When Alan Traynor was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, he was referred to The Christie for specialist treatment. Under the care of consultant colorectal surgeon Mr Paul Sutton, Alan received complex surgery and expert care that he believes saved his life.
Mr Sutton is a leading specialist in advanced colorectal cancer, carrying out highly complex operations for cancers that are often difficult to treat. These include pelvic exenteration and sacrectomy, where multiple organs are removed to control disease, as well as heated chemotherapy delivered directly into the abdomen for cancers that have spread from the appendix or bowel.
Thanks to funding from The Christie Charity, Mr Sutton and his team are also advancing research into how treatments can be made more effective. A key focus is combining chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy to improve cancer response, with the aim of reducing the need for major, life-altering surgery.
With Charity support, the team has established a dedicated endoscopy clinic to enable more precise, biopsy-driven research. This innovative approach has already helped patients like Alan.
Research is a major focus for The Christie Charity, which has pledged up to £30 million of funding by 2030. The goal is to bring tomorrow’s treatments to patients faster, grow a pipeline of expert research leaders, and increase the number of people accessing clinical trials.
