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The Centre's Vision and Aims

Our Aim

1) The Centre will bring together NHS Cancer Services and Cancer Researchers at the University of Liverpool to develop a world class Liverpool Cancer Research Centre that will work towards achieving each of the 10 strategic Cancer Research UK Goals:

Cancer Research UK has developed ten goals to measure our success over the coming years in beating cancer. We will work with our partners to achieve the following by 2020:


  • People will know how to reduce their risk of cancer – Three-quarters of the UK public will be aware of the main lifestyle choices they can make to reduce their risk of getting cancer
  • The number of smokers will fall dramatically – Four million fewer adults will be smokers, preventing thousands of new cases of cancer every year
  • People under 75 will be less likely to get cancer – The chances of a person developing cancer up to the age of 75 will fall from more than one in four to one in five
  • Cancer will be diagnosed earlier – Two-thirds of all cancer cases will be diagnosed at a stage when the cancer can be successfully treated
  • We will understand how cancer starts and develops – We will have a detailed understanding of the causes and changes in the body in two-thirds of all cases of cancer
  • There will be better treatments with fewer side effects – Treatments that accurately target the cancer and have few serious side effects will be available for at least half of all patients
  • More people will survive cancer – Survival rates for all common cancers will increase, with more than two-thirds of newly-diagnosed patients living for at least five years
  • We will especially tackle cancer in low income communities – The differences in the risk of dying from cancer between the most affluent and the least affluent will be reduced by half
  • People with cancer will get the information they need – At least nine out of ten patients will be able to access the information they need at the time of diagnosis and during treatment
  • We will continue to fight cancer beyond 2020 – Sufficient scientists, doctors, nurses and infrastructure will be in place to ensure continued rapid progress in the fight against cancer beyond 2020.




    • Find a Researcher

    The Centre brings together The University of Liverpool's basic and clinical scientists conducting dynamic interdisciplinary cancer research.

    Centre Seminar Series

    lecture_theatreThe Centre's seminars are held every Friday at 1pm in the Cancer Research UK Centre Lecture Theatre. All welcome to attend.

    The calendar of events is regularly updated and is available for download.
    Forthcoming Guest Speakers

    24th FEBRUARY 2012, 1pm
    Dr Miguel Martins
    University of Leicester, More...

    28th FEBRUARY 2012, 5.15pm
    Dr Elad Katz
    University of Edinburgh, More...

    Postgraduate Programme

    The University of Liverpool offers one of the best Ph.D. programmes in the U.K., and has been ranked 4th in a study of completion rates for Ph.D. students at universities by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

    Liverpool CRUK Centre Clinical Fellowship entry has closed for 2012

    Centre Resources

    lecture_theatre

    Development Fund.

    Core Facilities:

    - MISSION whole genome lentiviral shRNA library.

    - Technology

    - Medical Statistics & Bioinformatics


    Donation Station Update
    Managers from local Cancer Research UK shops have been delighted to receive more than 513 bags worth
    up to £15,390. Please keep your donations coming in so we can reach our new target of 350 bags. Collection points are in the Centre's foyer, Duncan Building, and DSO office.
    Patient and Public Involvement
    Many patients and public members work with researcher professionals and clinicians (e.g. doctors, nurses) and get actively involved in the different stages of research and associated activities. Active involvement in clinical research is very different from being a participant in a study. Find out more.


    2) The particular focus of the Centre will be on understanding better how cancers start and behave and will develop better treatments with fewer side effects, especially tackling cancer in low income communities.

    3) The Centre will set the pace on national and international advancement in areas of particular expertise, notably in pancreatic, haematological and head and neck malignancies and further develop surgical oncology and paediatric oncology.

    4) The Centre will offer extensive training opportunities to create a new research orientated culture within the cancer treatment service: not only will NHS clinicians integrate a wide portfolio of cancer research into their daily practice but the interconnected research philosophy will result in basic scientists having a much better understanding of the clinical problems that patients and oncologists face.

    5) In order to achieve these goals there will be key partnerships with the City of Liverpool, Industry and other Regional Stakeholders so that a continuing life-changing engagement with the public is realised.

    6) Liverpool will be famous for: the development of individualized therapies for cancers based on an understanding of disease biology and variability between individual patients.

    Therefore, the key aims of the Liverpool Cancer Research UK Centre itself are:

    • Understanding the biological mechanisms of cancer and individual susceptibility to specific cancers

    • Identify biological signatures from/dependencies on key gene families for normal and cancer cells

    • Using these signatures/dependencies to specify targets for the development of novel chemical agents

    • Target validation and compound screening (in conjunction with CRT)

    • Utilise our expertise to test and further develop pilot compounds

    • Close the loop from molecular targets and novel compounds to patients - clinical trials.