Local donors invited to University of Surrey labs to see groundbreaking cancer research first-hand.
Topic of Cancer is launching a major new funding appeal to coincide with World Cancer Day on 4th February, supporting pioneering immunotherapy research at the University of Surrey. As part of the launch, several supporters and donors will visit the cancer immunology laboratories to view the latest data from the OPTIMUS trials, and to see the specialist exercise equipment – funded by Topic of Cancer – now in use to support patients undergoing treatment.
The OPTIMUS clinical trial is investigating how prescribed exercise during chemotherapy can strengthen the immune system and improve outcomes for people with oesophageal cancer, a disease with a five-year survival rate of just 20% in the UK. Early evidence shows that exercise may boost circulating immune cells and increase the number of immune cells entering and attacking the tumour, potentially improving the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments.
To advance this work, Topic of Cancer is fundraising for a three-year PhD Fellowship (£180,000) that will analyse tumour samples from trial participants, study the molecular mechanisms behind exercise-driven immune changes, and examine the patients’ gut microbiome, which is known to influence tumour biology and treatment response.
This research has the potential to shape new, personalised treatment strategies and improve survival for patients with one of the most challenging cancers.
For more information or to support the appeal, please visit:
www.topicofcancer.org.uk
