now”

Delaying a cancer diagnosis can be the difference between survival and saying goodbye to your loved ones. Knowing that my friend could have had a different prognosis as they waited for their palliative care, lying in a hospital corridor was a heart-breaking crisis that could have been easily avoided. An early diagnosis supported by a strong NHS workforce could have given us a very different outcome.

Catching cancer early brings hope to people facing a daunting diagnosis and can provide the chance of the best possible treatment and outcomes. Those working in the NHS helping people through their journey with cancer are incredible, but it’s time to stop taking advantage of their altruism and ensure the workforce is fully staffed and equipped to beat cancer. Cancer isn’t waiting for us to get back on track, we need to act now.

Karen Harrison: “I know how important it is to have enough staff to help families facing cancer”

Karen and her son Josh.

As a mum of a child with cancer, I know how important it is to have enough staff there to help families facing cancer. Josh had years of treatment after he was diagnosed with Wilms tumour just before his second birthday. His treatment lasted for a year and a half. He needed chemotherapy, followed by 2 operations to remove one of his kidneys and part of his lung, then radiotherapy and more chemotherapy.

Josh is 10 now, and we know how lucky we are that he is doing well thanks to cancer research and the NHS staff who treated him. We want to help other families going through treatment – and making sure they have enough staff to treat them is vital.”

Tony Selman: “My wife died of oesophageal cancer, had the diagnosis been earlier she might be alive today”

In my lifetime I have seen many relatives, friends and acquaintances die of cancer, including my wife Marian and my sister. I have myself been diagnosed and successfully treated for cancer. I know the utter fear and misery that a diagnosis of cancer brings, and as a scientist I know that cancer is beatable if adequate resources are used, and it is for these reasons that I campaign relentlessly on cancer.

My wife died of oesophageal cancer, had the diagnosis been made earlier she might be alive today. Late diagnosis is responsible for the loss of many lives to cancer and only research and adequate NHS staff funding will stop the disease in its tracks.

Effie Grant: “Christmas was cancelled when my sister was diagnosed with cancer”

Effie (right) and her sister.

December 2016, Christmas was cancelled when my sister Jacqui was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. The shock and devastation – raw. She went on to have several surgeries and battle infections. She was also highly spirited though, when she lost her hair and we joked on what colour to dye what was left. In the end she tried a combination of radiotherapy, immunotherapy and a targeted drug, theoretically set to work. The reality was it was too late to work and sadly she passed 17 April 2018 leaving us, a husband and 2 young teenagers.

My last conversation with her, she was on a ventilator. Watching every struggle to breath was excruciating. Had she been diagnosed earlier, I strongly believe she’d be here today. It’s imperative to fund needed research and train staff for early diagnoses to afford people the best chances at survival. I earnestly plead with you to do the needful in this regard.

You can help. Stand shoulder to shoulder against cancer and share Patrick’s message to the Prime Minister today, and help give more people the best chance of beating cancer.

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/3j1rce7

Dear Prime Minister,

In February I had the great pleasure of being part of a small group of supporters from Cancer Research UK to visit you in Downing Street to celebrate World Cancer Day.

I left feeling extremely positive and elated after hearing you commit to the Government’s support to improving cancer outcomes in the UK and, in particular, to improving the early diagnosis of cancer. Clearly, since February we have seen some unimaginable changes and challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic but this has shown us the huge importance of investing in research, public health and our NHS.

My passion for improving early diagnosis stems from my own experience of my wife, Pam, being misdiagnosed three times before she was eventually admitted to hospital through A&E. Pam was diagnosed with stage 4 incurable bowel cancer. She died 12 months later, aged just 52.

Pam taught English in a Secondary school and had a great love of literature. There was nothing she enjoyed more than spending time as a family with our two children. She had a great sense of fairness and justice along with a wicked sense of humour and great love of life, which tragically was taken from her too soon.

Pam’s death motivated me to volunteer for Cancer Research UK and campaign for better outcomes to stop others from having to go through the same devastating experience.

I’ve found it heartening to see the progress we’ve made it recent years. Back when I was a teenager in the 1970’s, only a quarter of people diagnosed with cancer survived 10 years or longer. Now, it’s just over half – but it could be so much better. Every day, around 450 people die from cancer. On 16 March 2007, one of those people was Pam. These numbers are not inevitable.

The Comprehensive Spending Review is an opportunity for a cancer reset to truly build back better and fulfil the Government’s existing commitments. We’re not asking for anything new, but simply for your Government to follow through on its own manifesto commitments, including to “increase cancer survival rates” and “boost early cancer diagnosis”. The NHS Long Term Plan makes a commitment to detect 75% of cancers at an early stage by 2028, now only 8 years away.

When I heard of these commitments, I thought of Pam. If she had been diagnosed at an early stage, she would have had 90% chance of survival, but as she was diagnosed very late, she had less than a 10% chance. Although we don’t see such numbers on our daily news bulletins many cancer patients are dying every day who could be saved. As of yet, no concrete steps have been made towards these ambitions.

I know now that millions of people are in a screening and testing backlog, which means thousands are missing out on vital early diagnosis and sadly, dying unnecessarily. From my own experience, I know the terrible strain as you wait between tests and diagnosis. The uncertainty, the fear, the dread and that ultimate feeling of losing control and helplessness.

Many more statistics could be quoted but what should motivate us even more is the fact that behind every statistic there is a real person, a real family going through devastating and life changing experiences. Pam had plans to go travelling with me in her retirement, but these were never realised. She never got to see her son graduate; she never attended the weddings of her son or daughter and more recently she never experienced the joys of seeing her three grandchildren.

Put simply, this is about saving lives. It’s about more couples spending longer together, about families sharing those special occasions together, about grandchildren being spoiled by grandparents. It’s about people and about trying to ensure that more people survive and live well with cancer.

I’m regularly inspired by the many nurses, doctors, clinicians, scientists and researchers with their passionate commitment to improve cancer outcomes. Along with our political leaders that is such a powerful force, making a difference and transforming lives. I believe with the NHS and our incredible research, the UK could and should be the best in the world when it comes to cancer survival.

Hopefully one day we’ll be able to meet again to mark World Cancer Day as a disease of the past, and you, as Prime Minister who took steps toward this future. I’m sure that is a world we all want our children and grandchildren to grow up in.

We’ll be looking to you to fulfil the commitments made in your manifesto – to provide the NHS cancer staff and life-saving medical research with the funding it needs in the upcoming Spending Review so that more lives can be saved.

Together, we can beat cancer. Mr Johnson, please don’t delay action again, we are counting on you.

Thank you.

Patrick McGuire

PS: You may remember that I wasn’t the only one there that day in February. There was a group of us – cancer survivors, researchers, campaigners, coming together that day to speak of the change we needed to see. Here are some stories from others who you met with, but you know there are millions of others too.

Lesley Daisley: “I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what Paul experienced”

My husband Paul Daisley, the late MP, died at the age of 45, after his bowel cancer was missed at the early stages. This resulted in 2 years of multiple operations, months in various ICU’s, stomas, pain, dashed hopes and a terminal diagnosis 6 months before his death. Now due to the bowel cancer screening programme, introduced over the last 20 years, so many more people are still here, with their loved ones. It is just so important that these programmes are continued and expanded to cover a wider cohort of people.

I do not want anyone else to have to go through what Paul experienced. He had so much to live for and was just starting out on his new adventure as a MP.

Over the 17 years since his death, the information available on and the awareness of cancer has increased so much. People are now much more willing to talk about it.  It is no longer a taboo subject.  We need this openness to be supported by the early diagnosis programmes across the full range of cancers. We all need to fight for improved survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients.

Nicola Boyd: “Cancer isn’t waiting for us to get back on track, we need to act now”

Delaying a cancer diagnosis can be the difference between survival and saying goodbye to your loved ones. Knowing that my friend could have had a different prognosis as they waited for their palliative care, lying in a hospital corridor was a heart-breaking crisis that could have been easily avoided. An early diagnosis supported by a strong NHS workforce could have given us a very different outcome.

Catching cancer early brings hope to people facing a daunting diagnosis and can provide the chance of the best possible treatment and outcomes. Those working in the NHS helping people through their journey with cancer are incredible, but it’s time to stop taking advantage of their altruism and ensure the workforce is fully staffed and equipped to beat cancer. Cancer isn’t waiting for us to get back on track, we need to act now.

Karen Harrison: “I know how important it is to have enough staff to help families facing cancer”

Karen and her son Josh.

As a mum of a child with cancer, I know how important it is to have enough staff there to help families facing cancer. Josh had years of treatment after he was diagnosed with Wilms tumour just before his second birthday. His treatment lasted for a year and a half. He needed chemotherapy, followed by 2 operations to remove one of his kidneys and part of his lung, then radiotherapy and more chemotherapy.

Josh is 10 now, and we know how lucky we are that he is doing well thanks to cancer research and the NHS staff who treated him. We want to help other families going through treatment – and making sure they have enough staff to treat them is vital.”

Tony Selman: “My wife died of oesophageal cancer, had the diagnosis been earlier she might be alive today”

In my lifetime I have seen many relatives, friends and acquaintances die of cancer, including my wife Marian and my sister. I have myself been diagnosed and successfully treated for cancer. I know the utter fear and misery that a diagnosis of cancer brings, and as a scientist I know that cancer is beatable if adequate resources are used, and it is for these reasons that I campaign relentlessly on cancer.

My wife died of oesophageal cancer, had the diagnosis been made earlier she might be alive today. Late diagnosis is responsible for the loss of many lives to cancer and only research and adequate NHS staff funding will stop the disease in its tracks.

