Our DNA is made up of 3000 million letters of code. They make up genes within our DNA and are responsible for how cells in our body grow and multiply. But what happens when something in that code goes wrong? Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation, a podcast from Cancer Research UK that brings together the science and the stories behind cancer.  In this episode, Sophie will be looking at the human genome and explore how changes in our DNA can increase our risk of getting cancer. Prof Mike Stratton, former director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute and a pioneer in cancer genetics, helps unpack this question and tells us how he and his team persevered to find the second BRCA gene (BRCA2) and its mutation. It’s been 30 years since the discovery of the first BRCA gene, BRCA1. Sophie sits down with Maria, her sister, Chrissy, and their mother, all who were tested positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation. They discuss their cancer stories and how the life-changing discovery of the BRCA genes has affected them as a family.  Read more cancer stories on Cancer NewsYou can donate to Cancer Research UK here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the UK 4 in 10 cancer cases are preventable. But what can the government do to stop those 4 out of every 10 cancers before they even start?Welcome to the fourth episode of our mini-series, That Cancer Conversation Longer, better lives. In this episode, Sophie sits with Alizee Froguel who works on prevention policy here at Cancer Research UK. They discuss what’s causing most of these preventable cancers, the announcement of the general election and what's next for achieving a smokefree UK. Read more about Longer, better livesFor more cancer stories, visit Cancer News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to another episode of That Cancer Conversation! We’re kicking off Volunteers’ Week 2024 with the second of our special episodes celebrating our inspiring volunteers. Last time, we chatted to Penny, one of our campaigns ambassadors. This week, we’re moving into the world of events with Rhian. Rhian has been volunteering at Race for Life and Pretty Muddy events across London since 2021. She was inspired to get involved after her own diagnosis of ovarian cancer. If you're looking for a way to get stuck in and make a difference, head to our volunteering pages to find out how you can get involved. Every minute counts and every hour you give takes us one step closer to beating cancer. If you’re enjoying the podcast, help us out by leaving a review or subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. And if there are any cancer conversations you want us to have in future, let us know at [email protected]  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to another episode of That Cancer Conversation! Here at Cancer Research UK, we’re grateful to benefit from the support of more than 25,000 incredible volunteers, who donate their time to help us beat cancer.  So, in the lead up to Volunteers’ Week on the 3rd of June, we want to say a huge thank you to our brilliant community of volunteers, whose support makes our life-saving research possible. To celebrate their stories, we’re diving into the world of volunteering across 2 special episodes. First up, we’re chatting to Penny, who's been volunteering with us for over 10 years, both as a campaign’s ambassador and as a member of the Children & Young People Insights Panel. After losing family members to cancer, Penny started volunteering in 2010 when she was 21, and hasn’t looked back since. If you're feeling inspired by Penny's story, head to our website to find out how you can get involved volunteering for Cancer Research UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can’t beat cancer without scientists. Without research the progress we've made in beating cancer wouldn’t be where it is today. But that progress is at risk of stalling.To keep up and to plug the funding gap, we would need to find an additional £1 billion pounds over the next decade.  In this episode, Sophie sits down with Owen Jackson, head of policy at Cancer Research UK to understand what challenges scientists in the UK are currently facing and what the UK Government needs to do to help.  To join us in telling party leaders to back our calls for longer, better lives, you can sign our open letter.   Read our manifestoFor more cancer stories, visit Cancer News    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation!While bowel cancer is relatively rare for people in their 30s and 40s to get bowel cancer, cases are rising.  At 39 years old Dr Anisha Patel (@doctorsgetcancertoo), a practicing GP, was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer. Now, 6 years on, Anisha is dedicated to raising awareness of cancer, especially in adults under 50. In this episode we talk to Anisha discussing her diagnosis, her book and helping the Cancer Grand Challenges team, PROSPECT, work out the cause for the increase in numbers.Anisha's book:Everything You Hoped You’d Never Need to Know about Bowel CancerRead more about team PROSPECTFor more cancer stories, visit Cancer News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation!  April is Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month, where charities and the young people we support come together to raise awareness of the unique challenges of having cancer during some of the most intense years of your life.   In this episode Sophie speaks to Shaumya, who was 18 years old and getting ready to go to medical school when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Since joining the The Royal Marsden Youth Forum, Shaumya has been an advocate for age-appropriate care for teenagers and young adults.  