Help us make the next discovery
We‘ve been improving the lives of cancer patients worldwide for over 100 years. Right here in London – in Chelsea and in Sutton – the discoveries in our labs have played an important role in shaping modern understanding of cancer and how it can be treated.
In our labs, we provided the first conclusive evidence that the basic cause of cancer is damage to DNA. This discovery in the 60s dramatically changed scientific opinion and marked a turning point for cancer research. It is now the basis of all modern cancer research and treatment.
Our discovery explains why some cancers can be inherited, enabling people with a particularly high risk of developing certain cancers to be identified. It has also changed the way that scientists search for new cancer drugs, allowing personalised treatments to be developed that target the specific genetic defects in an individual’s cancer.
Today, our researchers continue to make the discoveries that defeat cancer. From kinder and more precise radiotherapy techniques to pioneering prostate cancer drugs, we continue to work hard and study this disease. Because only by understanding the causes of cancer can we devise new treatments to stop it in its tracks.
Discovering that DNA damage is the basic cause of cancer is just one of the many influential discoveries made possible with the help of our supporters. Together we have made major progress in cancer research, but so much more needs to be done.
You can learn more about the ICR and our cancer research discoveries by signing up to our bi-annual e-newsletter, Search. In it you will read more about our scientific research, our brilliant fundraisers, and opportunities to support our work so that we can continue to defeat cancer.
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