Our research in Cardiff

The Millennium Centre in Cardiff

In South and Mid Wales

  • Around 15,100 people are diagnosed with cancer each year.
  • Half (50.3%) of cancers are diagnosed early.
  • We spent nearly £4m on life-saving research in 2021/22.

We receive no government funding for our research. Our life-saving work relies on the money you give us.

Find out how you can help

Last year we spent nearly £4 million in Cardiff on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research. We work closely with Cardiff University, Cardiff and Vale Health Board and Velindre NHS Trust, focusing particularly on leukaemia, bowel, breast, urological and prostate cancers. Cardiff is also home to the Centre for Trials Research, delivering world-leading research that accelerates the transition of lab-based discoveries to the clinic for the benefit of people affected by cancer.

In addition, your support helps to fund a Senior Research Nurse for Wales and 14 Cancer Research UK co-funded research nurses across Wales, working alongside doctors to look after patients who are taking part in clinical trials. 

Our scientists in Cardiff are experts in unveiling the inner workings of cancer cells, as well as genetics, early detection and prevention. Here are some examples of the research we fund in Cardiff. 
 

How we've made a difference so far

  • Cardiff has been recognised for its world-class research into the adult leukaemia acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Professor Alan Burnett led the UK national clinical trials in this disease for more than 20 years, which have now become world’s biggest trials for this cancer type. 
  • Professor Malcom Mason was a world-leading doctor who specialised in running clinical trials from Cardiff that have improved treatment for men with prostate cancer.  
  • Our scientists in Cardiff are running a series of important trials to improve detection and treatment of lung cancer. This includes the largest lung cancer trial in the world, involving people from over 150 UK hospitals. Detecting lung cancer at an early stage would help more people beat the disease.