Our achievements
We have an outstanding record of scientific achievement dating back more than 100 years. Our discoveries have played an important role in shaping the modern understanding of cancer and how it can be treated.
We were the first to provide evidence that DNA damage causes cancer, and the first in Europe to develop chemotherapeutic agents, some of which are still in use over 50 years later.
We discover more new cancer drugs than any other academic centre in the world. Since 2005 we have discovered 21 cancer drug candidates, progressed 12 drugs into clinical trials, and had abiraterone, a pioneering prostate cancer drug, approved by NICE for use in the NHS.
In 2017 we were recognised with the highly prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize for our pre-eminent work in cancer drug discovery with benefits to patients globally. We were recognised again with this award in 2023, this time for transforming lives through world-leading breast cancer research.
Scientific discoveries
1920 - 1940: Carcinogens in cigarette smoke
We identified many of the cancer-causing chemicals in cigarette smoke and coal tar, including the first pure carcinogen ever to be isolated.
1950 - 1986: Discovering early chemotherapy drugs
We were the first in Europe to develop chemotherapeutic agents. We discovered, and with The Royal Marsden developed, the chemotherapy drugs busulfan, chlorambucil, melphalan and carboplatin, which are still in use worldwide more than 50 years later.
1960 - 1970: DNA damage and cancer
We provided the first conclusive evidence that the basic cause of cancer is damage to DNA. The discovery changed scientific opinion dramatically and marked a turning point for cancer research. Until that point, scientists had assumed carcinogens caused cancer by acting on proteins, rather than genes.
1960 - 1970: The function of the thymus
We discovered the function of the thymus and made key findings on the function of the two main subsets of lymphocytes, T cells and B cells. This was the fundamental basis for modern immunology and cancer immunotherapy.
1980 - 1994: How cells become cancerous
We played a major role in revealing the biochemical steps of the RAS-RAF-MAP kinase pathway. We identified one of the major mechanisms by which RAS oncogenes cause normal cells to become cancerous and provided new targets for cancer therapeutics.
1980 - 2012: Advanced radiotherapy techniques
We have made a number of major contributions to modern high-precision radiotherapy techniques, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). These target radiation doses precisely to the shape of tumours, increasing the effectiveness of treatment and reducing toxicity and side-effects.
1986 - 2013: Practice-changing clinical trials in radiotherapy and imaging
We led major clinical trials in radiotherapy and imaging which have changed standard clinical practice for cancer treatment.
1990 - 1995: Identifying a breast cancer gene
We identified the breast cancer gene BRCA2, which enabled families with a history of breast cancer to be assessed for future risk, and laid the groundwork for developing novel forms of therapy for BRCA-associated cancers.
1990 - 2012: Transforming prostate cancer treatment
We transformed care for advanced prostate cancer, by validating inhibitors of androgen production as an effective cancer treatment, and discovering and developing abiraterone, a life-extending prostate cancer drug.
1990 - 2012: Discovering and developing a leading PI3K inhibitor
We discovered and helped develop one of the very first in a new class of PI3 kinase inhibitors.
1990 - 2015: Characterising the BRAF gene
We played a major role in characterising the BRAF gene and its role in cancer, increasing our understanding of malignant melanoma.
1990 - 2017: Applying evolutionary biology to cancer
We pioneered the application of evolutionary biology to cancer and established cancer stem cells as the units of natural selection.
1993 - 2014: Transforming treatment for the most common type of breast cancer
We played a leading role in clinical trials that demonstrated the effectiveness of aromatase inhibitors in breast cancer, and in identifying and validating biomarkers to determine who could benefit from these drugs..jpg?sfvrsn=76dc3c2_2)
1994 - 2011: Identifying cancer predisposition genes
We have led the world in identifying cancer predisposition genes and establishing their clinical impacts.-(945x532).jpg?sfvrsn=531b608e_2)
1995 - 2017: Applying genetic principles to treatment of BRCA-mutant cancers
We applied the principle of synthetic lethality to discover a novel strategy for cancer treatment for patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations.
1997 - 2017: Targeting Hsp90
We determined the structure and function of Heat Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90), a molecular chaperone which is critical for the growth and survival of cancer cells.
2010 - 2015: Developing the Pharmacological Audit Trail
We developed the Pharmacological Audit Trail, a gold-standard system for evidence-based decision making during drug discovery and development, which uses biomarkers to track the effectiveness of cancer drugs and demonstrate that they are hitting their target.Annual research highlights
We've selected a range of discoveries from 2022/2023 – chosen because they illustrate the quality and breadth of our basic, translational and clinical research and our ambitions under the ICR's research strategy.