Effie Grant: “Christmas was cancelled when my sister was diagnosed with cancer”

Effie (right) and her sister.

December 2016, Christmas was cancelled when my sister Jacqui was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer. The shock and devastation – raw. She went on to have several surgeries and battle infections. She was also highly spirited though, when she lost her hair and we joked on what colour to dye what was left. In the end she tried a combination of radiotherapy, immunotherapy and a targeted drug, theoretically set to work. The reality was it was too late to work and sadly she passed 17 April 2018 leaving us, a husband and 2 young teenagers.

My last conversation with her, she was on a ventilator. Watching every struggle to breath was excruciating. Had she been diagnosed earlier, I strongly believe she’d be here today. It’s imperative to fund needed research and train staff for early diagnoses to afford people the best chances at survival. I earnestly plead with you to do the needful in this regard.

You can help. Stand shoulder to shoulder against cancer and share Patrick’s message to the Prime Minister today, and help give more people the best chance of beating cancer.

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/3j1rce7

Creating a shared vision to detect cancer earlier

Imagine a world where our health services were more focused on maintaining our health and wellbeing than on treating disease. To some, this may sound like science fiction, but with a push towards detecting disease early – in some cases before symptoms have even appeared – it’s not as far-fetched as it may sound. And when it comes to cancer, it could make a huge difference.

Patients who are diagnosed with cancer at an early stage –when the tumour is small and/or contained – have the best chance of long-term survival, but if cancer is detected at a late stage when the cancer has spread, its all too clear that patients’ chances are much worse.  9 in 10 patients will survive bowel cancer if it is detected at the earliest stage, but only 1 in 10 will survive when diagnosed once it has spread across the body.

The system is broken

Currently, just over half of all cancer cases are detected at the early stages, so clearly, we need to go further, faster.

One part of early diagnosis is screening, where apparently healthy members of the public are tested to see if they have cancer with no symptoms, or even signs of disease so early that cancer could be prevented from developing in the first place.

In the UK, we have phenomenal NHS screening programmes which have saved many lives. However, these only cover 3 cancer types – bowel, cervical and breast cancer – and only 6% of cancer diagnoses come through this route.

The vast majority of cancer patients are diagnosed through other routes, once they have already developed symptoms, such as though primary care. GPs work tirelessly to diagnose from early symptoms, but the tools they’ve been given aren’t perfect and the capacity of the health system in terms of diagnostic staff and technology (like MRI scanners and endoscopy) is limited.

But why is it like this?

It’s because to change the system, a variety of sectors have to come together– scientists, companies, doctors, the authorities who decide which technologies the NHS can use, government and, crucially, the public.  However, all of these groups have different perspectives and do not traditionally come together.  And importantly, most companies are focused on treating patients with symptoms, not on early detection.

Of course, it is crucial that we continue to work on creating and using the best treatments that we can. But ultimately, we need a new way of thinking which is built on finding disease before people even know they are sick. We desperately need innovative new technologies to detect early cancer which the health system can implement.

A roadmap for the future

Cancer Research UK set out to address these problems, with an ambition to create a huge leap forward in the way we detect cancers early.  We reached out to interested parties – from pharma companies and scientists to policy makers – and for the first time, brought them all together to create a plan.  That plan is our Roadmap for the Early Detection and Diagnosis of Cancer.

We consulted over 100 experts and many patients and members of the public to define a shared vision of a future where early detection of all cancers is a routine reality.  The Roadmap defines the challenges that we currently face and makes a series of clear recommendations for how we can progress from here to that future. And it’s all based on united action with everyone working together to achieve progress.

A new generation of cancer detection technologies

Our Roadmap sets out a plan to develop and test a new wave of advanced technologies for detecting cancers early.  We’re already seeing the development of exciting new technologies like advanced scanners, blood tests and breath tests for cancer and artificial intelligence (AI) to spot the earliest tumours in scans, for example.  The Roadmap shows how these advanced technologies can best be tested and then taken up and used in the health system.

To make progress, we need to make the most of NHS and public data, which can be used to look at people’s health and spot who is at risk of cancer and should be tested.  Such approaches would lead us towards a system which isn’t based solely on treating established disease, but on proactive health maintenance.   All of this can only work in close partnership with the public – scientists, test companies and the government need to engage in a conversation with the public to understand what they want and will accept from data use, health monitoring and early detection.

A unified vision for a world where no-one gets diagnosed too late

We need to look further, to dream bigger, of a future world where no-one is subjected to the pain of a late-stage cancer diagnosis and the terrible outcomes that can follow.  We can get there, but only by breaking down the barriers between the many groups and by uniting behind a shared vision.

At Cancer Research UK we’ve used our unique position as a trusted partner across scientists, companies, the NHS, government and the public to bring these groups together and define this future.

But we can’t do this alone, we need Government to act. The upcoming spending review is a significant opportunity for the Government to invest in more diagnostic staff and equipment, which is absolutely crucial if we are to diagnose more patients early. We also need to invest in developing the new technologies that we need and to overhaul the system to get these new approaches implemented quicker.

We have the plan, now we need action. We will continue to work to keep these groups together and work through the recommendations made in the Roadmap, to create that world where no more lives are lost due to a diagnosis that came too late.

None of this will be possible without government investment, or without you – our supporters and the public.  You must be at the heart of everything we plan, and through your continued support, we’ll get there.

 

David Crosby is the Head of Prevention and Early Detection Research at Cancer Research UK. To hear more about this, listen to his interview on “You, Me and the Big C” from BBC Radio 5 Live.

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2H0QBaF

Imagine a world where our health services were more focused on maintaining our health and wellbeing than on treating disease. To some, this may sound like science fiction, but with a push towards detecting disease early – in some cases before symptoms have even appeared – it’s not as far-fetched as it may sound. And when it comes to cancer, it could make a huge difference.

Patients who are diagnosed with cancer at an early stage –when the tumour is small and/or contained – have the best chance of long-term survival, but if cancer is detected at a late stage when the cancer has spread, its all too clear that patients’ chances are much worse.  9 in 10 patients will survive bowel cancer if it is detected at the earliest stage, but only 1 in 10 will survive when diagnosed once it has spread across the body.

The system is broken

Currently, just over half of all cancer cases are detected at the early stages, so clearly, we need to go further, faster.

One part of early diagnosis is screening, where apparently healthy members of the public are tested to see if they have cancer with no symptoms, or even signs of disease so early that cancer could be prevented from developing in the first place.

In the UK, we have phenomenal NHS screening programmes which have saved many lives. However, these only cover 3 cancer types – bowel, cervical and breast cancer – and only 6% of cancer diagnoses come through this route.

The vast majority of cancer patients are diagnosed through other routes, once they have already developed symptoms, such as though primary care. GPs work tirelessly to diagnose from early symptoms, but the tools they’ve been given aren’t perfect and the capacity of the health system in terms of diagnostic staff and technology (like MRI scanners and endoscopy) is limited.

But why is it like this?

It’s because to change the system, a variety of sectors have to come together– scientists, companies, doctors, the authorities who decide which technologies the NHS can use, government and, crucially, the public.  However, all of these groups have different perspectives and do not traditionally come together.  And importantly, most companies are focused on treating patients with symptoms, not on early detection.

Of course, it is crucial that we continue to work on creating and using the best treatments that we can. But ultimately, we need a new way of thinking which is built on finding disease before people even know they are sick. We desperately need innovative new technologies to detect early cancer which the health system can implement.

A roadmap for the future

Cancer Research UK set out to address these problems, with an ambition to create a huge leap forward in the way we detect cancers early.  We reached out to interested parties – from pharma companies and scientists to policy makers – and for the first time, brought them all together to create a plan.  That plan is our Roadmap for the Early Detection and Diagnosis of Cancer.

We consulted over 100 experts and many patients and members of the public to define a shared vision of a future where early detection of all cancers is a routine reality.  The Roadmap defines the challenges that we currently face and makes a series of clear recommendations for how we can progress from here to that future. And it’s all based on united action with everyone working together to achieve progress.

A new generation of cancer detection technologies

Our Roadmap sets out a plan to develop and test a new wave of advanced technologies for detecting cancers early.  We’re already seeing the development of exciting new technologies like advanced scanners, blood tests and breath tests for cancer and artificial intelligence (AI) to spot the earliest tumours in scans, for example.  The Roadmap shows how these advanced technologies can best be tested and then taken up and used in the health system.

To make progress, we need to make the most of NHS and public data, which can be used to look at people’s health and spot who is at risk of cancer and should be tested.  Such approaches would lead us towards a system which isn’t based solely on treating established disease, but on proactive health maintenance.   All of this can only work in close partnership with the public – scientists, test companies and the government need to engage in a conversation with the public to understand what they want and will accept from data use, health monitoring and early detection.

A unified vision for a world where no-one gets diagnosed too late

We need to look further, to dream bigger, of a future world where no-one is subjected to the pain of a late-stage cancer diagnosis and the terrible outcomes that can follow.  We can get there, but only by breaking down the barriers between the many groups and by uniting behind a shared vision.

At Cancer Research UK we’ve used our unique position as a trusted partner across scientists, companies, the NHS, government and the public to bring these groups together and define this future.

But we can’t do this alone, we need Government to act. The upcoming spending review is a significant opportunity for the Government to invest in more diagnostic staff and equipment, which is absolutely crucial if we are to diagnose more patients early. We also need to invest in developing the new technologies that we need and to overhaul the system to get these new approaches implemented quicker.

