Fighting
bladder
cancer
Bladder cancer is the 10th most common
cancer in the UK with 5,400 deaths in 2014 –
15 deaths every day. And yet it only receives
0.5% of cancer research spend in the UK and
sadly is the only top 10 cancer for which the
prognosis has not been improving.
Thanks to a major donation from the Graham and Dianne Roberts Charitable
Settlement, this situation can be improved. The donation of £1.79 million over
five years will create a new bladder cancer biobank and a research programme
which will increase the number of patients being treated in clinical trials.
Graham (pictured below with his wife Dianne) sadly died from the disease in July
2016, following 20 months of treatment led by Guy’s clinician Dr Simon Chowdhury
and his colleagues.
Dr Chowdhury said: ‘This donation will increase our understanding about
bladder cancer and ultimately improve treatment for this awful disease.’
The creation of the biobank in the Cancer Centre at Guy’s (pictured above)
involves the collection and central storage of patients’ tissue, blood and urine
samples and follows on from the team’s successful creation of a similar biobank
for prostate cancer. A new research post has also been created, to attract the
brightest minds into the field of cancer research.
Funding bladder cancer research is
the only way to ensure other people
don’t have to go through what we
had to go through. It is about making
a difference to other people’s lives.
Dianne Roberts
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