The CTUs are engaged in the designing, delivery and analysis of trials, helping to benefit patients from the latest scientific developments.
Each of the Cancer Research UK’s CTUs include a different specialist focusing on children’s cancer trials, cancer screening and population research.
Cancer Research UK chief clinician professor Charles Swanton said: “Our clinical research enables us to translate discoveries from the lab in order to improve cancer diagnostics and treatments, giving more patients the best chance of beating their disease.
“This is particularly important for patients with hard to treat cancers, including pancreatic, oesophageal, lung and brain tumours, where options for treatment are limited and survival rates remain poor.”
Birmingham CTU is focused on clinical trials for developing new treatments for children with cancer.
Birmingham's Cancer Research UK clinical trials unit director professor Pamela Kearns said: Clinical trials are vital to test new treatments and improve the care of children with cancer. For example, within my team, with support from Cancer Research UK, we run the International BEACON trial, testing new combinations of therapies for children and young people with a type of childhood cancer called neuroblastoma, at a stage where they have failed to respond to standard treatments.”
In December 2017, Cancer Research Technology (CRT), a subsidiary of Cancer Research UK, collaborated with Celgene for the discovery, development and commercialization of new anti-cancer treatments.
The drug-discovery partnership, which will last for five-years, will be focused on Messenger RNA (mRNA) translation.
Image:Cancer Research UK wil invest £45m in its network of clinical trials units across the UK. Photo: courtesy of Cancer Research UK.