We have the plan, now we need action. We will continue to work to keep these groups together and work through the recommendations made in the Roadmap, to create that world where no more lives are lost due to a diagnosis that came too late.

None of this will be possible without government investment, or without you – our supporters and the public.  You must be at the heart of everything we plan, and through your continued support, we’ll get there.

 

David Crosby is the Head of Prevention and Early Detection Research at Cancer Research UK. To hear more about this, listen to his interview on “You, Me and the Big C” from BBC Radio 5 Live.

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2H0QBaF

We’re asking scientists to tackle 9 of the toughest challenges in cancer research

It started with a challenge.

Or 7 to be exact, 7 challenges we issued to the global research community, challenges that scientists, doctors and people affected by cancer all agreed would help us make the radical process we need to beat cancer. Challenges that launched our most ambitious research initiative ever.

Since we issued this first set of challenges back in 2015, we’ve funded 7 international teams to tackle wide-ranging issues from preventing unnecessary breast cancer treatment to understanding if the bacteria in our gut could help treat cancer.

But we’re not done yet. While our teams have been sinking their teeth into the challenges, we’ve been on a global hunt for the next set of problems, working with researchers and people affected by cancer.

And we’ve been more ambitious than ever.

We’ve partnered with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) – the US federal government’s principal agency for cancer research and training – to build on the success of our Grand Challenge initiative and stimulate even more innovative research collaborations. The new partnership brings the Cancer Grand Challenges investment up to £426 million to date.

Here’s the latest line up of Cancer Grand Challenges that we want the world’s brightest minds to tackle.

How do some cells stay normal despite having cancer-causing mistakes in their DNA?

Cancer develops when mistakes in our DNA – called mutations – cause cells to grow and divide uncontrollably. But the presence of these errors doesn’t guarantee cancer will occur. Surprisingly, some cells continue to behave normally even when they have lots of ‘cancer-causing’ mutations.

Why some cells can resist becoming cancerous but other can’t remains a mystery. Researchers suspect that factors like ageing, the immune system and a cell’s environment could play a part.

If scientists could understand more about what makes our cells ‘normal’ and exactly what tips them into becoming cancerous, they may be able to develop new tools to help catch cancer early and design new drugs to target this transition and stop cancer before it starts.

Can we develop new ways to deliver drugs into any and every cell?

New technology has allowed scientists to engineer smarter cancer drugs that can precisely target and kill tumour cells in the lab. But just doing this in the lab isn’t good enough.

Getting drugs inside the ‘right’ cells is a major hurdle when it comes to designing new treatments. This task is particularly challenging for larger and more complex drugs – known as macromolecules – that are too big to slip into cells without help.

But what if we could find innovative new ways to deliver these drugs to all cells in the body, including hard-to-reach places like the brain, but only kill the cancer cells?

To do this, scientists could exploit innovative delivery methods like nanoparticles – tiny, drug-carrying vessels 1,000 times smaller than a human hair – or mimic the tactics viruses and toxins use to infiltrate cells.

This is potentially one of the biggest hurdles facing researchers, but there’s so much to gain if it works. This research could unlock new ways to treat not only cancer, but many other diseases.

Can we take away cancer cells’ power to divide?

Under certain stressful conditions – like when their DNA is damaged – cells can stop dividing and enter a state called senescence. It’s a safety mechanism to stop faulty cells from multiplying.

Senescence can help protect us against cancer by forcing would-be cancer cells to stop dividing before it’s too late. And research suggests cancer cells can become senescent too, halting their growth.

The big question we want scientists to answer is can we trigger cancer cells to become senescent? And can we find ways to target and eradicate these cells from the body?

What are the potential benefits and risks of e-cigarette use around the world?

E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular over the last decade, with an estimated 3 million people in Great Britain using them in 2019. The majority of these people used to smoke.

While e-cigarettes can help some people to stop smoking and the evidence so far suggests they’re far less harmful than tobacco, it’s still not clear what effects vaping has in the long term. And there are also questions about how the increased use of e-cigarettes might be affecting society as a whole – particularly young people.

We need to shed light on these unknowns and in particular provide an answer to the crucial question: how safe are e-cigarettes and are there long-term health consequences?

How does inflammation cause cancer?

Inflammation is one of the body’s most powerful weapons. It’s our immune system’s first line of defence against infection and injury, involving a cascade of chemicals and immune cells that take down potential threats and help to heal our wounds.

But as well as preventing infections and repairing injuries, inflammation can cause collateral damage and sometimes lead to cancer. It’s estimated that up to 1 in 4 around the world are linked to chronic inflammation.

The link between inflammation and cancer was first made over 150 years ago. But we still don’t fully understand the link between inflammation and cancer, including how many types of inflammation exist, and which can cause the disease.

We’ve already got a team of scientists unravelling the mystery of inflammation and cancer, but we think there’s even more to learn. Because if researchers could untangle the complex web of interactions involved in inflammation and pinpoint which processes cause cancer, they could reveal new ways to prevent cancer from ever starting, potentially saving thousands of lives.

Can we find new ways to treat solid tumours in children?

Despite great progress in understanding the biology of some children’s cancers, the way we treat these diseases – especially solid tumours – has barely changed in over 30 years. And current treatments can have severe, life-long side effects.

We desperately need new, more specific treatments that are gentler and more effective for children living with these diseases.

We’re beginning to understand that solid tumours in children are very different from those in adults. If we could understand more about these differences and find ways of targeting them, we could create new drugs or reuse existing ones to better treat children’s cancer.

How does DNA outside of our chromosomes helps cancer to survive and evolve?

Our DNA is mainly coiled into structures called chromosomes, which keep its long strands neatly organised. But cells can also contain small rings of DNA that exist separately from these chromosomes, called extrachromosomal DNA.

These DNA loops are most commonly found in microbes like bacteria, but new research has revealed that cancer cells contain vast amounts of extrachromosomal DNA, often containing copies of genes that help the cancer grow and survive. These rogue pieces of DNA can also change and multiply rapidly and are believed to help cancer to adapt, evolve and become resistant to treatment.

But the exact role of extrachromosomal DNA in cancer is unclear.

If we can understand how these extrachromosomal loops arise and change in cancer, we could create new therapies to target them.

Why do some cancers come back many years after treatment?

Sometimes, patients who seem to have been successfully treated for cancer can have the disease come back years or even decades later, often without any warning.

It’s thought that cancer cells that weren’t killed by initial treatment can go to sleep, lying dormant until they’re coaxed out of their slumber and begin to dive again, a phenomenon we’ve written about before.

But what causes some cancer cells to go sleep, or where they hide when they’re asleep, is still a bit of a mystery. Scientists also don’t know for sure what wakes these cells up years later.

It’s a challenge that’s cropped up before. And we need answers.

Understanding more about slumbering cancer cells could help scientists find these cells and eliminate them. Or, if we could predict when they’re about to rise from their slumber, we could keep them sleeping permanently.

Can we treat extreme weight loss and weakness in people with late-stage cancer?

In the late stages of cancer, some people experience extreme weight loss and muscle wasting – a condition called cachexia. It can also lead to weakness and fatigue, with every-day activities becoming challenging.

We don’t exactly know what happens in cachexia. But what’s clear is that it’s very different to general weight loss and can’t be completely reversed by eating more or taking nutritional supplements.

Worringly, cancer treatments are often less effective in people who have cachexia and other signs of deteriorating well-being.

If scientists can unpick the complicated pathways involved, they could develop new treatments to improve the quality of life and survival of people with late-stage cancer.

If you’re a researcher and want to build a team to take on this challenge, visit our Cancer Grand Challenges website to find out how you can apply.

With these 9 challenges, we’re pushing researchers to the edge of impossible. We can’t wait to see who will rise to the challenge.

Katie 

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2GZ13jl

It started with a challenge.

Or 7 to be exact, 7 challenges we issued to the global research community, challenges that scientists, doctors and people affected by cancer all agreed would help us make the radical process we need to beat cancer. Challenges that launched our most ambitious research initiative ever.

Since we issued this first set of challenges back in 2015, we’ve funded 7 international teams to tackle wide-ranging issues from preventing unnecessary breast cancer treatment to understanding if the bacteria in our gut could help treat cancer.

But we’re not done yet. While our teams have been sinking their teeth into the challenges, we’ve been on a global hunt for the next set of problems, working with researchers and people affected by cancer.

And we’ve been more ambitious than ever.

We’ve partnered with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) – the US federal government’s principal agency for cancer research and training – to build on the success of our Grand Challenge initiative and stimulate even more innovative research collaborations. The new partnership brings the Cancer Grand Challenges investment up to £426 million to date.

Here’s the latest line up of Cancer Grand Challenges that we want the world’s brightest minds to tackle.

How do some cells stay normal despite having cancer-causing mistakes in their DNA?

Cancer develops when mistakes in our DNA – called mutations – cause cells to grow and divide uncontrollably. But the presence of these errors doesn’t guarantee cancer will occur. Surprisingly, some cells continue to behave normally even when they have lots of ‘cancer-causing’ mutations.

Why some cells can resist becoming cancerous but other can’t remains a mystery. Researchers suspect that factors like ageing, the immune system and a cell’s environment could play a part.

If scientists could understand more about what makes our cells ‘normal’ and exactly what tips them into becoming cancerous, they may be able to develop new tools to help catch cancer early and design new drugs to target this transition and stop cancer before it starts.

Can we develop new ways to deliver drugs into any and every cell?

