Current research projects

One in two of us will develop cancer. And, whilst we're more able than ever to treat cancer furthering our understanding of cancer is vital while it remains the major cause of death in the UK.

The impact of the funding we put into research and trials very often saves lives, and not just here, but around the world as we share new understanding of cancer and its treatments.

We're currently funding 15 large research projects with £800,000 committed to research over the next three years. Below is a snapshot of some of the research projects we're currently supporting.

We fund eight posts at the Cancer Clinical Trials Centre (CCTC), which was established more than 20 years ago with the support of Weston Park Cancer Charity. The posts we fund vary from research nurses to data managers to lab technicians to pharmacy technicians, to help the CCTC run cutting-edge clinical trials. These trials provide patients in our region with the opportunity to access new treatments not yet widely available, and allow Sheffield to take part in helping cancer treatment keep improving.

The role of oestrogen in treating breast cancer spread. A previous study carried out at Weston Park showed that drugs called bisphosphonates are effective at preventing breast cancer from spreading to the bones in post-menopausal patients, but not in pre-menopausal patients. This follow-up research project has shown that high levels of oestrogen interfere with the activity of this treatment, but that immunotherapy drugs might be a way to counteract this effect.

We’re funding research into developing new ways of diagnosing benign vs malignant forms of gestational trophoblastic disease. This will save patients extended periods of anxious waiting and allow quicker progress to treatment where needed. The same technology is also being used to improve treatment decisions by better identifying patients who should be put directly onto stronger chemotherapy as they are unlikely to respond to milder treatment.

Radiotherapy to treat head and neck cancer is often limited to avoid damage to delicate tissues in the area. This research project is testing if a drug can make head and neck cancer cells more sensitive to radiation, which would allow a stronger anti-cancer effect without increasing side effects.

Soft tissue sarcomas have very varied responses to the same drug, with patients benefitting greatly and other patients being resistant. We’re funding research to explore ways to predict which patients will benefit, and whether there is a way to make resistant tumours respond to treatment.