The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Join the cancer fight – by ticking this box
Healthcare: Charity to become opt-in by July
An Aberdeen scientist who has been awarded a grant of up to £1.5million to study tumours has highlighted the impact which Scottish people can have on life-saving cancer research – just by ticking a box.
Cancer Research UK will become one of the UK’s first opt-in charities from July 1, meaning it will only contact supporters who have given their explicit permission.
The charity has invited supporters to visit www.cruk.org/justatick and put a tick in a box to show they still want to support the organisation’s vital work, and are happy to be contacted.
Professor Anne Donaldson from Aberdeen University said that, without support and donations, the charity wouldn’t be able to fund important cancer research projects such as the five-year programme she is leading in the Granite City.
Alongside a team of eight scientists, Prof Donaldson is learning how cells become cancerous, and how treatments could be better targeted to each patient’s tumours.
She said: “Understanding how tumours develop is a vital part of the fight against cancer.
“Our research focuses on a specific module that plays an important role in the development of all types of cancer, particularly bowel, lung and endocrine cancers,” added Prof Donaldson. “It controls how cell DNA is copied and repaired. This process allows cells to grow, but if they go wrong, it can cause cells to grow out of control, which can lead to cancer.
“If we can work out how this process goes wrong and stop it from happening, then it has great potential to improve cancer treatment.”
Prof Donaldson added that, although there is no one solution to cancer, scientists would find it very difficult to carry out this kind of vital research without the support of charities
“All of my team are so grateful to the Cancer Research UK fundraisers”
such as Cancer Research UK.
She said: “There is no single ‘magic bullet’ cancer cure, but for many cancers, and in many ways, we’re making really important progress.
“Our research in Aberdeen is going well and all of my team are so grateful to the fundraisers for Cancer Research UK – we are dependent on their support and generosity.
“That’s why it’s important as many supporters as possible opt in, so that they continue to hear from Cancer Research UK about the research which is making a difference, and helping to develop new, better and kinder treatments for cancer to give more families more tomorrows.”