New technology has allowed scientists to engineer smarter cancer drugs that can precisely target and kill tumour cells in the lab. But just doing this in the lab isn’t good enough.

Getting drugs inside the ‘right’ cells is a major hurdle when it comes to designing new treatments. This task is particularly challenging for larger and more complex drugs – known as macromolecules – that are too big to slip into cells without help.

But what if we could find innovative new ways to deliver these drugs to all cells in the body, including hard-to-reach places like the brain, but only kill the cancer cells?

To do this, scientists could exploit innovative delivery methods like nanoparticles – tiny, drug-carrying vessels 1,000 times smaller than a human hair – or mimic the tactics viruses and toxins use to infiltrate cells.

This is potentially one of the biggest hurdles facing researchers, but there’s so much to gain if it works. This research could unlock new ways to treat not only cancer, but many other diseases.

Can we take away cancer cells’ power to divide?

Under certain stressful conditions – like when their DNA is damaged – cells can stop dividing and enter a state called senescence. It’s a safety mechanism to stop faulty cells from multiplying.

Senescence can help protect us against cancer by forcing would-be cancer cells to stop dividing before it’s too late. And research suggests cancer cells can become senescent too, halting their growth.

The big question we want scientists to answer is can we trigger cancer cells to become senescent? And can we find ways to target and eradicate these cells from the body?

What are the potential benefits and risks of e-cigarette use around the world?

E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular over the last decade, with an estimated 3 million people in Great Britain using them in 2019. The majority of these people used to smoke.

While e-cigarettes can help some people to stop smoking and the evidence so far suggests they’re far less harmful than tobacco, it’s still not clear what effects vaping has in the long term. And there are also questions about how the increased use of e-cigarettes might be affecting society as a whole – particularly young people.

We need to shed light on these unknowns and in particular provide an answer to the crucial question: how safe are e-cigarettes and are there long-term health consequences?

How does inflammation cause cancer?

Inflammation is one of the body’s most powerful weapons. It’s our immune system’s first line of defence against infection and injury, involving a cascade of chemicals and immune cells that take down potential threats and help to heal our wounds.

But as well as preventing infections and repairing injuries, inflammation can cause collateral damage and sometimes lead to cancer. It’s estimated that up to 1 in 4 around the world are linked to chronic inflammation.

The link between inflammation and cancer was first made over 150 years ago. But we still don’t fully understand the link between inflammation and cancer, including how many types of inflammation exist, and which can cause the disease.

We’ve already got a team of scientists unravelling the mystery of inflammation and cancer, but we think there’s even more to learn. Because if researchers could untangle the complex web of interactions involved in inflammation and pinpoint which processes cause cancer, they could reveal new ways to prevent cancer from ever starting, potentially saving thousands of lives.

Can we find new ways to treat solid tumours in children?

Despite great progress in understanding the biology of some children’s cancers, the way we treat these diseases – especially solid tumours – has barely changed in over 30 years. And current treatments can have severe, life-long side effects.

We desperately need new, more specific treatments that are gentler and more effective for children living with these diseases.

We’re beginning to understand that solid tumours in children are very different from those in adults. If we could understand more about these differences and find ways of targeting them, we could create new drugs or reuse existing ones to better treat children’s cancer.

How does DNA outside of our chromosomes helps cancer to survive and evolve?

Our DNA is mainly coiled into structures called chromosomes, which keep its long strands neatly organised. But cells can also contain small rings of DNA that exist separately from these chromosomes, called extrachromosomal DNA.

These DNA loops are most commonly found in microbes like bacteria, but new research has revealed that cancer cells contain vast amounts of extrachromosomal DNA, often containing copies of genes that help the cancer grow and survive. These rogue pieces of DNA can also change and multiply rapidly and are believed to help cancer to adapt, evolve and become resistant to treatment.

But the exact role of extrachromosomal DNA in cancer is unclear.

If we can understand how these extrachromosomal loops arise and change in cancer, we could create new therapies to target them.

Why do some cancers come back many years after treatment?

Sometimes, patients who seem to have been successfully treated for cancer can have the disease come back years or even decades later, often without any warning.

It’s thought that cancer cells that weren’t killed by initial treatment can go to sleep, lying dormant until they’re coaxed out of their slumber and begin to dive again, a phenomenon we’ve written about before.

But what causes some cancer cells to go sleep, or where they hide when they’re asleep, is still a bit of a mystery. Scientists also don’t know for sure what wakes these cells up years later.

It’s a challenge that’s cropped up before. And we need answers.

Understanding more about slumbering cancer cells could help scientists find these cells and eliminate them. Or, if we could predict when they’re about to rise from their slumber, we could keep them sleeping permanently.

Can we treat extreme weight loss and weakness in people with late-stage cancer?

In the late stages of cancer, some people experience extreme weight loss and muscle wasting – a condition called cachexia. It can also lead to weakness and fatigue, with every-day activities becoming challenging.

We don’t exactly know what happens in cachexia. But what’s clear is that it’s very different to general weight loss and can’t be completely reversed by eating more or taking nutritional supplements.

Worringly, cancer treatments are often less effective in people who have cachexia and other signs of deteriorating well-being.

If scientists can unpick the complicated pathways involved, they could develop new treatments to improve the quality of life and survival of people with late-stage cancer.

If you’re a researcher and want to build a team to take on this challenge, visit our Cancer Grand Challenges website to find out how you can apply.

With these 9 challenges, we’re pushing researchers to the edge of impossible. We can’t wait to see who will rise to the challenge.

Katie 

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2GZ13jl

NHS staff shortages: What’s needed to build a sustainable cancer workforce?

For a few months this year, Thursday evening in the UK meant just one thing. Not the latest episode of a lockdown favourite or another virtual pub quiz, but a chance for people across the country to clap our carers.

It was a rowdy 5 minutes where people came together to recognise the herculean efforts of healthcare staff across the country. But our love affair with the NHS and the staff who make it began long before COVID-19. And it’s an appreciation that will outlast the pandemic.

Because the NHS in England needs more than our colourful banners to keep it going, it also needs Government support.

In the 2019 General Election, the Conservative party pledged to ‘increase cancer survival rates’ and ‘boost early cancer diagnosis across 78 hospital trusts’. Ambitions that will be impossible without a sustainable, future-proofed workforce.

A ‘make or break’ issue

NHS staff shortages is not a new issue. In 2015, workforce was identified as a ‘make or break’ issue in the Cancer Strategy for England. But nearly 5 years later, it remains unresolved.

And the longer it’s left, the worse the problem will get. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 1 in 10 diagnostic posts were vacant. Earlier this month, Professor Sir Mike Richards published a review of diagnostic services, which described services as approaching a ‘tipping point’ and calls for major expansion to the workforce.

And as the vacancies pile up and the demand for cancer services increases, the Government’s ambition to diagnose 3 in 4 cancer early by 2028 is becoming less and less likely.

Whilst training NHS staff to take on new roles and responsibilities and improving ways of working is important, it’s not a replacement for a well-resourced workforce. So the big question is: what would it take to build a vibrant and sustainable cancer workforce? It’s not an easy figure to estimate, but we ran some numbers.

Growing the cancer workforce

To ensure the NHS has enough staff to diagnose, treat and care for people with cancer over the next decade, they’ll need some new recruits.

Which is where Health Education England (HEE) – the organisation responsible for workforce planning, education and training – comes in. In 2018, they identified 7 professions that are key to diagnosing and treating cancer and estimated that, to deliver world-class cancer services by 2029, staff numbers would need to grow by 45%.

The 7 key professions:

• Histopathologist: A doctor who examines tumour or blood samples under a microscope to help diagnose cancer.
• Clinical radiologist: A doctor who interprets scans – like MRI and CT scans – to diagnose, treat and manage cancer.
• Diagnostic radiographer: A specialist who takes scans – like MRI and CT scans – that can be used to diagnose cancer. They’re the people you see when you go for an ultrasound or MRI appointment.
• Oncologist: A doctor who treats cancer.
• Specialist cancer nurse: A nurse who helps to ensure that people with cancer are supported through their treatment and care and have the information they need. They can also play a vital role in delivering cancer treatments.
• Therapeutic radiographer: A specialist who takes scans – like MRI and CT scans – that can be used to monitor cancer. They’re the people you see when you go for an ultrasound or MRI appointment.
• Gastroenterologist: A doctor who investigate, diagnose and treat disease related to the stomach, bowel, liver and pancreas.

Thanks to existing investment in education and training from HEE, staff numbers are already on course to increase by 2029 in most of these professions – but not by enough. In fact, we’ve estimated it will cost HEE between £142 million and £260 million more than it already invests to grow the key cancer professions by 45%.

As one-off figures, they sound big. But this investment in the future of cancer workforce can be spread out over the next few years. And with Health Education England spending around £4.3 billion last year, it would be a fairly small annual investment.

To put it in context: if HEE’s budget remains the same, £260 million spread over 3 years would be approximately 2% of their annual budget. Not too big an investment in the grand scheme of things, but one that could help transform cancer services. And not just cancer services – some of the 7 professions identified also diagnose and treat other diseases, so the benefits could extend to those too.

Here’s what it would be paying for.

Seven key professions

Based on our modelling, each of the 7 cancer professions are growing or declining on their own trajectory at the minute depending on how many staff are being trained and recruited, as well as the number of staff retiring, leaving early or rejoining the workforce.

The good news is that numbers of people joining 6 of the 7 professions are on the rise. But only one – gastroenterology – is on track to meet HEE’s ambition of 45% growth by 2029.

