Research on children's cancers
Cancer in childhood is rare - about 1 in 500 children under the age of 15 develop the disease. Each year, around 1,550 children are diagnosed with cancer in the UK and the disease claims around 260 lives.
Children tend to develop different types of cancer to adults. Leukaemia is the most common form of childhood cancer, accounting for about a third of all cases.
Thanks to major advances in treatment, around three-quarters of children with cancer are now successfully treated. Cancer Research UK is committed to improving survival and quality of life for all children with cancer. Read more about our impact on children's cancers over the years.
Our scientists are working to understand more about the causes of childhood cancers and develop new treatments. We also play a unique and pivotal role in children's cancer trials in the UK. Our Children's Cancer Trials Team co-ordinates groundbreaking trials in 21 centres across the UK and Ireland, bringing innovative new treatments to children with cancer.
Visit MyProjects to donate directly to our research into children's cancer.
Below are some highlights of our research into children’s cancers, and you can find out more in our children's cancer briefsheet.
On this page
Biomarkers
Prof Vaskar Saha
Children's Cancer Group
The Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester
Improving the treatment of childhood leukaemia
Professor Vaskar Saha is Head of the Children's Cancer Group at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, University of Manchester. His research focuses on acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the most common form of leukaemia.
Dr Janet Shipley
Section of Molecular Carcinogenesis
The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton
Studying faulty genes in childhood cancer
Dr Janet Shipley leads the Molecular Cytogenetics Team at The Institute of Cancer Research. She is investigating how faulty genes lead to the development of a type of childhood cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. Some forms of this disease are very difficult to treat, so new approaches are urgently needed. Dr Shipley's research is revealing new targets for the development of drugs to improve the outcome for children with rhabdomyosarcoma.
Cancer genes
Prof Kathy Pritchard-Jones
Institute of Child Health
University College London, London
Investigating the genetics of children's cancer
Professor Kathy Pritchard-Jones is one of the UK's foremost experts in childhood cancer, and programme director for cancer at University College London (UCL). She and her team of dedicated scientists and clinicians are carrying out research at the Institute of Child Health - part of UCL. Their aim is to identify genetic faults that can lead to certain childhood cancers. This could help predict how well a child could respond to treatment, whether the cancer will return and how long a child will survive.
Prof Nazneen Rahman
Section of Cancer Genetics
The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton
Searching for genes in breast and childhood cancers
Professor Nazneen Rahman is Professor of Human Genetics and Section Chair of Cancer Genetics at The Institute of Cancer Research. She leads two research teams who are making excellent progress identifying genes associated with an increased risk of breast and childhood cancers.
Dr Janet Shipley
Section of Molecular Carcinogenesis
The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton
Studying faulty genes in childhood cancer
Dr Janet Shipley leads the Molecular Cytogenetics Team at The Institute of Cancer Research. She is investigating how faulty genes lead to the development of a type of childhood cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. Some forms of this disease are very difficult to treat, so new approaches are urgently needed. Dr Shipley's research is revealing new targets for the development of drugs to improve the outcome for children with rhabdomyosarcoma.
Causes of cancer
Prof Jillian Birch
Cancer Research UK Paediatric and Familial Cancer Research Group
Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester
Looking for the causes of childhood cancer
Professor Jillian Birch is Director of the Cancer Research UK Paediatric and Familial Cancer Research Group at the University of Manchester. Using valuable data from the Manchester Children's Tumour Registry, she is searching for common features among children, teenagers and young adults with cancer - including genetic and environmental factors - in order to identify possible causes.
Clinical trials
Dr Penelope Brock
Great Ormond Street Hospital
University College London Hospitals, London
Improving treatment for children with cancer
Dr Penelope Brock is a children’s cancer doctor who is researching ways to improve the outcome for her patients. Based at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, she is co-ordinating international clinical trials to find better ways to treat children with the disease.
Prof Vaskar Saha
Children's Cancer Group
The Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester
Improving the treatment of childhood leukaemia
Professor Vaskar Saha is Head of the Children's Cancer Group at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, University of Manchester. His research focuses on acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the most common form of leukaemia.
Prof David Walker
School of Human Development
University of Nottingham, Nottingham
Testing treatments for childhood brain cancer
Professor David Walker heads a team at the University of Nottingham. The group is investigating the best way to treat certain childhood cancers known as low-grade gliomas (LGGs).
Dr Hamish Wallace
Royal Hospital for Sick Children
University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
Improving treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Dr Hamish Wallace is based at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, where he is running an international clinical trial to improve treatment for young people with Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Drug discovery & development
Dr Chris Jones
Paediatric Oncology
The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton
Hitting cancer where it hurts: new ways to target childhood brain tumours
Dr Chris Jones at The Institute of Cancer Research in Sutton is investigating the faulty molecules found in a type of childhood brain tumour called glioblastoma. His aim is to understand the changes in the cancer cells that drive the growth of these tumours, and to find new drugs to treat them, saving more children's lives.
Patient care research
Prof Mike Hawkins
Centre for Childhood Cancer Survivor Studies
The University of Birmingham, Birmingham
Investigating the long-term effects of childhood cancer treatments
Professor Mike Hawkins directs the Centre for Childhood Cancer Survivor Studies at the University of Birmingham. His team monitor people who have, in the past, received treatment for childhood cancers. There are over 26,000 of these childhood cancer survivors alive in the UK today.
Personalised medicine
Dr Andrew Peet
Academic Paediatrics and Child Health
University of Birmingham, Birmingham
Powerful images: scanning childhood brain tumours
Dr Andrew Peet is a doctor and researcher at the University of Birmingham. He splits his time between treating children with brain tumours and researching better ways to diagnose and monitor these cancers. His work will lead to more tailored treatment for children with cancer, helping to save even more lives.
Scans (imaging)
Dr Andrew Peet
Academic Paediatrics and Child Health
University of Birmingham, Birmingham
Powerful images: scanning childhood brain tumours
Dr Andrew Peet is a doctor and researcher at the University of Birmingham. He splits his time between treating children with brain tumours and researching better ways to diagnose and monitor these cancers. His work will lead to more tailored treatment for children with cancer, helping to save even more lives.
Viruses
Dr Robert Newton
Epidemiology and Genetics Unit, Department of Health Sciences
University of York, York
Investigating the role of viruses in cancer
Dr Newton's research focuses on how infections, in particular by viruses, play a role in cancer development. It is estimated that one in five cancers are caused by infections - for example skin cancer and cervical cancer can be caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) .
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