Our research into imaging and scans
Doctors and researchers often need to see inside the body to find out more about cancer. Scanning or ‘imaging’ a patient’s body using techniques such as CT and MRI scans or X-rays is essential to diagnose, monitor and treat the disease.
We are investing around £50 million into imaging, which includes setting up four world-class centres to help develop new cancer scanning techniques.
Our researchers are using scans to find new ways to diagnose cancer, and to help to predict which treatments will work best for particular people. They are also investigating ways to measure whether a patient’s cancer is responding to treatment quicker than ever before, paving the way for more tailored care in the future.
Below are some of the highlights of our imaging research portfolio.
On this page
Brain and CNS tumours
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.
Breast cancer
Prof Eric Aboagye
Department of Surgery & Cancer
Imperial College, London
Picture this: images of cancer
Professor Eric Aboagye is Director of the Imperial College London Comprehensive Cancer Imaging Centre, which has been set up with support from Cancer Research UK and other funding organisations. He is using sophisticated imaging techniques to tackle cancer.
Children's cancers
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.
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.
Professor John Griffiths
Molecular Imaging Laboratory
Cambridge Research Institute, Cambridge
Spying on cancer
Professor John Griffiths is an international expert in cancer imaging, using the latest technology to see tumours growing and spreading within the body. His research is enabling doctors to measure the effectiveness of new cancer drugs, and paving the way for earlier diagnosis of the disease.
Prof Gillies McKenna
Radiation Oncology and Biology
University of Oxford, Oxford
Improving radiotherapy treatment
Professor Gillies McKenna is a world expert in radiotherapy research. In 2006, he was recruited to the UK from the US to lead the Cancer Research UK - MRC Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology in Oxford. His research focuses on understanding the effect that radiation has on cells and how cancers can become resistant to radiotherapy. This knowledge will contribute to the improvement of radiotherapy techniques so that more people are successfully treated and experience a better quality of life.
Prof Gillian Tozer
Tumour Microcirculation group
University of Sheffield, Sheffield
Targeting the blood supply in tumours
Professor Gillian Tozer runs the Tumour Microcirculation Group at the University of Sheffield. She and her team are investigating the way that blood vessels grow within a tumour - a process known as angiogenesis. They are seeking new ways of targeting this process in order to develop better treatments for cancer.
Ovarian cancer
Prof Eric Aboagye
Department of Surgery & Cancer
Imperial College, London
Picture this: images of cancer
Professor Eric Aboagye is Director of the Imperial College London Comprehensive Cancer Imaging Centre, which has been set up with support from Cancer Research UK and other funding organisations. He is using sophisticated imaging techniques to tackle cancer.
Testicular cancer
Dr Johnathan Joffe
Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Leeds Teaching Hospitals
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds
Monitoring men with testicular cancer
Dr Johnathan Joffe is a doctor specialising in treating men with testicular cancer. He is running a clinical trial to find the best way of using scanning technology to monitor men who have been treated for the disease.
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