And numbers in one key profession – histopathology – look set to decline in the coming years. If nothing is done to change the forecast, the number of histopathologists in England is estimated to drop by 2% by 2029. A far cry from the 45% growth that HEE aspires to.

Copy this link and share our graphic. Credit: Cancer Research UK

There are a number of ways for HEE to increase the cancer workforce – which is why our cost estimates in fact range from £142 million to £260 million.

The lower cost option of £142 million would involve a combination of increasing training opportunities, recruiting more specialists from other countries, encouraging existing NHS staff to move into these specialist areas and encouraging specialists to come back to the NHS – including those who have recently retired.

Growing the cancer workforce solely by increasing training opportunities within the NHS would cost a bit more. £260 million according to our estimates.

And it’s possible that more might be needed. Our modelling did not take into account that several posts in the NHS – more than 1 in 10 – are currently vacant. These need to be filled too.

The Government must act

As with all estimates, these figures were calculated with several assumptions. But it is the first complete look at what’s needed across the cancer pathway and should form an important part of the conversation about what’s needed to transform cancer services in England.

It’s a conversation that’s been going on for many years. And with the number of people being diagnosed with cancer estimated to increase in the coming years, it’s time to move beyond words. The Government must act now.

In a few weeks’ time, the Government will decide how much money Health Education England will have to spend in the coming years. Which will in turn determine how much money they put aside for the cancer workforce.

Put simply, how the Government responds to NHS staff shortages now will determine what the future holds for people with cancer in the decades to come.

And with 1 in 2 of us getting cancer in our lifetime, an additional £260 million seems like a small price to pay for a cancer workforce that’s large enough to give everyone the diagnosis, treatment and care they deserve.

> Take action. Ask your MP to stand shoulder to shoulder with the NHS today

Katie 

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2SMl8f0

For a few months this year, Thursday evening in the UK meant just one thing. Not the latest episode of a lockdown favourite or another virtual pub quiz, but a chance for people across the country to clap our carers.

It was a rowdy 5 minutes where people came together to recognise the herculean efforts of healthcare staff across the country. But our love affair with the NHS and the staff who make it began long before COVID-19. And it’s an appreciation that will outlast the pandemic.

Because the NHS in England needs more than our colourful banners to keep it going, it also needs Government support.

In the 2019 General Election, the Conservative party pledged to ‘increase cancer survival rates’ and ‘boost early cancer diagnosis across 78 hospital trusts’. Ambitions that will be impossible without a sustainable, future-proofed workforce.

A ‘make or break’ issue

NHS staff shortages is not a new issue. In 2015, workforce was identified as a ‘make or break’ issue in the Cancer Strategy for England. But nearly 5 years later, it remains unresolved.

And the longer it’s left, the worse the problem will get. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 1 in 10 diagnostic posts were vacant. Earlier this month, Professor Sir Mike Richards published a review of diagnostic services, which described services as approaching a ‘tipping point’ and calls for major expansion to the workforce.

And as the vacancies pile up and the demand for cancer services increases, the Government’s ambition to diagnose 3 in 4 cancer early by 2028 is becoming less and less likely.

Whilst training NHS staff to take on new roles and responsibilities and improving ways of working is important, it’s not a replacement for a well-resourced workforce. So the big question is: what would it take to build a vibrant and sustainable cancer workforce? It’s not an easy figure to estimate, but we ran some numbers.

Growing the cancer workforce

To ensure the NHS has enough staff to diagnose, treat and care for people with cancer over the next decade, they’ll need some new recruits.

Which is where Health Education England (HEE) – the organisation responsible for workforce planning, education and training – comes in. In 2018, they identified 7 professions that are key to diagnosing and treating cancer and estimated that, to deliver world-class cancer services by 2029, staff numbers would need to grow by 45%.

The 7 key professions:

• Histopathologist: A doctor who examines tumour or blood samples under a microscope to help diagnose cancer.
• Clinical radiologist: A doctor who interprets scans – like MRI and CT scans – to diagnose, treat and manage cancer.
• Diagnostic radiographer: A specialist who takes scans – like MRI and CT scans – that can be used to diagnose cancer. They’re the people you see when you go for an ultrasound or MRI appointment.
• Oncologist: A doctor who treats cancer.
• Specialist cancer nurse: A nurse who helps to ensure that people with cancer are supported through their treatment and care and have the information they need. They can also play a vital role in delivering cancer treatments.
• Therapeutic radiographer: A specialist who takes scans – like MRI and CT scans – that can be used to monitor cancer. They’re the people you see when you go for an ultrasound or MRI appointment.
• Gastroenterologist: A doctor who investigate, diagnose and treat disease related to the stomach, bowel, liver and pancreas.

Thanks to existing investment in education and training from HEE, staff numbers are already on course to increase by 2029 in most of these professions – but not by enough. In fact, we’ve estimated it will cost HEE between £142 million and £260 million more than it already invests to grow the key cancer professions by 45%.

As one-off figures, they sound big. But this investment in the future of cancer workforce can be spread out over the next few years. And with Health Education England spending around £4.3 billion last year, it would be a fairly small annual investment.

To put it in context: if HEE’s budget remains the same, £260 million spread over 3 years would be approximately 2% of their annual budget. Not too big an investment in the grand scheme of things, but one that could help transform cancer services. And not just cancer services – some of the 7 professions identified also diagnose and treat other diseases, so the benefits could extend to those too.

Here’s what it would be paying for.

Seven key professions

Based on our modelling, each of the 7 cancer professions are growing or declining on their own trajectory at the minute depending on how many staff are being trained and recruited, as well as the number of staff retiring, leaving early or rejoining the workforce.

The good news is that numbers of people joining 6 of the 7 professions are on the rise. But only one – gastroenterology – is on track to meet HEE’s ambition of 45% growth by 2029.

And numbers in one key profession – histopathology – look set to decline in the coming years. If nothing is done to change the forecast, the number of histopathologists in England is estimated to drop by 2% by 2029. A far cry from the 45% growth that HEE aspires to.

Copy this link and share our graphic. Credit: Cancer Research UK

There are a number of ways for HEE to increase the cancer workforce – which is why our cost estimates in fact range from £142 million to £260 million.

The lower cost option of £142 million would involve a combination of increasing training opportunities, recruiting more specialists from other countries, encouraging existing NHS staff to move into these specialist areas and encouraging specialists to come back to the NHS – including those who have recently retired.

Growing the cancer workforce solely by increasing training opportunities within the NHS would cost a bit more. £260 million according to our estimates.

And it’s possible that more might be needed. Our modelling did not take into account that several posts in the NHS – more than 1 in 10 – are currently vacant. These need to be filled too.

The Government must act

As with all estimates, these figures were calculated with several assumptions. But it is the first complete look at what’s needed across the cancer pathway and should form an important part of the conversation about what’s needed to transform cancer services in England.

It’s a conversation that’s been going on for many years. And with the number of people being diagnosed with cancer estimated to increase in the coming years, it’s time to move beyond words. The Government must act now.

In a few weeks’ time, the Government will decide how much money Health Education England will have to spend in the coming years. Which will in turn determine how much money they put aside for the cancer workforce.

Put simply, how the Government responds to NHS staff shortages now will determine what the future holds for people with cancer in the decades to come.

And with 1 in 2 of us getting cancer in our lifetime, an additional £260 million seems like a small price to pay for a cancer workforce that’s large enough to give everyone the diagnosis, treatment and care they deserve.

> Take action. Ask your MP to stand shoulder to shoulder with the NHS today

Katie 

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2SMl8f0

News digest – HPV vaccine, 1 million breast screenings missed and prostate cancer treatment

HPV vaccine reduces cervical cancer risk 

Long-awaited study results from Sweden released this week show for the first time, the impact of the vaccine on cervical cancer. Rates of cervical cancer were 88% lower in women vaccinated before the age of 17 with the HPV vaccine – and 63% lower in the vaccinated cohort overall. Our news report has more.

HPV vaccination has been shown previously to prevent infection with the virus and the development of precancer. Although scientists were confident that it would follow that HPV vaccination would prevent cervical cancer, this is the first time that that has been shown directly.

– Professor Peter Sasieni, a Cancer Research UK-funded cervical screening expert at King’s College London 

Promising prostate cancer treatment results 

A leading cancer charity has “hailed a breakthrough” in treating prostate cancer, after results from 2 drug trials were announced at a conference. Olaparib improved survival for some men whose advanced prostate cancer has specific DNA errors, while adding ipatasertib to existing treatments also showed promising early signs in a second clinical trial. Meanwhile, new research suggests some men with prostate cancer could be spared radiotherapy after surgery for the disease – full story here in the Daily Mail, Sky News and The Times(£). 

New treatment ‘cuts risk of breast cancer return’ 

More promising trial results, as adding the targeted drug abemaciclib to hormone therapy was found to cut breast cancer recurrence by 25% in interim analysis published last week. As reported in the Evening Standard, the trial involved in people with early hormone receptor positive breast cancer and tested the benefits of giving the targeted drug after standard treatments like chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiotherapy, to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.  

Almost a million breast screenings missed during pandemic 

Charity Breast Cancer Now has revealed that the coronavirus pandemic is responsible for as many as 986,000 women in the UK missing breast screening appointments, as screening services were put on pause. Get the full story at Sky News and you can read more about how the pandemic impact cancer services in our blog post.

“Cancer services were struggling before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and now, after months of screening backlogs and with the added pressure that winter puts on the NHS, frontline workers are simply overstretched.