She co-hosts her own cancer podcast, Afterthoughts: The Teenage Years, highlighting teenage voices, and is also part of the Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People Patient Insight Panel, where she helps make sure people affected by cancer are always at the heart of our work. Recently, she’s helped choose our new logo and spoken to researchers from across the UK at our first Children’s and Young People’s Cancer Research Conference.  To read more cancer stories visit https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re back with another episode of our subseries, Longer, better lives! This series unpacks our recently published manifesto, Longer, Better Lives: A Manifesto for Cancer Research and Care.    You might recognise our next guest, as she was part of our ‘Together We Are Beating Cancer’ campaign featuring on a TV advert as well as billboards and posters on display across the UK, during September.  Dr Mei-Ling Lancashire is a GP who was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer 2 years ago. In this episode, Sophie sits with Mei-Ling to talk about her cancer experience and why she believes politicians need to start prioritising cancer.   To join us in telling party leaders to back our calls for longer, better lives, you can sign our open letter.   Read the manifestoSign our open letterSign up to be a Campaigns Ambassador For more cancer stories, visit Cancer News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve made huge progress on cancer in the last 50 years. But not all of it has been felt equally. People’s experience of the healthcare system, and ultimately how likely they are to be successfully diagnosed and treated, varies massively. These are known as health inequalities and can be caused by a range of factors. In this episode of That Cancer Conversation, we’re exploring how deprivation impacts cancer inequalities and what we can do to narrow the gap. We speak to Cancer Research advocate and public health manager for Luton, Elizabeth Bailey, the lead researcher of the Inequalities Cancer Outcome Network programme, Professor Bernard Rachet and Julia Cotterill, a health information officer here at Cancer Research UK.   Find out more about World Cancer Day:  https://www.worldcancerday.org/close-care-gap https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2024/02/02/world-cancer-day-2024/ Find out more about ICON and their work Read more about health inequalities   For more cancer stories, visit Cancer News   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another episode of That Cancer Conversation! We’re launching a new subseries which unpacks our recently published manifesto, Longer, Better Lives: A Manifesto for Cancer Research and Care.At Cancer Research UK, we know that huge strides have been made in beating cancer – with survival in the UK doubling over the last 50 years.   But this hard-won progress is at risk of stalling.   The cancer crisis is urgent. Every day, people affected by cancer face anxious waits for tests and treatment, reflected in month after month of missed cancer waiting time targets. And for UK cancer research, we’ve identified a funding gap of more than £1bn in the next decade, putting our world leading research at risk. That’s why, in late 2023, we embarked on an ambitious policy development programme, giving a voice to the millions of patients and thousands of researchers who are demanding for real progress in cancer research and care in the UK. And so, Longer, better lives was born.  Follow Sophie over the next five episodes as she uncovers the missions behind this manifesto and why we need it now more than ever. In this first episode, Sophie speaks to Shaun Walsh, Head of public affairs and campaigns at Cancer Research UK. Shaun has followed the manifesto’s journey, from conception to its launch in November, and explains what it is and why Cancer Research UK has created it. Read the manifestoSign our open letterSign up to be a Campaigns Ambassador For more cancer stories, visit Cancer News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clinical trials are a vital step in the development of new medicines of any kind, and that includes new cancer treatments. They aim to find out whether new treatments are safe and effective and work better than current treatments. In this episode of That Cancer Conversation, we're going to take you into the world of clinical research and walk you through the pathway, from how we design trials in the first place, right through to taking part, to give you the full picture of what a clinical trial really involves. We spoke to Ruth Plummer, professor of experimental cancer medicine at the University of Newcastle, Karen Turner, a senior research nurse at the University of Birmingham, and Peter, who took part in the Cancer Research UK-funded CHHiP trial after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Learn more about the topic: What are clinical trials? Find a clinical trial CHHiP Our senior research nurses If you’d like to talk to someone, our nurses are available Monday to Friday 9-5pm on freephone 0808 800 4040. For more news about all things cancer, check out Cancer NewsAnd if you have a question you’d like us to answer or topic you want us to explore, you can send an email to [email protected] and tell us about your idea!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our latest podcast is about how families cope with cancer, and the scientific progress helping them through.Austin was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when he was 2 years old.In 2016, scientists took some cells from Austin’s immune system. Dr Sara Ghorashian, from the Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, changed them so they could recognise cancer cells as a threat. Then they were put back into Austin’s body. Since then, Austin has been cancer free. Now he’s even helping researchers find out how to make CAR-T cell therapy more effective.  