Where your money goes
You are helping to fund life-saving research.
Cancer Research UK are world leaders in finding new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.
Your minimum fundraising target
When you signed up to Race for Life, you pledged to raise at least £50 to help fund our life saving research and change the lives of people affected by cancer.
1 in 2 people will get cancer in their lifetime*. Our research saves lives. Your support, through events like the Race for Life, is what helps us continue our ground-breaking work to see more people surviving cancer.
*Ahmad AS et al, British Journal of Cancer, 2015
How your money helps us beat cancer
£5 buys a box of 100 gloves, which keep our scientist’s hands safe while they get hands-on with their experiments.
£22 buys a microscope micrometer, which scientists use to measure the size of tumours and learn more about how they grow.
£95 buys a Wright-Giemsa cell staining kit, which our scientists use to distinguish between different types of blood cells.
£400 is the cost of running Cancer Chat for one day, helping thousands of people through very difficult times.
£13 buys agarose gel, which is a vital component for a technique that scientists use to measure the length of pieces of DNA.
£50 buys special chemicals called restriction enzymes that work like molecular scissors to cut up the long strands of DNA in our cells.
£200 helps fund a postdoc researcher - developing their skills in the lab under the supervision of expert scientists.
£1,000 helps fund Professor Maria Hawkins and her team as they research innovative radiotherapy techniques for treating rare bile duct cancer
How regular support helps us continue our life-saving work
Every donation helps us bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. But what many people don't know, is that monthly donations are vital for planning potentially life-saving research.
Monthly donations give us a predictable income, allowing us to plan and invest in future research. Learn more about the impact of monthly donations.
How we decide what research to fund
There are over 200 types of cancer for us to beat. When researchers come to Cancer Research UK with their ideas, we need to decide which projects need our support.
Watch this video to see how we ensure the money you raise funds the science that stands the best chance of making a difference.
Hannah's story
Hannah was diagnosed with breast cancer, aged 25, after discovering a lump in her left breast. She was treated with four chemotherapy drugs, including docetaxel and carboplatin, both of which Cancer Research UK scientists helped to develop.
“It’s thanks to advances in research and treatments that I’m still here and enjoying my life. I love visiting new places and getting dolled up and going out with my family and friends.”
When Hannah started treatment doctors warned her that treatment could make her infertile. But shortly after getting the all clear, Hannah, and her partner Cameron welcomed their “miracle baby” Billie, into the world. “I’m excited to Race for Life and to play my part to fund research today which I hope will also help beat cancer for Billie’s generation and future generations to come.”
The latest in cancer research
You can keep up to date on how the money you raise makes a difference.
Check out our Science News page to see some highlights of exactly what research is being done and the changes being made to ensure we see 3 in 4 people surviving cancer by 2034.
