A century of progress

Cancer Research UK was formed in 2002, following the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, first established back in 1902.

We are now the biggest single independent funder of cancer research in Europe, supporting the work of more than 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses across the UK. You can find out more about our current research in our Research Highlights pages.

On the following pages you can find out about some of our most important successes, and the progress we're making in beating cancer.

• From 1902 to 1959
• In the 1960s
• In the 1970s
• In the 1980s
• In the 1990s
• From 2000 to today