Funding Cancer Research at the sharp end

Cancer Research Wales was founded in 1966 by Dr Ken Davies and since then our achievements for cancer research have been considerable, with over £3 million being raised over the past few years.

Our research laboratory is based at the Velindre Cancer Centre and is another reason why Velindre Hospital is a centre of excellence for the non-surgical treatment of cancer; we have played a part in treatment and diagnosis for the people of Wales that we can be proud of.

Putting Cancer on the hit list

Professor Malcolm Mason heads up the team of scientists at Cancer Research Wales. From early on in his career, he wanted to go into cancer research, driven by a desire to influence the way in which medicine develops. He said: "I always knew that going into cancer research was a challenge but something that I would find extremely rewarding. Cancer is a killer and it affects more than one in three of us.

Everyone will have experience of cancer at sometime during their lifetime - whether directly of indirectly. I see it as my task to work with the extremely talented research team in Cardiff to try and reduce that statistic in whatever way we can."

Leading the way in the UK

Our research experts, based at purpose built laboratories in Cardiff, are currently looking into ways to develop a cancer vaccine for treating specific types of cancer that do not always respond to radiotherapy or chemotherapy.It is pioneering work, and some of the studies are the first of their kind anywhere in the world.

The idea behind it is to help our bodies help themselves. The vaccine is designed to give our immune system the boost it needs to identify and destroy viruses that can cause some types of cancer, such as cervical cancer.

The Team

The people who have donated so generously to our causes and played a part in our achievements.

The administrative staff led by Robert Fawkes for ensuring that our success only costs 10%.

The staff and volunteers who organise our fundraising especially the total commitment of Maggie Hughes, our fundraising director who joined us in May 2000.

The officers and members of the Management Board including Dr Patrizia Hodge, our Chairman, who are all volunteers and whose expertise costs the Charity nothing.