Donate to support rare cancer trials

At The Christie, we simply can’t do life-saving work without the support of people like you. Generous donations and fundraising help us keep supporting cancer patients, above and beyond what the NHS funds.

Today, you can play your part in the very latest research and clinical trials. This will help support cancer patients with hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) tumours – rare cancers that can be difficult to treat.

By donating today, you can help fund our new clinical research fellow. Their research will focus on this specific group of rare cancers, with the aim of improving treatment options and, most importantly, survival rates.

Help support hepato-pancreato-biliary patients

Hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) tumours are rare and can be particularly difficult to detect early. This is because their symptoms are often subtle and may include unintentional weight loss, vague abdominal pain or nausea.

As these symptoms are so hard to notice, HPB cancers often aren’t diagnosed until a very late stage. Because of this, HPB tumours are also associated with poor long-term survival.

HPB tumours are often particularly difficult to treat. Some HPB cancer patients often don’t have the option of standard cancer treatments, meaning their only treatment option is a clinical trial.

Clinical trials can offer new hope through different treatments that aim to improve patients’ lives and survival.

None of this is possible without the generosity of our supporters. The new clinical research fellow will be funded entirely by charitable gifts.

That’s why your support now is so vital – literally lifesaving. Please donate today to help fund our new clinical research fellow focusing on HPB tumour research.

Part of the role of our new clinical research fellow will be to improve survival rates by trialling new combinations of drugs. This is something that HPB cancer patient Kevin knows all about.

Kevin started on a clinical trial after his rare tumour started to grow again, and there were no more traditional cancer treatments available. His tumour has now reduced by 86% and he’s supporting our appeal to help fund our new clinical research fellow. Read more in Kevin’s story to see why he’s so passionate about cancer research.

We already know that research trials conducted by clinical research fellows frequently improve lives. Not only for cancer patients here in the North West, but worldwide as well.

What our clinical research fellow will mean for patients

Clinical research fellows who specialise in rare cancers like HPB tumours set up and run clinical trials. These trials explore the effects of new combinations of existing drugs and new drugs currently under investigation.

One key benefit of clinical research fellows is that they spend half their time in research clinics and half in follow-up clinics. This means they’re immersed in the clinical management of patients, as well as their involvement in clinical trials and research.

They can then share learning from Manchester and the North West to help other researchers working on similar studies across the world. This means our cancer patients can then take part in even more clinical trials – and expand their treatment options.

If you help us fund our new clinical research fellow today, they will also be able to provide weekly teaching to share their expertise with their colleagues. They’ll also contribute to multidisciplinary meetings at The Christie where patients’ cases are discussed, decisions are made, and patient management is agreed.

The next big cancer breakthrough has to start somewhere. You could start it yourself now with a gift today.