“You shouldn’t wait for a screening invite if you’ve noticed anything unusual for you, it’s important to contact your GP and they will make sure you can be checked out safely. For those who have had difficulty trying to get an appointment, we understand that it might be frustrating, but we encourage you to keep trying.”

– Dr Rachel Orritt, Cancer Research UK’s health information manager

20,000 more cancer cases a year in the most deprived areas 

New figures released this week suggest there are around 20,000 extra cancer cases every year in the UK’s most deprived areas – exposing once again the inequalities running through our society. Our latest blog post takes a deeper look at this unacceptable reality. 

Is cancer the next tech boom sector? 

In the week following US biotech giant Illumina’s £6.2 billion buyout of Grail, investors are pouring billions into the cancer detection sector. Read the full story in The Times (£). 

UK’s medical research charities need ‘urgent support’  

Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK has stressed the critical importance of Government action – after new figures from the National Cancer Research Institute projected a devastating 24% drop in the country’s overall cancer research spend in 2020. In his latest blog post, Foulkes notes that much-needed progress in cancer and other diseases is at risk. 

And finally… 

Our latest Science Surgeryanswers the question: how does cancer in children and adults differ? And if you’re looking for something to read over the weekend, check out our blog post following 3 of the team of over 60 scientists investigating the age-old mystery of inflammation and cancer. 

Jake Richards is a writer for PA Media Group 

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/33nZCmY

HPV vaccine reduces cervical cancer risk 

Long-awaited study results from Sweden released this week show for the first time, the impact of the vaccine on cervical cancer. Rates of cervical cancer were 88% lower in women vaccinated before the age of 17 with the HPV vaccine – and 63% lower in the vaccinated cohort overall. Our news report has more.

HPV vaccination has been shown previously to prevent infection with the virus and the development of precancer. Although scientists were confident that it would follow that HPV vaccination would prevent cervical cancer, this is the first time that that has been shown directly.

– Professor Peter Sasieni, a Cancer Research UK-funded cervical screening expert at King’s College London 

Promising prostate cancer treatment results 

A leading cancer charity has “hailed a breakthrough” in treating prostate cancer, after results from 2 drug trials were announced at a conference. Olaparib improved survival for some men whose advanced prostate cancer has specific DNA errors, while adding ipatasertib to existing treatments also showed promising early signs in a second clinical trial. Meanwhile, new research suggests some men with prostate cancer could be spared radiotherapy after surgery for the disease – full story here in the Daily Mail, Sky News and The Times(£). 

New treatment ‘cuts risk of breast cancer return’ 

More promising trial results, as adding the targeted drug abemaciclib to hormone therapy was found to cut breast cancer recurrence by 25% in interim analysis published last week. As reported in the Evening Standard, the trial involved in people with early hormone receptor positive breast cancer and tested the benefits of giving the targeted drug after standard treatments like chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiotherapy, to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.  

Almost a million breast screenings missed during pandemic 

Charity Breast Cancer Now has revealed that the coronavirus pandemic is responsible for as many as 986,000 women in the UK missing breast screening appointments, as screening services were put on pause. Get the full story at Sky News and you can read more about how the pandemic impact cancer services in our blog post.

“Cancer services were struggling before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and now, after months of screening backlogs and with the added pressure that winter puts on the NHS, frontline workers are simply overstretched.

“You shouldn’t wait for a screening invite if you’ve noticed anything unusual for you, it’s important to contact your GP and they will make sure you can be checked out safely. For those who have had difficulty trying to get an appointment, we understand that it might be frustrating, but we encourage you to keep trying.”

– Dr Rachel Orritt, Cancer Research UK’s health information manager

20,000 more cancer cases a year in the most deprived areas 

New figures released this week suggest there are around 20,000 extra cancer cases every year in the UK’s most deprived areas – exposing once again the inequalities running through our society. Our latest blog post takes a deeper look at this unacceptable reality. 

Is cancer the next tech boom sector? 

In the week following US biotech giant Illumina’s £6.2 billion buyout of Grail, investors are pouring billions into the cancer detection sector. Read the full story in The Times (£). 

UK’s medical research charities need ‘urgent support’  

Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK has stressed the critical importance of Government action – after new figures from the National Cancer Research Institute projected a devastating 24% drop in the country’s overall cancer research spend in 2020. In his latest blog post, Foulkes notes that much-needed progress in cancer and other diseases is at risk. 

And finally… 

Our latest Science Surgeryanswers the question: how does cancer in children and adults differ? And if you’re looking for something to read over the weekend, check out our blog post following 3 of the team of over 60 scientists investigating the age-old mystery of inflammation and cancer. 

Jake Richards is a writer for PA Media Group 

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/33nZCmY

UK health inequalities: 20,000 more cancer cases a year in the most deprived areas

The last few months have shone a stark light on our health in the UK, with the COVID-19 pandemic exposing the deep inequalities running through our society.

But inequalities in the UK affect more than our risk from COVID-19, they’re intricately entwined with all aspects of our health, including cancer. New figures released today reveal that there are around 20,000 extra cancer cases each year in more deprived areas of the UK.

It’s a sobering figure, equating to around 60 cancer cases a day that could be avoided. And what’s worse is that this figure is just one of many.

People from more deprived areas are not only more likely to get cancer, they’re more likely to be diagnosed at a late stage for certain cancer types , and have trouble accessing cancer services . And, sadly, they’re more likely to die from the disease.

It’s an unacceptable reality in 2020. And one that government must urgently address.

Preventing cancer

When it comes to cancer cases, the starkest differences between the most and least deprived areas of the UK are in smoking-related cancer, like lung and laryngeal cancer.

Smoking rates have been falling across the UK for decades, but there’s a big difference in smoking rates between the most and least deprived communities. In Northern Ireland, around 3 in 10 adults in the most deprived communities will smoke in 2020, compared with 1 in 10 people in the least deprived communities. A picture that’s mirrored in other parts of the UK. It also means that rates of smoking related cancers – such as lung and oesophageal – are 3 times higher for the most deprived populations compared to the least deprived.

Children from the most deprived areas are also twice as likely to be obese in Scotland. Children who are obese are 5 times more likely to be obese as adults, putting them at higher risk of developing 13 different types of cancer.

The number of people who take part in cancer screening also varies depending on where people live. In Scotland, 47% of eligible adults in the most deprived areas take part in bowel screening, much lower than the 69% of people living in the least deprived areas. Screening can detect cancers at an early stage, as well as helping to prevent cancers developing in the case of cervical screening.

By identifying theses cancers early, treatment is more likely to be successful and people are more likely to survive their cancer. Because how and when someone is diagnosed matters.

Cancer diagnosis and treatment

For some cancer types, people from more deprived communities are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, giving them fewer treatment options. They’re also 50% more likely to be diagnosed through emergency routes like A&E when looking at all cancers together. Higher proportions of emergency presentations in more deprived groups is particularly clear for bowel, lung, bladder and pancreatic cancers and it’s a bad sign – people diagnosed in this way have worse survival, even when you take into account their cancer stage.

It’s difficult to pinpoint the reasons why more people are diagnosed through emergency routes, but we’re constantly surveying the public to try and understand barriers people face. Data suggests that people from the most deprived communities are less aware of cancer symptoms and report more barriers to seeking help – the most common being difficulties getting an appointment with a particular doctor or at a time that works. Because of these barriers, people may find it difficult to seek help or put off doing so until the disease reaches a crisis point.

And for people from deprived communities, health concerns might not come that high up their list of priorities, with more pressing things like money and family security taking precedence.

The differences don’t just stop at diagnosis. In England, we’re starting to learn that there are differences in treatment between the least and most deprived. We still need to understand the causes of these differences, which are complex and could well be associated with comorbidities caused by poorer general health. And while patient choice is key, it’s vital that everyone has access to the best treatment options, regardless of where they live.

With so many differences in prevention, diagnosis, care and treatment, the sobering reality is that people in more deprived areas have worse cancer survival.

This must change.

Scratching the surface

Most of the data in our latest report isn’t new, for years pockets of this information have been available. But by bringing it together, we hope to start a conversation that will lead to real change.

But we’re just scratching the surface when it comes to health inequalities, which stem from a range of social, environmental and economic factors, known as the wider determinants of health. Understanding how these underlying factors affect cancer risk and outcomes, and taking action to mitigate them, is key to closing the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged groups.

We focused solely on socio-economic deprivation in our latest report. We did so because it’s one of the most influential factors driving differences in the number of people being diagnosed with cancer as well as cancer survival and it’s uniquely intertwined with many other factors. But it’s also one of the most well-researched aspects of cancer inequalities.

But socio-economic deprivation is one of many factors that drive health inequalities in the UK. How long we live, and how long we live in good health, varies depending on a range of factors, including ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and whether we have any disabilities.

Each of these factors, and the impact they have on health inequalities, must be untangled. And to do that we need better data collection so that we can understand how different groups experience differences in health. This will allow researchers to identify inequalities so that we can then work collectively to reduce or eradicate them.

A catalyst for change

But while it’s important to collect more data, we’ve got enough data to know that governments across the UK must act to reduce inequalities. Fortunately, the UK Government has the perfect opportunity to do so in England in the next few months, with the upcoming comprehensive spending review.

Government must pay close attention to the widening gap between richer and poorer areas, injecting much needed money into public health funding, including stop smoking services, to help reduce this inequality.

– Michelle Mitchell, chief executive, Cancer Research UK

To do this, they need to invest in stop smoking services, creating protected funding for these vital services, ideally through a levy on the tobacco industry. And this money must be used in a way that helps more people quit across the board but, crucially, lessens the gap in smoking rates between the most and least deprived communities.

