Our research in Cardiff

UK map showing Cardiff Cardiff is the home of one of our Cancer Research UK Centres. The Cardiff Centre is helping set the pace for national and international progress in genetics and cancer biomarkers. Researchers at the Centre are focusing on the biology and treatment of bowel, breast and urological cancers and leukaemia. They are also working on how to make sure cancer is detected earlier.

Cancer Research UK is increasing its contribution to research in Cardiff by spending an extra £2 million over three years - a massive boost to keep Cardiff leading the way on cancer research in Wales.

Cancer Research UK provides funding for the Wales Cancer Trials Network based in Cardiff. The network provides direct support to 18 hospitals across Wales, and aims to boost the number of people with cancer taking part in clinical trials.

Our Children's Cancer Trials Team co-ordinates groundbreaking trials in 21 centres across the UK and Ireland, including the Children's Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. These trials bring cutting-edge science from the lab to the bedside, making innovative new treatments available to children with cancer.

Below are some of the highlights of our research in Cardiff.

Bowel cancer
Liver cancer

Lung cancer
Oesophageal cancer

Prof Alan Clarke

The Genetics Group, School of Biosciences

Cardiff University, Cardiff

Understanding how bowel cancer develops

Professor Alan Clarke at Cardiff University is studying how bowel cancer develops. His research focuses on the role of the APC gene, which is found to be faulty in many cases of bowel cancer.

Prof Trevor Dale

School of Biosciences

Cardiff University, Cardiff

Studying gene faults involved in liver and bowel cancer

Professor Trevor Dale and his team at the University of Cardiff are investigating faults in important genes that can lead to bowel or liver cancer. By understanding more about these faulty genes, Professor Dale's work is paving the way for new treatments for these diseases.

Dr Fergus Macbeth

Velindre Hospital

Velindre NHS Trust, Cardiff

Reducing blood clots in lung cancer patients

Dr Fergus Macbeth is an expert in lung cancer research and works at the Velindre Hospital in Cardiff. He is co-ordinating a clinical trial called FRAGMATIC, investigating whether the blood thinning drug Dalteparin (also called Fragmin) can reduce the number of blood clots in people with lung cancer. Blood clots are common in people with the disease and can also be a side effect of treatment. They can be very serious if they start to move through the body so it is important to find ways of preventing them.

Dr Tom Crosby

Velindre Cancer Centre

Velindre NHS Trust, Cardiff

Testing a new way to treat oesophageal cancer

Dr Tom Crosby is a consultant clinical oncologist at the Velindre Hospital in Cardiff. He is running a clinical trial called SCOPE 1, testing a new way of treating oesophageal cancer (cancer of the foodpipe).