Lou and Scott take us through Austin’s story, and Sara guides us through the science that has helped keep it going. We also speak to Caroline Leek, a former scientist who specialises in supporting families affected by cancer, about how focusing on fun can help adults and children talk about painful and emotional experiences. Learn more about the resources discussed: About Cancer - Children’s cancer Fruit Fly Collective CARPALL trial Echo Games For more cancer stories, check out Cancer News!And if you have a question you’d like us to answer or topic you want us to explore, you can send an email to [email protected] and tell us about your idea!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our new podcast series, That Cancer Conversation: One to One, we’re talking to the people who make Cancer Research UK what it is. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and in this first episode we’re hearing from Dr Laura Danielson, our research lead for children’s and young people’s cancer.  Laura moved across the Atlantic to make sure her work had the best chance of helping patients. And, since arriving in the UK, she’s gone from testing a neuroblastoma treatment as one of our funded researchers to managing our entire research strategy for children’s and young people’s cancers. Here she takes us through everything she’s learned along the way, explaining how the people she’s met and the challenges she’s faced continue to drive her, and reflecting on what it means to work for a future where all children and young people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer. Learn more about the resources discussed: Cancer Research UK for children and young people About Cancer – Children’s cancers For more cancer stories, check out Cancer News!If you’d like to talk to someone, our nurses are available Monday to Friday 9-5pm on freephone 0808 800 4040. And if you have a question you’d like us to answer or topic you want us to explore, you can send an email to [email protected] and tell us about your idea!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beating cancer means beating it for everyone. And crucial to doing that is tackling health inequalities, unfair and avoidable differences in health across the population and between different groups within society. In this episode, we're diving into the inequalities faced by one group in particular, the LGBTQ+ community, and what we can do to make cancer care more inclusive for everyone.   To get some insight into the inequalities in cancer care in the LGBTQ+ community and what needs to change to reduce them, we hear from Dr Alison Berner a medical oncologist, academic clinical lecturer, and speciality doctor in adult gender identity medicine, and Stewart O’Callaghan, founder and CEO of the LGBTQ+ cancer charity OutPatients. (Note, OutPatients was known as Live Through This at the time of recording, and is therefore referred to as such throughout the episode).Learn more about the research and resources discussed:   I’m trans or non-binary, does this affect my cancer screening? OutPatients (formerly Live Through This)UK Cancer and Transition Service (UCATS) Best For My Chest (Inclusive breast screening information) Remove the Doubt (Inclusive cervical cancer screening information)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When thinking about cancer treatment, our first thoughts may be about surgery or chemotherapy. But what about what we eat? In this episode, we hear from Dr Clare Shaw, a lead cancer dietician and therapy researcher who has written multiple books with the Royal Marsden Hospital, including The Cancer Cookbook. And Professor Karen Vousden, co-founder of Faeth Therapeutics, a company looking at how diets could help beat cancer. From taste changes to the keto diet, we sit down with our knowledgeable guests to help us scratch the surface of the vast world of diet and cancer. And help us navigate through the question ‘Could food improve cancer treatment?’ Find out more about our fantastic guests: Dr Clare Shaw  Prof. Karen Vousden Discover more about the research and resources discussed: British Dietetics Association diet myths Faeth Therapeutics About Cancer pages on diet and cancer For more cancer stories from us, check out Cancer news!And if you have a question you’d like us to answer or a topic you want us to explore, you can send an email to [email protected] and tell us about your idea! To get notified when new episodes drop you can subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kicking off the second season of That Cancer Conversation, we talk about sex, intimacy and cancer.From chemotherapy to sex shops, we sit down with three amazing guests to discuss sexual wellbeing for those living with and beyond cancer. Cancer nurse and psychosexual therapist, Dr Isabel White speaks about the various ways cancer can impact our sexual wellbeing and shares some tips on how to have conversations about sex with health professionals.   Sex with Cancer co-founder, Brian Lobel tells us about the online initiative he created with his friend Joon-Lynn Goh, and the vital resources that have been gathered along the journey. And Tara shares her personal experience of having cervical cancer and exploring her body and sexuality beyond treatment. If you’d like to learn more about sex and cancer, here are some resources:About CancerSex with Cancer College of Sexual & Relationship TherapistsLive Through This Perci healthFor more cancer stories from us, check out Cancer news!And if there are cancer conversations you want us to have or topics you want us to explore, send us an email at [email protected] to tell us about your idea.To get updated on more episodes subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cancer has inhabited earth for longer than humans have, but we don’t have a one-fits-all, silver-bullet cure. From Egyptian mummies and medieval wolves, to precision medicine and microscopic evolution, we take a look at the past to find out why curing cancer is more complex than we think, and what is needed next to get us closer to a future without cancer.  