Liverpool
We fund a number of research projects based at the University of Liverpool.
Improving the outcome for people with pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer affects around 7,000 people a year in the UK and is one of the most difficult cancers to detect early and treat effectively.
We help to fund the European Study Group for Pancreatic Cancer (ESPAC), which carries out trials aimed at improving treatment and survival. Professor John Neoptolemos helps coordinate ESPAC. The group has already shown that drug treatment after surgery can improve survival and is now carrying out trials to identify which anti-cancer drug is most effective.
Professor Neoptolemos is also leading another trial that is investigating whether adding a cancer vaccine to chemotherapy will improve survival. The vaccine works by stimulating the patient’s immune system to help them fight the disease.
Understanding cell growth
Dr Mark Boyd is studying cancer cells in the laboratory. He is examining how a molecule called MDM2 is involved in cell growth. High levels of MDM2 are found in several types of cancer, and are usually linked to a poor outcome. Dr Boyd’s work could provide new insights into developing more effective treatments, especially for cancer of the prostate, bladder, oesophagus (food pipe) and kidney.
Improving treatment of children's cancer
Childhood cancer is quite rare, affecting around 1 in 500 children under the age of 15 in Britain. The small numbers of patients, particularly those with rare childhood cancers, mean that collaborative clinical trials are essential if treatment is to rapidly improve.
We fund the clinical trials work of the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG). The group co-ordinates the care of virtually all the UK’s children with cancer, ensuring they receive the most up-to-date treatments. Children involved in clinical trials tend to do better and the CCLG has greatly improved recruitment in recent years. The CCLG runs trials at 21 paediatric centres throughout the British Isles, including the Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.
Find more of our research in the north of England.
