Cancer
Northern Institute for Cancer Research
One in three people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. The effects of research into the causes and prevention of cancer, and development of novel therapies inevitably touch the lives of most people in Britain. Newcastle has a long and distinguished heritage in cancer research.
Today, Newcastle's focus is on male and female specific cancers and rarer diseases of childhood, including breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer, and childhood malignancies in blood and brain.
Newcastle provides an environment for all stages of development of new drugs for cancer. Bioscientists in the Faculty of Medical Sciences work very closely with medicinal chemists to identify new targets for new chemicals of use in cancer therapy. These potential new drugs are tested in the lab and then in patients.
Our work in the rare cancers of childhood is noteworthy. The economics of drug development means that rare conditions often do not attract the interest of commercial drug development houses. By focusing on these rare illnesses we can validate new targets and develop new drugs and provide the evidence that justifies the economics of further development. Without our research, specific drugs for these rare conditions might never be identified.
Our work on cancer is mainly concentrated within the Northern Institute for Cancer Research, and the divisions of haematology, pathology and surgery. Cancer research within Newcastle Biomedicine is funded by Cancer Research UK, the Leukaemia Research Fund and other smaller charities.
