July 22, 2016

the future of cancer research – how can we outsmart cancer?

Cancer is the UK’s biggest killer, claiming around 160,000 lives every year. Survival rates have improved enormously in some types of cancer, but patients with other tumour types continue to do very poorly, and once the disease has spread round the body it is still often incurable.

Researchers from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and The Royal Marsden have been working over the last year to identify the biggest challenges we face in treating cancer, and come up with an action plan to overcome them. The ICR will be launching their action plan.

Journalists came to the SMC to hear these experts discuss things such as:

• What is the single biggest challenge facing cancer researchers?
• Why do cancers develop drug resistance – and how do we overcome it?
• What can we learn about cancer from antibiotic resistance?
• Will we ever cure cancers such as breast, prostate and skin cancer?
• How can big data make a difference?
• What role might immunotherapy play?
• What are the most exciting ideas coming out of basic research?
• How can we stay one step ahead of cancer?

Speakers:

Prof. Paul Workman, Chief Executive of the Institute of Cancer Research, London

Dr James Larkin, Medical Oncologist at the Royal Marsden and a Reader at the Institute of Cancer Research, London

Dr Bissan Al-Zhakani, Head of Data Science at the Institute of Cancer Research, London