The other lies in reducing childhood obesity. The UK Government launched a new strategy to tackle obesity in July, which includes a raft of commitments. But the detail has yet to be finalised – the UK Government will be consulting with industry and others on how to introduce the measures, and then the UK Parliament will have to pass legislation. There’s a real risk they’ll be watered down or delayed further.

We need the UK and devolved governments to fully implement their obesity plans, including restricting advertising and price promotion offers on unhealthy food and drink.

Supporting tobacco control measures and introducing measures to help reduce obesity are important steps forward. But they’re just one part of the solution.

“As the NHS and society adapt and recover from the effects of COVID-19, we must use this opportunity as a catalyst for change,” says Mitchell.

Tackling inequalities has been an ambition for the UK’s health services, but we’re still not seeing the level of progress we need. Ensuring that no-one is disadvantaged because of where they live be central when decisions about health are at stake. And it must start now.

One of the UK Government’s priorities for the upcoming comprehensive spending review includes ‘levelling up economic opportunities across all nations and regions of the country’. The wealth of the nation is both linked to and depend on the health of the nation. If the UK is to tackle inequalities and make sure no community is left behind, if we’re to improve cancer survival in every part of the country, then health must be hardwired into the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda.

Now is the time for the government to show its commitment to the NHS and its recovery. In the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review, further investment is urgently required to provide more support for those that need it most and to make sure the NHS has the staff and equipment it needs to clear the mounting backlog of patients, improving and transforming cancer services for everyone.

– Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive.

Katie

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2EKINsX

The last few months have shone a stark light on our health in the UK, with the COVID-19 pandemic exposing the deep inequalities running through our society.

But inequalities in the UK affect more than our risk from COVID-19, they’re intricately entwined with all aspects of our health, including cancer. New figures released today reveal that there are around 20,000 extra cancer cases each year in more deprived areas of the UK.

It’s a sobering figure, equating to around 60 cancer cases a day that could be avoided. And what’s worse is that this figure is just one of many.

People from more deprived areas are not only more likely to get cancer, they’re more likely to be diagnosed at a late stage for certain cancer types , and have trouble accessing cancer services . And, sadly, they’re more likely to die from the disease.

It’s an unacceptable reality in 2020. And one that government must urgently address.

Preventing cancer

When it comes to cancer cases, the starkest differences between the most and least deprived areas of the UK are in smoking-related cancer, like lung and laryngeal cancer.

Smoking rates have been falling across the UK for decades, but there’s a big difference in smoking rates between the most and least deprived communities. In Northern Ireland, around 3 in 10 adults in the most deprived communities will smoke in 2020, compared with 1 in 10 people in the least deprived communities. A picture that’s mirrored in other parts of the UK. It also means that rates of smoking related cancers – such as lung and oesophageal – are 3 times higher for the most deprived populations compared to the least deprived.

Children from the most deprived areas are also twice as likely to be obese in Scotland. Children who are obese are 5 times more likely to be obese as adults, putting them at higher risk of developing 13 different types of cancer.

The number of people who take part in cancer screening also varies depending on where people live. In Scotland, 47% of eligible adults in the most deprived areas take part in bowel screening, much lower than the 69% of people living in the least deprived areas. Screening can detect cancers at an early stage, as well as helping to prevent cancers developing in the case of cervical screening.

By identifying theses cancers early, treatment is more likely to be successful and people are more likely to survive their cancer. Because how and when someone is diagnosed matters.

Cancer diagnosis and treatment

For some cancer types, people from more deprived communities are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, giving them fewer treatment options. They’re also 50% more likely to be diagnosed through emergency routes like A&E when looking at all cancers together. Higher proportions of emergency presentations in more deprived groups is particularly clear for bowel, lung, bladder and pancreatic cancers and it’s a bad sign – people diagnosed in this way have worse survival, even when you take into account their cancer stage.

It’s difficult to pinpoint the reasons why more people are diagnosed through emergency routes, but we’re constantly surveying the public to try and understand barriers people face. Data suggests that people from the most deprived communities are less aware of cancer symptoms and report more barriers to seeking help – the most common being difficulties getting an appointment with a particular doctor or at a time that works. Because of these barriers, people may find it difficult to seek help or put off doing so until the disease reaches a crisis point.

And for people from deprived communities, health concerns might not come that high up their list of priorities, with more pressing things like money and family security taking precedence.

The differences don’t just stop at diagnosis. In England, we’re starting to learn that there are differences in treatment between the least and most deprived. We still need to understand the causes of these differences, which are complex and could well be associated with comorbidities caused by poorer general health. And while patient choice is key, it’s vital that everyone has access to the best treatment options, regardless of where they live.

With so many differences in prevention, diagnosis, care and treatment, the sobering reality is that people in more deprived areas have worse cancer survival.

This must change.

Scratching the surface

Most of the data in our latest report isn’t new, for years pockets of this information have been available. But by bringing it together, we hope to start a conversation that will lead to real change.

But we’re just scratching the surface when it comes to health inequalities, which stem from a range of social, environmental and economic factors, known as the wider determinants of health. Understanding how these underlying factors affect cancer risk and outcomes, and taking action to mitigate them, is key to closing the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged groups.

We focused solely on socio-economic deprivation in our latest report. We did so because it’s one of the most influential factors driving differences in the number of people being diagnosed with cancer as well as cancer survival and it’s uniquely intertwined with many other factors. But it’s also one of the most well-researched aspects of cancer inequalities.

But socio-economic deprivation is one of many factors that drive health inequalities in the UK. How long we live, and how long we live in good health, varies depending on a range of factors, including ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and whether we have any disabilities.

Each of these factors, and the impact they have on health inequalities, must be untangled. And to do that we need better data collection so that we can understand how different groups experience differences in health. This will allow researchers to identify inequalities so that we can then work collectively to reduce or eradicate them.

A catalyst for change

But while it’s important to collect more data, we’ve got enough data to know that governments across the UK must act to reduce inequalities. Fortunately, the UK Government has the perfect opportunity to do so in England in the next few months, with the upcoming comprehensive spending review.

Government must pay close attention to the widening gap between richer and poorer areas, injecting much needed money into public health funding, including stop smoking services, to help reduce this inequality.

– Michelle Mitchell, chief executive, Cancer Research UK

To do this, they need to invest in stop smoking services, creating protected funding for these vital services, ideally through a levy on the tobacco industry. And this money must be used in a way that helps more people quit across the board but, crucially, lessens the gap in smoking rates between the most and least deprived communities.

The other lies in reducing childhood obesity. The UK Government launched a new strategy to tackle obesity in July, which includes a raft of commitments. But the detail has yet to be finalised – the UK Government will be consulting with industry and others on how to introduce the measures, and then the UK Parliament will have to pass legislation. There’s a real risk they’ll be watered down or delayed further.

We need the UK and devolved governments to fully implement their obesity plans, including restricting advertising and price promotion offers on unhealthy food and drink.

Supporting tobacco control measures and introducing measures to help reduce obesity are important steps forward. But they’re just one part of the solution.

“As the NHS and society adapt and recover from the effects of COVID-19, we must use this opportunity as a catalyst for change,” says Mitchell.

Tackling inequalities has been an ambition for the UK’s health services, but we’re still not seeing the level of progress we need. Ensuring that no-one is disadvantaged because of where they live be central when decisions about health are at stake. And it must start now.

One of the UK Government’s priorities for the upcoming comprehensive spending review includes ‘levelling up economic opportunities across all nations and regions of the country’. The wealth of the nation is both linked to and depend on the health of the nation. If the UK is to tackle inequalities and make sure no community is left behind, if we’re to improve cancer survival in every part of the country, then health must be hardwired into the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda.

Now is the time for the government to show its commitment to the NHS and its recovery. In the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review, further investment is urgently required to provide more support for those that need it most and to make sure the NHS has the staff and equipment it needs to clear the mounting backlog of patients, improving and transforming cancer services for everyone.

– Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive.

Katie

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/2EKINsX

Science Surgery: ‘How are children’s cancers different from adult’s cancers?’

Our Science Surgery series answers your cancer questions.  

Dr Francis Mussai, a Cancer Research UK-funded children’s cancer researcher and consultant oncologist at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital, says that the types of cancers that we see in children are very different to the cancer that we see in adults. “Cancer types that we frequently hear about in adults, such as breast, prostate, bowel, melanoma and lung cancer, are extremely rare in children. 

“Instead, it’s more common to see leukaemia’s, brain cancers, and cancers in developing structures, like muscle, nerve tissue and kidney,” Mussai explains.  

But that’s not to say that children’s cancers themselves are common. Thankfully, the number of cancer cases in children and young people (aged 0-24) make up less than 1% of the total number of cancer cases diagnosed each year in the UK.  

In children, leukaemia is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, accounting for almost a third of all cases in Great Britain. Brain and other central nervous system and intracranial tumours account for more than a quarter of all children’s cancers and lymphomas (a type of blood cancer) around a tenth. But it’s not just the types of cancers that differ, it’s also the biology.  

Copy this link and share our graphic. Credit: Cancer Research UK.

Why do children get cancer? 

“Adult cancers, on the whole, develop because of some sort of wear and tear or due to impacts of our lifestyle,” says Mussai, “which damage our DNA, and leads to a cell becoming abnormal and cancerous.”  

The biggest cancer risk factor in adults is age. The older someone is, the more their cells will have divided, increasing the chances that DNA errors will occur. And as life goes on, people are also exposed to other factors that can damage their DNA – like alcohol, tobacco smoke and excess body weight.  

