Our research into chemotherapy and hormone therapy
Cancer Research UK is committed to increasing the survival rates for all types of cancer. One way we are working to achieve this is by improving chemotherapy and hormone therapy.
Many of our researchers are carrying out large-scale clinical trials investigating ways to enhance current chemotherapy techniques. For example, studies are underway to find the optimal ‘cocktails’ of drugs to treat different cancers. And our scientists are looking at ways to combine existing chemotherapy and radiotherapy with promising new drugs to ultimately improve patient survival and quality of life.
If you'd like to find out more about new drugs being developed by Cancer Research UK-funded scientists, you can visit our Drug Development page.
Below are some of the highlights of our research into chemotherapy and hormone therapy.
On this page
Bladder cancer
Professor John Kelly
UCL Medical School
University College London, London
Better treatments for bladder cancer
Professor John Kelly is an expert surgeon and bladder cancer researcher based at University College London. He is investigating new and better ways to treat the disease through drugs and surgery.
Breast cancer
Dr Jason Carroll
Nuclear Receptor Transcription Laboratory
Cambridge Research Institute, Cambridge
Breast cancer: the yin and yang of oestrogen and tamoxifen
Dr Jason Carroll based at our Cambridge Research Institute is exploring the role of the oestrogen receptor (ER) in breast cancer development and treatment. In particular, he is studying how the hormone oestrogen fuels the growth of breast cancer cells by binding to the ER. And his work is focusing on how tamoxifen, a commonly used breast cancer drug, works by blocking the ER. This pioneering work is providing important insights into how some breast cancers become resistant to treatment.
Prof Charles Coombes
Department of Oncology
Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London
Improving treatment for breast cancer
Professor Charles Coombes is director of the Department of Oncology and heads the Section of Cancer Cell Biology at Hammersmith Hospital. He is an outstanding scientist and Cancer Research UK has been funding his work for over twenty years. He and his team are leading the world with their research into new treatments for breast cancer.
Lung cancer
Prof Michael Seckl
Department of Medical Oncology
Hammersmith and Charing Cross Hospitals, London
Understanding and improving drug resistance in lung cancer patients
World-class scientist Professor Michael Seckl works at the Hammersmith and Charing Cross Hospitals, part of Imperial College London. He is leading a clinical trial called LungStar, for people with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). He is also investigating how some lung cancers become resistant to chemotherapy. Professor Seckl co-ordinates lab studies into the disease and uses his findings to improve treatments for patients.
Lymphoma
Dr Simon Rule
Derriford Hospital
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Plymouth
Investigating new treatments for lymphoma
Dr Simon Rule is researching new treatments for lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells. His team are carrying out a clinical trial looking at treatments for a rare but aggressive form of the disease called mantle cell lymphoma.
No specific cancer type
Prof Kevin Brindle
Molecular Imaging Group
Cambridge Research Institute, Cambridge
Magnetic resonance imaging - a tool to monitor the success of cancer treatments
Professor Kevin Brindle based at our Cambridge Research Institute is a leading expert in the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). He is at the forefront of developing this technology so that it can be used to monitor how well cancer patients are responding to treatment. This has the potential to revolutionise the way researchers test new cancer drugs in clinical trials. It may also help doctors to establish which treatment works best for each individual patient.
Oesophageal cancer
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).
Dr Heike Grabsch
Section of Pathology and Tumour Biology
St James’s University Hospital, Leeds
Personalised treatment for oesophageal cancer
Dr Heike Grabsch is based at St James’ University Hospital in Leeds. She is looking for ways to personalise treatments for oesophageal and stomach cancers. Her research will help ensure that, in the future, patients are given the treatments that will work best for them.
Prostate cancer
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.
Stomach cancer
Dr Heike Grabsch
Section of Pathology and Tumour Biology
St James’s University Hospital, Leeds
Personalised treatment for oesophageal cancer
Dr Heike Grabsch is based at St James’ University Hospital in Leeds. She is looking for ways to personalise treatments for oesophageal and stomach cancers. Her research will help ensure that, in the future, patients are given the treatments that will work best for them.
Increase text
Decrease text
Print this page
