Patient and public involvement

David Makin is a former patient and a partner governor at The Christie. He's bringing his own experience of cancer to our patient-centred research. David says:

Cancer research needs to expand to include the wider implications of cancer for patients and society in general. This is exactly what The Christie's patient-centred research is about.

What matters to patients, matters for scientists. We can learn from each other.

Julie was a patient at The Christie in 2007 when she was first treated for breast cancer. During this time, she was very keen to share her views and experiences, so Julie is now very pleased and proud to be a representative for The Christie's patient-centred research.

Research means we are now living longer or being cured, but you are never out of the woods. Many people are changed forever by cancer. By doing this research we can help people to live with the after-effects of surgery or treatment. We can make sure any further cancer can be detected early enough to stop it, and we can help patients and their families to have the best possible quality of life, for as long as possible

I want to make things the best they can be for patients.

Isobel has non-small cell lung cancer. She's been undergoing treatment at The Christie for the past 12 months. She's keen to get involved with our patient-centred research because she says:

Patient-centred research at The Christie is all about improving services for patients. The Christie is fantastic, but I want to help make it even better. I want to improve care for people who are having treatment or recovering from cancer.