Yorkshire Cancer Research
We are the UK’s largest regional medical research charity, funding cancer research that is carried
out by world-class scientists and clinicians across Yorkshire and providing cancer information
to help local people beat cancer.
Together with our partner charities fighting cancer in the UK we have made many breakthroughs which have greatly improved the way we prevent, diagnose, treat and deal with the after-effects of the disease.
Our work has been part of this vital progress and has saved the lives of many people in Yorkshire and around the world.
Their Scope
Working in Yorkshire to beat cancer
Yorkshire Cancer Research is one of many cancer charities in the UK that work every day towards finding cures for different forms of the disease.
We are the UK’s largest regional medical research charity, funding cancer research that is carried out by world-class scientists and clinicians across Yorkshire and providing cancer information to help local people beat cancer.
Together with our partner charities fighting cancer in the UK we have made many breakthroughs which have greatly improved the way we prevent, diagnose, treat and deal with the after-effects of the disease.
Our work has been part of this vital progress and has saved the lives of many people in Yorkshire and around the world.
But we still have a long way to go. By following our mission statement and working hard to reach our goals, and with your support, through donations and fundraising, we can continue to make sure more people in Yorkshire survive cancer, and have a better quality of life.
Mission Statement
Yorkshire Cancer Research is Yorkshire's cancer charity. Every penny we raise we spend helping local people beat cancer and supporting world-class research, diagnosis and treatment in our region.

We develop new scientific knowledge that will save lives through earlier diagnosis, prevention, and better treatment of cancer.
We help get that knowledge from the lab to the patient.

We help people in Yorkshire in their daily fight against cancer.

We ensure that Yorkshire remains a centre of excellence for cancer research and treatment, attracting and retaining world-class scientists and clinicians.

We work in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer.
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We focus on being the most efficient cancer charity - spending on our charitable activities the highest proportion of donations amongst our peer group.
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Science
During every project we fund, our scientists make research discoveries that contribute to the global fight against cancer.
This is where you can find out more about our most significant recent discoveries.

Bowel Cancer surgery
Yorkshire Cancer Research is funding a series of surgical master classes run by Centenary Professor of Pathology Phil Quirke, who is based at the Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, St James’s University Hospital. Prof Quirke hopes to roll the master classes out across the UK to improve survival rates following surgery.

Tumour smart bomb
Scientists funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research are developing a new cancer treatment at the University of Bradford which has the potential to find and completely destroy solid tumours.
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PARP inhibitors
Clinical trials are currently taking place to test a drug called Olaparib, a type of PARP inhibitor which can be used to treat breast and ovarian cancer patients with mutated BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Professor Thomas Helleday, working with a team of other scientists, discovered Olaparib while being funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research.

COMICE trial
Following a 2009 national trial, scientists in Hull discovered that the use of MRI scans before surgery for breast cancer did not decrease the need for second operations. They plan to prove that more advanced technology already used at the Centre for MR Investigations in Hull and funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research could provide more accurate scanning to reduce the need for further surgery.
Commercial development
We also have a funding stream designed to help move early-stage innovative cancer technologies towards a position where they become ripe for further development by the pharmaceutical or biotechnology sectors. This is our Commercial Development Award scheme.
Some of these technologies take many years to bring even to a position where industry will take them forward, so these awards are still mostly long-term in outlook. They are all underpinned by excellent science.
Three of these Award holders are worthy of particular mention.
Pro-Cure Therapeutics Limited
This company was formed to commercialise discoveries from the academic work of Professor Norman Maitland and Dr Anne Collins at the University of York’s YCR Cancer Research Unit.

Cizzle Biotechnology Limited
The ultimate aim of this company is to develop a new test and a new therapy for the detection and treatment of lung cancers. The company is building on the earlier academic work of Dr Dawn Coverley at the University of York.

Adjuvantix Limited
This company has developing a key agent which could improve the effectiveness of cancer vaccines. The agent has been shown to be effective in triggering the immune system’s response to cancer vaccines in lymphoma and prostate cancer.
Discoveries