In this latest episode of That Cancer Conversation, we hear from Dr Alanna Skuse, Dr Mariam Jamal-Hanjani and Sir Leszek Borysiewicz to help us scratch the surface of the age-old question, “Why haven’t we cured cancer?” Find out more about our three fantastic guests: Dr Alanna Skuse  Dr Mariam Jamal-Hanjani  Sir Leszek Borysiewicz  Find out more about the research discussed: A history of cancer – Construction of Cancer in Early Modern England TRACERx trial The PEACE trial  You can listen and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced an ambitious plan: to create a ‘cervical cancer-free future’. The potential reward is huge. If we succeed, cervical cancer will become the first cancer to be ‘eliminated’ on this scale.Globally, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women - 99% of cases worldwide are caused by a few high-risk strains of a common virus called human papillomavirus and in many countries around the world, people are given a vaccine to prevent HPV at an early age.Despite data from countries like Sweden and the UK showing that vaccination programmes reduce cervical cancer rates dramatically, there are still countries - such as the USA - that don't have universally accessible programmes.We hear from Dr Ishu Kataria - Public Health Researcher at RTI International, whose work into non-communicable diseases has found her working with the UN and WHO. Right now, she and her team are working out how to get the HPV vaccine to more than 70 million girls in India.How to find out more about Dr Kataria's work:Follow Dr Kataria at @ishukataria3Dr Ishu Kataria - RTI InternationalTo read more about the topics discussed:“That is what I dream”: India’s journey to rolling out the HPV vaccine - Cancer Research UKCervical Cancer Elimination Initiative - WHOHPV vaccine cutting cervical cancer by nearly 90% - BBCHPV Vaccine Should Be Universal For Boys And Girls, Ages 9-14 - ForbesYou can listen and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode, we're joined by Sigourney Bell, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, whose work looks to find new treatments for supratentorial ependymoma, a rare children's brain cancer.Outside of the lab, Sigourney is the co-founder of Black in Cancer, a global organisation that aims to strengthen the network between Black people in the cancer space whilst highlighting Black excellence in cancer research and medicine.During Black History Month, Black in Cancer runs a week of events across various social media platforms and organises webinars to help educate researchers, medical experts, and those affected by cancer.We hear about what the challenges are of working on a rare children's cancer, find out what led to the founding of Black in Cancer, and learn what's on the agenda from October 10th - 15th for Black in Cancer Week 2021.How to find out more about Black in Cancer:Follow Sigourney at @siggs28 on Twitter and InstagramCheck out @blackincancer on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.Black in Cancer websiteCheck out #BlackinCancerWeek21To read more about the topics discussed:Delivering the future of paediatric brain tumour therapy - Cancer Research UKGilbertson Lab - Cancer Research UK Cambridge InstituteThe Legacy of Henrietta Lacks - Johns Hopkins MedicineHenrietta Lacks: science must right a historical wrong - NatureHenrietta Lacks’ estate sues drug company that sold her cells - The GuardianYou can listen and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From malaria to multiple sclerosis, plants have given us compounds which help treat countless conditions. But could a tree growing on your street hold the next life-changing drug?From Madagascar to a Kew Gardens in London, we explore how scientists across the globe use indigenous knowledge and pharmaceutical science to help develop the treatments of tomorrow.And in a world-first, a cannabis-derived drug, known as Sativex, is being trialled in combination with chemotherapy to see if it could be used to help people with a certain type of aggressive brain cancer.The botanical history of medicine (2:04)How do we find the plant medicines of tomorrow? (6:10)The search for a chemical needle in a botanical haystack (9:09)Making drugs: converting cuttings into capsules (14:02)Is it more complex than putting a leaf in a pill? (18:28)Sativex: trialling a cannabis-derived spray on brain cancer (22:50)Do we know how cannabinoids work on brain tumour cells? (26:51)Cannabis and cancer: it's not that simple (28:43)ARISTOCRAT is a randomised phase II study of temozolomide with or without cannabinoids in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.It's being funded by The Brain Tumour Charity and co-ordinated by the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Birmingham.ARISTOCRAT is due to begin recruiting just over 230 patients across all UK nations in early 2022.To learn more about the ARISTOCRAT trial, you can check out:World-first trial tests cannabis-based drug on aggressive brain tumours - University of LeedsGlioblastoma Research: Phase II Clinical Trial of Cannabis Derivatives - The Brain Tumour CharityIf you’d like to talk to someone, our nurses are available Monday to Friday 9-5pm on freephone 0808 800 4040. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.