Cancer stories

Breast cancer screening uptake remains disproportionately low among women of south Asian heritage in the UK. Manchester researchers have been using a storytelling tool to help engage these communities.

A dynamic collaboration between Dr Dan Wiseman, a consultant haematologist, and Dr Kiran Batta, a basic biologist, is changing the narrative around chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML).

A collaboration with the CRUK National Biomarker Centre could help patients diagnosed with cancer of unknown primary (CUP).

Manchester has formed a collaboration with the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) focused on improving oesophageal cancer survival.

Manchester researchers are forging partnerships in East Africa to better understand local populations and develop interventions to reduce inequalities in cancer care.

University researchers are pioneering a new topical treatment for cervical cancer and forming global partnerships to help more women in developing countries survive the disease.

Manchester's partnership with the Kenyan government aims to help uplift the healthcare practices in the country based on models developed in Greater Manchester.

Manchester researchers apply their world-leading genetic and genomic expertise to study the differences in prostate cancer among ethnic groups to deliver more tailored, targeted treatment.

Manchester research has helped grow the evidence base for biliary tract cancers and set international treatment standards that have improved survival rates.

Researchers at Manchester have created a dedicated cancer hospital and research centre in India to help standardise services and deliver more effective treatment solutions for patients.

Collaborations between experts in Kenya and Manchester are working to address key health issues in the African country, particularly in the area of cancer.

Professor Emma Crosbie discusses research into the link between Lynch syndrome and womb cancer, and how this has changed NICE guidance on testing for the syndrome.

Nanomaterials like graphene have the potential to offer advanced tools for the early diagnosis, progression and treatment of cancer. Kostas Kostarelos, Professor of Nanomedicine, tells us about his work in this area.

Team science, which sees experts in different fields work together on a single research question, is yielding exciting results. Professor Rob Bristow explains why he sees this approach as transformative to the cancer research environment.

Ground-breaking research in cervical screening by Professor Emma Crosbie outlines the case for a Prevention and Early Detection (PED) approach.

Professor Kaye Williams' research involves exploiting nanotechnologies in different ways across her research programmes in the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry. Here, Kaye gives us an overview of how they are being used.

A collaboration involving cancer and advanced materials is taking shape to make huge advances in the earlier detection of cancer. Lead supervisor Professor Sarah Cartmell discusses the implications of the new programme.

Professor Stephen Taylor, Head of the Division of Cancer Sciences, explains how a combination of high-quality basic research, translational science, drug discovery and the 'Manchester way' of doing things are yielding results.

Professor Gareth Evans' research is focussed on neurofibromatosis and breast cancer. His research has led him to conclude that risk stratification offers the best way of targeting prevention and early detection (PED) approaches.

Working together to scale up cancer research activity and develop best practice is what Dr Fiona Thistlethwaite considers is the answer to increasing Manchester’s ability to deliver cell therapy clinical trials.

Dr Santiago Zelenay is using his background in fundamental immunology to understand how the immune system can be used to design better therapies for cancer patients.

Professor Tracy Hussell discusses the important link between immunology and cancer, and why Manchester is the perfect place to lead on research that could lead to better patient outcomes.

Focusing on ovarian cancer and drug development, Professor Gordon Jayson tells us why Manchester’s ability to run multiple novel clinical trials is the key to us becoming recognised as international cancer research leaders.

Professor Karen Kirkby, Director of the UK’s first proton beam and research centre, outlines how Manchester is pioneering ground-breaking research into the next generation of cancer challenges.

A change to lung cancer screening policy has been announced following the results of an unusual scheme pioneered in Manchester. Dr Philip Crosbie outlines why Manchester was the perfect place to trial the study.

Professor Andrew Renehan talks about his home-focused cancer research programme, which is resulting in global benefits.

When Professor Vaskar Saha saw the impact of childhood leukaemia in India, he asked: who can take on this challenge? Having already helped families across Europe to beat the disease, he knew that this was his calling.

Professor Vaskar Saha’s research is helping to significantly reduce mortality rates in children being treated for cancer in India. Here he talks about his mission to transfer global standards of care to a low resource country.

Professor Caroline Dive CBE and her team are working with The Christie, developing ‘liquid biopsies’ to hunt cancer cells that have broken free from tumours and are circulating in the bloodstream. Here she tells us why her three year stay in Manchester has turned into 19 and counting!

Professor Catharine West tells us how her decision to come to Manchester enabled her to pioneer developments in personalised radiotherapy.

Clinical oncologist Professor Ananya Choudhury is leading one of the world’s most innovative radiotherapy treatment machines here in Manchester, one of the first seven of its kind globally. Here she tells us how the MR-linac will transform patient outcomes.

Countries, including the UK, have been raising awareness about men’s health and diseases such as prostate and testicular cancer as part of the Movember campaign. Professor Catharine West tells us about the discovery of a new targeted and improved form of prostate cancer treatment.

Andy Brass, Professor of Bioinformatics outlines the diversity of the data and expertise that is now needed in cancer research, from computer science through to medicine and genomics.

A Canadian native and long-time supporter of the Movember Foundation, Professor Rob Bristow tells us about his ambitions around prostate cancer research.

Professor Tim Illidge believes that it is the combination of clinical and scientific research teams, and their multidisciplinary working, which is driving innovations in personalised cancer medicine.