The second phase of a groundbreaking breast cancer study created in the name of Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding, has seen the appointment of a senior research fellow.
Dr Hannah Harrison, from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire and living in Burnage, Manchester, has been appointed as the ‘Sarah Harding Young Women’s Breast Cancer Fellow’ and her work will focus on preventing breast cancer in young women.
The role has been created and named in honour of Sarah Harding who, following her diagnosis of breast cancer, was treated at The Christie hospital in Manchester and died in September 2021 at just 39 years old.
Funded by The Christie Charity, this represents phase two of the research financed through the Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal (The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal) and means that Sarah’s name will live on through this permanent senior research post.
Dr Harrison is based in The Manchester Breast Centre (MBC), a key organisation in the Manchester Cancer Research Centre (a partnership between The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, The University of Manchester and Cancer Research UK) and will lead her own team focusing on young women’s breast cancer.
She has studied breast cancer for over 20 years, and her new role will see her spearhead an ambitious research programme to reduce breast cancer incidence by developing innovative prevention strategies.
Dr Harrison has led the development of a world-first laboratory model using real human breast tissue. This breakthrough allows scientists to mimic real-life hormonal changes and test how prevention drugs work, revealing why some treatments fail and where new opportunities lie. Early results show the model mirrors clinical trial outcomes, paving the way for personalised prevention, selecting the right preventive therapy for each individual woman.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women aged 35-50 years in the UK, with an estimated 10,000 women a year diagnosed under the age of 50. While treatments are improving, prevention remains the most powerful way to save lives.
“Our goal is simple: fewer breast cancer cases, fewer lives lost,” says Dr Harrison. “We need to understand why some women respond to current preventative drugs while others don’t, and to develop new strategies for those at risk.”
“By understanding resistance and response, we can give women the best chance to avoid breast cancer altogether and every breakthrough we make brings us closer to saving lives. My passion is to create research models that reflect the complexity of human biology, so we can find answers faster and give patients hope for better treatments and outcomes."
Dr Harrison’s research focuses on three key areas:
- Why some women don’t respond to existing preventive treatments
- Identifying new targets for prevention
- Screening strategies for future treatments
This ambitious research could transform breast cancer prevention for generations to come.
The BCAN-RAY (Breast Cancer Risk Assessment in Younger Women) study began in May 2023 and is led by Dr Sacha Howell from The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and The University of Manchester. The first phase of the study was funded by The Christie Charity, Cancer Research UK and The Shine Bright Foundation.
The aim of the study is to recruit 1,000 women aged 30 to 39. 750 of these women are being recruited by GP invitation and will have no strong family history of breast cancer and don’t have breast cancer. The other 250 young women do have breast cancer and are being recruited from The Nightingale Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, part of MFT and breast oncology centres in Greater Manchester, including The Christie hospital, Cheshire, Liverpool and Lancaster.
To date, 750 women have been recruited - 140 were found as ‘increased risk’ and 610 as ‘average risk’.
137 of the 140 (98%) of the women at increased risk have had telephone consultations to discuss the implication of their increase in risk, including strategies to reduce risk through exercise, diet and medication. Early breast screening is offered when the risk hits a certain level, which is at different ages for each woman.
So far 53 women have had their first mammogram. Once screening has started the women are offered regular screening every year until their NHS breast screening starts at age 50.
Sarah’s bandmates, Cheryl Tweedy, Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle and Nicola Roberts are committed to this vital ongoing research and are passionate about the importance of keeping Sarah’s legacy alive by fulfilling her wish to help identify young women at risk of breast cancer and give them the best possible chance of survival from the disease.
The bandmates said: “We are thrilled with the progress being made in Sarah’s name into preventing breast cancer in young women. Sarah believed in the power of progress and so to have a dedicated researcher focusing on this important work is hugely significant. This fellowship is more than research - it’s hope, it’s progress, and it’s a promise that her fight will help protect future generations of young women. Every breakthrough is a step towards a brighter future where young women can live free from the fear of breast cancer.”
Research and studies such as this are central to The Christie Charity's commitment to supporting The Christie hospital’s vision of ‘learning from every patient’ and trebling the number of patients participating in research by 2030. Studies have shown that cancer patients treated at research-intensive hospitals have better outcomes than those treated in hospitals with little or no research activity. The Charity has pledged to support and fund this goal with £30m over the next five years with the ultimate aim of bringing tomorrow’s treatments to patients faster.
To donate to The Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal go to www.christie.nhs.uk/the-christie-charity/donate/sarah-harding.