Prostate cancer research
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Each year, around 37,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in the UK and the disease claims around 10,400 lives.
Cancer Research UK is the largest funder of prostate cancer research in the UK. We fund research at all levels, from uncovering the disease’s causes to developing new treatments. Read more about our impact on prostate cancer over the years.
Below are some of the highlights of our prostate cancer research portfolio. Visit MyProjects to donate directly to our research into the disease.
Or find out more on our prostate cancer briefsheet.
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Cancer biology
Dr David Waugh
Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology
Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast
Improving radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer
Although survival from prostate cancer is improving, the disease still claims thousands of lives every year in the UK. At Queen’s University Belfast, Dr David Waugh is investigating why some prostate cancers don’t respond well to radiotherapy. He hopes his research will reveal new ways of improving this mainstay treatment so that more men’s lives can be saved.
Cancer genes
Prof Doug Easton
Cancer Research UK Genetic Epidemiology Group
University of Cambridge, Cambridge
Hunting cancer susceptibility genes
Professor Douglas Easton is director of the Cancer Research UK Genetic Epidemiology Group at the University of Cambridge. He is world-renowned for his research into genes that affect our risk of common cancers, particularly breast cancer. His team also works on ovarian and prostate cancer, and melanoma. Their findings will help identify high-risk individuals and could lead to new ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating the disease in the future.
Professor Ros Eeles
Section of Cancer Genetics
The Institute of Cancer Research, London
Studying prostate and breast cancer genes
Professor Ros Eeles at the Institute of Cancer Research in Sutton is studying prostate and breast cancer genetics. She is also involved in helping to evaluate the NHS breast screening programme, ensuring that the service continues to improve.
Prof David Neal
Oncology Department, Addenbrooke's Hospital
University of Cambridge, Cambridge
Better screening and treatment for prostate cancer
Professor David Neal is surgeon and a leading expert on prostate cancer. He and his colleagues in Cambridge are taking a number of different approaches in their work to beat this disease. A particular focus for the team is identifying better ways of distinguishing aggressive cancers from non-aggressive cancers in order to target treatment to the right group of men. Professor Neal is also investigating the genes involved in prostate and bladder cancer.
Cancer spread (metastasis)
Professor Peter Croucher
Academic Unit of Bone Biology
University of Sheffield Medical School
University of Sheffield, Sheffield
Understanding why cancer spreads to the bones
Professor Peter Croucher is a respected expert in bone research, based at the University of Sheffield. He and his team are investigating how some cancers spread into the bones. This is common in breast and prostate cancers, and once it happens, the disease becomes difficult to treat successfully. Understanding why tumours spread and how to stop them is vital to help beat cancer.
Clinical trials
Prof Nick James
School of Cancer Sciences
University of Birmingham, Birmingham
Improving prostate cancer treatment
Professor Nick James is Professor of Clinical Oncology at the University of Birmingham and also Consultant in Clinical Oncology at the city's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He is carrying out an important 8-year long trial looking at the use of hormone treatment for prostate cancer.
Drug discovery & development
Prof Gareth Williams
Cancer Research UK Chromosomal Replication Research Group
Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London
Understanding how cells divide, and improving cancer treatment and detection
Based at the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research in London, Professor Gareth Williams and his team are investigating how a group of proteins work together to allow DNA to be copied, a process called DNA replication. His research could also help to find new ways to diagnose cancers such as prostate and bladder cancer.
Hormone therapy
Prof Nick James
School of Cancer Sciences
University of Birmingham, Birmingham
Improving prostate cancer treatment
Professor Nick James is Professor of Clinical Oncology at the University of Birmingham and also Consultant in Clinical Oncology at the city's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He is carrying out an important 8-year long trial looking at the use of hormone treatment for prostate cancer.
Prof David Neal
Oncology Department, Addenbrooke's Hospital
University of Cambridge, Cambridge
Better screening and treatment for prostate cancer
Professor David Neal is surgeon and a leading expert on prostate cancer. He and his colleagues in Cambridge are taking a number of different approaches in their work to beat this disease. A particular focus for the team is identifying better ways of distinguishing aggressive cancers from non-aggressive cancers in order to target treatment to the right group of men. Professor Neal is also investigating the genes involved in prostate and bladder cancer.
Radiotherapy
Dr David Waugh
Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology
Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast
Improving radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer
Although survival from prostate cancer is improving, the disease still claims thousands of lives every year in the UK. At Queen’s University Belfast, Dr David Waugh is investigating why some prostate cancers don’t respond well to radiotherapy. He hopes his research will reveal new ways of improving this mainstay treatment so that more men’s lives can be saved.
Screening
Prof David Neal
Oncology Department, Addenbrooke's Hospital
University of Cambridge, Cambridge
Better screening and treatment for prostate cancer
Professor David Neal is surgeon and a leading expert on prostate cancer. He and his colleagues in Cambridge are taking a number of different approaches in their work to beat this disease. A particular focus for the team is identifying better ways of distinguishing aggressive cancers from non-aggressive cancers in order to target treatment to the right group of men. Professor Neal is also investigating the genes involved in prostate and bladder cancer.
Prof Gareth Williams
Cancer Research UK Chromosomal Replication Research Group
Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London
Understanding how cells divide, and improving cancer treatment and detection
Based at the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research in London, Professor Gareth Williams and his team are investigating how a group of proteins work together to allow DNA to be copied, a process called DNA replication. His research could also help to find new ways to diagnose cancers such as prostate and bladder cancer.
Surgery
Professor Ara Darzi
Division of Surgery
Imperial College, London
Saving more lives through surgery
Based at Imperial College, London, Professor Ara Darzi is one of the world’s leading surgeons and a pioneer of keyhole surgery. He is investigating robotic surgery and other techniques that will improve the outlook for cancer patients in London and across the UK.
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