Research into children's cancers

Ruby Orr Little Star AwardsLast year we spent nearly £9 million on research into children’s cancer. This money supports our doctors and scientists who are finding out what causes cancer in children and searching for better ways to diagnose and treat the disease.

Our research has helped to transform survival rates for children with cancer. In the 1960s, around a quarter of children with cancer survived. Today, three quarters survive and Cancer Research UK is at the heart of this huge progress.

Research highlights

Our scientists are tackling childhood cancer across the UK. Professor Nazneen Rahman at the Institute of Cancer Research is leading a team that are trying to find out which genes make children more likely to develop cancer. This research will also help scientists understand what goes wrong in cancer and may identify new targets for treatments. Find out more about Professor Nazneen Rahman's work.

Over the years we have made huge progress against children's cancer. Visit Research Highlights to find out more about our work.

Children’s Cancer Trials Team

Clinical trials are vital for developing new treatments for children with cancer. Our Children’s Cancer Trials Team in Birmingham is the only one of its kind in the UK and coordinates groundbreaking trials in 21 centres across the UK and Ireland.

Many of the world's most successful trials of children's cancer treatments have been funded by Cancer Research UK. These trials make innovative new treatments available to children with cancer, giving them the chance to benefit from the latest discoveries.

Cancer Research UK Centres

Our network of Cancer Research UK Centres is improving the care of children with cancer across the UK. Three of our Centres – in Birmingham, Liverpool and Newcastle – are focusing on children’s cancers to help save even more lives.

 

RSS Feed Latest children's cancer news

Significant step forward in childhood eye cancer
Researchers at a children's hospital in Washington have identified the genetic mechanism behind the rapid development of retinoblastoma, a rare type of childhood eye cancer.
11 Jan 2012
Chemo and radiation therapy 'do not cause birth defects'
A study in the US has found that having radiation treatment or chemotherapy for cancer as a child does not increase the risk of birth defects among those who have children later in life.
13 Dec 2011
Potential new way to treat childhood leukaemia identified
An international team of scientists has discovered a potential new treatment target for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL), according to work published in Nature Genetics.
5 Sep 2011
Study finds childhood cancer survivors have higher risk of dying years later
Childhood cancer survivors may have an increased risk of death from other forms of cancer, cardiac and cerebrovascular causes more than 25 years after their initial illness, UK scientists have found.
15 Jul 2010
Young leukaemia survivors may need monitoring of lung health
Children who have survived cancer may need to have regular monitoring to ensure their lungs remain healthy if they had a bone marrow transplantation during their treatment, US scientists have said.
19 Apr 2010
 
icon-a-z-20x20

Visit our A-Z topic pages