My Story
Business Beats Cancer North East is an exciting campaign that launched in 2021. We bring the North East business community together to beat cancer. As Cancer Research UK ambassadors in the region, Business Beats Cancer board members and supporters raise funds and awareness for Cancer Research UK’s ground-breaking science on your doorstep. All funds raised, are restricted to lifesaving cancer research right here in North East England. In the North East: • We spent nearly £6m in 2023/24. • Around 17,400 people are diagnosed with cancer each year. • Around 8,000 people die from cancer each year. • Cancer deaths have fallen by more than a tenth in the last 10 years. • Around half (51.4%) of cancers with a known stage are diagnosed early. • Almost 3 in 20 (13.1%) of adults smoke. • 7 in 10 (70.2%) of adults are overweight or obese, A quarter (25.2%) of children are overweight or obese, Around three-quarters (74%) of people aged 60-74 have taken part in bowel screening. Newcastle is home to the Cancer Research UK Newcastle Centre, delivering world-leading research that accelerates the transition of lab-based discovery to the clinic, for the benefit of people affected by cancer in the North East and beyond. In the North East We led the way for a new family of drugs, our scientists discovered a way to exploit genetic weaknesses in cancer cells that prevent them from fixing their DNA. We ran the first in human trial of rucaparib, our scientists in Newcastle, carried out the first in-human trial of rucaparib (Rubraca). Rucaparib was the first of a type of drug called a PARP inhibitor to reach clinical trials. Right now, in North East England, we’re creating a network to develop immunotherapy as a treatment for liver cancer. We’re uncovering the cell’s hidden genetic secrets to improve our understanding of children and young people’s cancers and we’re developing better treatments for children and young people with brain tumors. Nearly 1 in 2 of us, born in the UK since 1961, will be diagnosed with some form of cancer during our lifetime*. As the only charity dedicated to fighting all 200 types of cancer, Cancer Research UK’s vision is to help everybody live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer. Thank you for supporting Business Beats Cancer North East, giving us more moments with those we love. *cruk.org/lifetimerisk “ As Cancer Research UK ambassadors in the region, Business Beats Cancer board members and supporters raise funds and awareness for Cancer Research UK’s ground-breaking science on your doorstep. All funds raised will be restricted to lifesaving cancer research right here in the North East. Newcastle is home to the Cancer Research UK Newcastle Centre, delivering world-leading research that accelerates the transition of lab-based discovery to the clinic, for the benefit of people affected by cancer in the North East and beyond. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/our-research-in-newcastle 1 in 2 of us will be diagnosed with cancer in our lifetime. As the only charity dedicated to fighting all 200 types of cancer, Cancer Research UK’s vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. COVID19 has presented one of the biggest challenges in in the charity’s history, being forced to make £89 million of cuts to vital research of so far in 2020. As a result, 0 new clinical trials have been funded this year and many projects have been paused or slowed down. - Bowel, breast and cervical screening programmes were all put on hold at the beginning of lockdown meaning approximately 3 million appointments have been missed. - The number of people being urgently referred with suspected cancer symptoms is significantly down. Between April and August, CRUK estimated around 350,000 fewer people were referred than normal in the UK. - Since April 2020, there has been a 37% drop in the number of patients beginning treatment in England compared with the same period last year. The pandemic may have slowed things down, but the fight against cancer never stops!
