We are participating in Race for Life to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Ideally we would like to also raise awareness regarding the different types of cancer the people in our life have been affected by; these cancers are CUP & Throat Cancer.

We have also had loved ones affected by lung, skin, breast, ovarian, pancreatic & prostate cancer.

Carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) is a rare disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the body but the place the cancer began is not known. Cancer can form in any tissue of the body. The primary cancer (the cancer that first formed) can spread to other parts of the body. In the UK about 8,000 people are diagnosed with CUP each year – that is about 20 every day.

Generally for all those with cancer of unknown primary around 20 out of 100 people (around 20%) survive for 1 year or more, around 13 out of 100 people (around 13%) survive for 3 years or more.

For most patients with CUP, current treatments do not cure the cancer. This is why it is so important research is developed to ensure safe and effective methods to prevent, detect, diagnose, treat, and ultimately cure cancer.

Head and neck cancer is a relatively uncommon type of cancer. Around 12,000 new cases are diagnosed in the UK each year. There are more than 30 areas within the head and neck where cancer can develop, including the:

mouth and lips
voice box (larynx)
throat (pharynx)
salivary glands
nose and sinuses
area at the back of the nose and mouth (nasopharynx)

Any donation during these difficult times, no matter how small, is greatly appreciated and go towards a cause we personally feel very passionate about. The better we understand these diseases, the more progress we will make toward diminishing the tremendous human and economic tolls of cancer.