Press release posted 5 August 2026
Just 18 months into an ambitious pledge to invest £30m into cancer research at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust by 2030, The Christie Charity, which supports the work of the hospital, has already invested £9.2m towards this goal.
Whilst cancer diagnoses are on the increase, cancer survival rates are also higher than ever before. This positive change is a direct result of decades of cancer research, much of which is supported by and takes place at The Christie hospital and Paterson building with partners across the Manchester Cancer Research Centre (MCRC).
Both facilities are world-leading cancer research centres, bringing together hundreds of scientists, clinicians and researchers to accelerate breakthroughs in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
The funding granted by The Christie Charity has allowed The Christie to undertake world-leading research projects, recruit the best and brightest clinicians and scientists from across the world, and enable more clinical trials to take place right in the heart of Manchester. Thanks to the generosity of The Christie Charity supporters:
£9.2 million has been pledged towards The Christie Charity's £30 million research ambition
35 research projects have been funded
28 new researchers have been recruited or supported
20 applications for skilled technical staff and operational delivery costs have been supported
Louise Hadley, Chief Executive at The Christie Charity, said: “18 months ago, we made a bold pledge to invest £30 million in research by 2030 because we know that research changes lives. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we are already seeing that investment make a real difference.
“While we are proud of what has been achieved so far, we know we can go even further to change the lives of patients at The Christie and beyond. Thanks to the selfless generosity of our supporters, we are building a future where more cancers are detected earlier, treatments are kinder and more effective, and more patients can live longer, fuller lives.”
Over the last year, The Christie Charity has funded dozens of research projects across a wide range of areas, including but not limited to prevention and early detection, improving existing cancer care, and ensuring rare cancers are not left behind.
Detecting cancer earlier
Every day more than 150 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK and nearly a fifth of all cases are women who are under 50, most of whom don’t have a family history of the disease.
Thanks to supporters of The Christie Charity, the Charity has been able to fund a study allowing scientists to undertake comprehensive risk assessment that can identify which women are most at risk of developing breast cancer in their 30s.
As a result, Annette Illing, who joined the study aged 39 with no symptoms or family history of breast cancer, was identified as being at increased risk and subsequently diagnosed and treated for the earliest stage of invasive breast cancer. Without the study, Annette would have waited another decade for her first routine mammogram and her cancer would undoubtedly have presented as a much larger tumour before that. Additional Christie Charity funding has also employed a talented scientist, Dr Hannah Harrison, whose research group aim to identify new ways to prevent breast cancer.
Annette said: "It was a huge shock as I don’t have a family history of breast cancer. It was scary to hear the word ‘cancer,’ but there was hope. I’d rather know and have choices than not know. It was caught early, meaning it could be removed, and preventive treatment was available”.
Improving existing cancer treatment
Ashwin Sachdeva, Honorary Consultant Urological Surgeon at The Christie, is leading on cutting-edge prostate cancer research which is expanding the understanding of how prostate cancer develops, how it can best be treated, and how to minimise any long-term side effects of treatment.
Mr Sachdeva said: "Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, but if we detect it early enough it can often be cured. Our research is focused on understanding how we can better treat patients with advanced disease, while also improving quality of life by reducing treatment-related side effects.
"The Christie Charity's funding has been transformative. It has allowed us to grow our research team, expand the scale of our studies and accelerate work that is leading to better treatment options for patients in the future.”
Ensuring rare cancers are not left behind
Funding from the Pseudomyxoma Survivor Charity and awarded to The Christie Charity, is supporting the development of a highly sensitive blood test for detecting pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) and will be one of the first of its kind globally.
PMP is a slow‑growing but complex cancer that usually starts in the appendix. It affects just 3 or 4 people per million. One of the biggest challenges in treating the disease is detecting it, as most standard cancer blood tests are not sensitive enough to detect the disease.
Tim Brill, Trustee of Pseudomyxoma Survivor and a former PMP patient himself, said: “For people living with pseudomyxoma peritonei, uncertainty can be one of the hardest burdens to carry. Our community knows what it feels like to wait for answers between scans. By funding this tumour ‘fingerprint’ research, we’re helping build a future where patients can be monitored more accurately and with less fear.”
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 Christie Charity has pledged to support The Christie hospital in trebling the number of patients participating in research by 2030 with the ultimate aim of bringing tomorrow’s treatments to patients faster.
To support the research work of The Christie Charity, please go to Donate today or ring 0161 446 3988.
The Christie Charity supports the work of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS funds. This includes money for care and treatment, research, education, and extra patient services. Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to cancer patients and their families.