Understanding why children get cancer is a huge task and extremely complex. Generally, the cause of these changes to DNA that can result in childhood cancers are unknown, but many are likely to arise as a single random event that takes place inside a growing cell, without having an outside, or environmental source. And because of this, there is sadly no successful way to prevent childhood cancers from happening.   

Mussai explains, “research points to cancers in children developing from DNA errors that have occurred either during development in the womb, or because of infection or inflammation in early life leads to a second level of damage in the cells, which may cause cells to become abnormal and trigger the cancer process.” 

Awareness is key  

It’s not just the biology of the cancer that is different, but different circumstances mean that adults and children can be diagnosed in different ways.  

Mussai explains how there’s a lack of awareness of children’s cancers, particularly with symptoms. With 1 in 2 adults getting cancer in their lifetime, “people are aware that cancer as an adult is possible and often know what the associated symptoms are. If an adult has an abnormal lump or coloration on the skin, they will, hopefully, seek their GP’s attention,” says Mussai. 

But children’s cancers are very rare diseases. “People aren’t usually aware that symptoms in a child such as a lump, headaches, or bone pain could be cancer.” More often than not it isn’t, but it can affect how people initially go hospital.

Mussai explains that young children might not be able to clearly articulate their symptoms, such as a lump or pain. This means a child’s diagnosis can often be discovered by accident, “such as when a child’s being washed or when they fall over in a game of football and get an X ray”. 

Teenagers and young adults have different challenges. “They often have fears about what they have found. A lump might be something bad and this leads to difficulties in communicating something may be wrong to their parents or GP.” 

A different and dedicated approach 

From the first conversations between a doctor and patient, caring for children with cancer needs a different and dedicated approach.  

“With an adult, when we make the diagnosis, we have a detailed discussion with the patient around what a specific treatment entails, what the chances are of getting better and what the side effects are,” says Mussai. “The adult can then make a conscious decision about whether they really want that therapy or not. A young child can’t say, I don’t want treatment A or treatment B.

“The golden outcome, of course, whether you’re treating an adult or a child with cancer is for the cancer to be cured,” explains Mussai. “But for children, we are acutely aware we are trying to achieve a truly long-term cure so that that a child can grow up to be an adult and live 30, 40, 50 years or longer.”  

This difference creates a different set of challenges for doctors in creating new treatments for children.  

“When drugs are approved for adults with cancer, the benefit can be sometimes marginal in terms of overall survival. And that is a success. But in children, we need a much longer success. We need, years, decades.” 

Life after cancer 

Today, more children and young people are surviving cancer than ever before, with 8 in 10 children living for 5 years or more after their cancer diagnosis. 

There’s a lot to celebrate. Since the 1950s, pioneering children’s cancer specialists have made fantastic strides in improving the outlook for children with cancer. “We would say that the majority of childhood cancers can be cured,” says Mussai. 

“In the 1950s, almost everyone with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia died from it. Now, over 90% of patients are cured.”  

But for these children, there needs to be an emphasis on life after cancer. And we know that survivors can experience serious long-term side effects. 

“People forget the price for the patients that survive,” says Mussai. We’ve blogged before about the side effects of children’s cancer treatments, which can include heart conditions or effects on their growth.  

And while 8 in 10 children surviving their cancer for more than 5 years represents huge progress, it’s not good enough. That’s where research comes in.  

The journey doesn’t end there 

There’s a lot of work still to be done to increase our understanding of children’s cancers. “By understanding the biology better, we will be able to design better treatment approaches that lead to really good long–term outcomes with low toxicity for our young patients.,” says Mussai. 

“And that underlies everything that we’re really trying to do”. 

We’re dedicated to raising awareness of childhood cancers and to developing a strong, long-lasting community of doctors, nurses and scientists to develop new treatments for children and young people with cancer. 

“Showing that cancer in children exists is important, although they’re rare, all of us may know a family who has been affected by childhood cancers,” Mussai concludes.  

Sheona Scales is Cancer Research UK’s paediatric lead

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/3kUu6mi

Our Science Surgery series answers your cancer questions.  

Dr Francis Mussai, a Cancer Research UK-funded children’s cancer researcher and consultant oncologist at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital, says that the types of cancers that we see in children are very different to the cancer that we see in adults. “Cancer types that we frequently hear about in adults, such as breast, prostate, bowel, melanoma and lung cancer, are extremely rare in children. 

“Instead, it’s more common to see leukaemia’s, brain cancers, and cancers in developing structures, like muscle, nerve tissue and kidney,” Mussai explains.  

But that’s not to say that children’s cancers themselves are common. Thankfully, the number of cancer cases in children and young people (aged 0-24) make up less than 1% of the total number of cancer cases diagnosed each year in the UK.  

In children, leukaemia is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, accounting for almost a third of all cases in Great Britain. Brain and other central nervous system and intracranial tumours account for more than a quarter of all children’s cancers and lymphomas (a type of blood cancer) around a tenth. But it’s not just the types of cancers that differ, it’s also the biology.  

Copy this link and share our graphic. Credit: Cancer Research UK.

Why do children get cancer? 

“Adult cancers, on the whole, develop because of some sort of wear and tear or due to impacts of our lifestyle,” says Mussai, “which damage our DNA, and leads to a cell becoming abnormal and cancerous.”  

The biggest cancer risk factor in adults is age. The older someone is, the more their cells will have divided, increasing the chances that DNA errors will occur. And as life goes on, people are also exposed to other factors that can damage their DNA – like alcohol, tobacco smoke and excess body weight.  

Understanding why children get cancer is a huge task and extremely complex. Generally, the cause of these changes to DNA that can result in childhood cancers are unknown, but many are likely to arise as a single random event that takes place inside a growing cell, without having an outside, or environmental source. And because of this, there is sadly no successful way to prevent childhood cancers from happening.   

Mussai explains, “research points to cancers in children developing from DNA errors that have occurred either during development in the womb, or because of infection or inflammation in early life leads to a second level of damage in the cells, which may cause cells to become abnormal and trigger the cancer process.” 

Awareness is key  

It’s not just the biology of the cancer that is different, but different circumstances mean that adults and children can be diagnosed in different ways.  

Mussai explains how there’s a lack of awareness of children’s cancers, particularly with symptoms. With 1 in 2 adults getting cancer in their lifetime, “people are aware that cancer as an adult is possible and often know what the associated symptoms are. If an adult has an abnormal lump or coloration on the skin, they will, hopefully, seek their GP’s attention,” says Mussai. 

But children’s cancers are very rare diseases. “People aren’t usually aware that symptoms in a child such as a lump, headaches, or bone pain could be cancer.” More often than not it isn’t, but it can affect how people initially go hospital.

Mussai explains that young children might not be able to clearly articulate their symptoms, such as a lump or pain. This means a child’s diagnosis can often be discovered by accident, “such as when a child’s being washed or when they fall over in a game of football and get an X ray”. 

Teenagers and young adults have different challenges. “They often have fears about what they have found. A lump might be something bad and this leads to difficulties in communicating something may be wrong to their parents or GP.” 

A different and dedicated approach 

From the first conversations between a doctor and patient, caring for children with cancer needs a different and dedicated approach.  

“With an adult, when we make the diagnosis, we have a detailed discussion with the patient around what a specific treatment entails, what the chances are of getting better and what the side effects are,” says Mussai. “The adult can then make a conscious decision about whether they really want that therapy or not. A young child can’t say, I don’t want treatment A or treatment B.

“The golden outcome, of course, whether you’re treating an adult or a child with cancer is for the cancer to be cured,” explains Mussai. “But for children, we are acutely aware we are trying to achieve a truly long-term cure so that that a child can grow up to be an adult and live 30, 40, 50 years or longer.”  

This difference creates a different set of challenges for doctors in creating new treatments for children.  

“When drugs are approved for adults with cancer, the benefit can be sometimes marginal in terms of overall survival. And that is a success. But in children, we need a much longer success. We need, years, decades.” 

Life after cancer 

Today, more children and young people are surviving cancer than ever before, with 8 in 10 children living for 5 years or more after their cancer diagnosis. 

There’s a lot to celebrate. Since the 1950s, pioneering children’s cancer specialists have made fantastic strides in improving the outlook for children with cancer. “We would say that the majority of childhood cancers can be cured,” says Mussai. 

“In the 1950s, almost everyone with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia died from it. Now, over 90% of patients are cured.”  

But for these children, there needs to be an emphasis on life after cancer. And we know that survivors can experience serious long-term side effects. 

“People forget the price for the patients that survive,” says Mussai. We’ve blogged before about the side effects of children’s cancer treatments, which can include heart conditions or effects on their growth.  

And while 8 in 10 children surviving their cancer for more than 5 years represents huge progress, it’s not good enough. That’s where research comes in.  

The journey doesn’t end there 

There’s a lot of work still to be done to increase our understanding of children’s cancers. “By understanding the biology better, we will be able to design better treatment approaches that lead to really good long–term outcomes with low toxicity for our young patients.,” says Mussai. 

“And that underlies everything that we’re really trying to do”. 

We’re dedicated to raising awareness of childhood cancers and to developing a strong, long-lasting community of doctors, nurses and scientists to develop new treatments for children and young people with cancer. 

“Showing that cancer in children exists is important, although they’re rare, all of us may know a family who has been affected by childhood cancers,” Mussai concludes.  

Sheona Scales is Cancer Research UK’s paediatric lead

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/3kUu6mi