GOSH Charity's Cancer Research Strategy 2024-2029
We believe that through targeted and dedicated research, we can transform the lives of children and young people with cancer.
That’s why we are committing at least £15 million over the next five years to our new cancer research strategy.
| Vision | Until no childhood is lost to cancer |
|---|---|
| Mission |
Transform the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with the rarest and hardest to treat cancers |
| Priorities |
• Develop new treatments and cures that are more effective and targeted • Improve the experiences and quality of life of patients and their families through research • Rapidly translate research discoveries into the NHS clinic |
| Our values | Equity and fairness | Partnerships and collaboration | Funding highest quality research for biggest impact |
|---|
Cancer remains the leading cause of death among children aged one to 14 in the UK. Every week, around five children in the UK lose their lives to cancer. That’s five families who are faced with the worst news possible.
Living with cancer is different for every child. It can mean countless rounds of debilitating treatment. Seeing your siblings through the windows of an isolation room. Not knowing when you’ll sleep in your own bed again.
It can mean missing out on parties and playdates and trips to the park. It can mean missing the moments that make up a childhood. We want to see a world where no childhood is lost to cancer.
The following priorities will help us achieve our mission of transforming the lives of children and young people with the rarest and hardest to treat cancers:
1. Develop new treatments and cures that are more effective and targeted
We want to see more clinical trials being run to test new cancer treatments for children and young people. We want to increase the pace of research at every stage and for research to be more specific and tailored to children’s and young people’s cancers to reduce side effects during and post-treatment.
We will:
Invest in staff and infrastructure at GOSH to increase the number of clinical trials supported and the speed that they are set up
Invest in areas of existing strength in clinical research, such as CAR T-cell therapy, as well as new therapies for rare and hard to treat cancers
Partner with other research funders to co-fund in areas of shared strategic priority
Look at how we can work with industry and international initiatives to help accelerate the development of new treatments
2. Improve the experiences and quality of life of patients and their families through research
Living with cancer and spending time in hospital can have a deep and long-lasting impact on children and their families. We want to explore supporting research that helps children enjoy their childhood, enhances the hospital experience for them and their families, and improves their overall quality of life.
We will:
Identify opportunities in our Patient and Family Experience Strategy that will benefit cancer patients
Explore how we can expand our research funding schemes to better understand how patient and family support services and holistic care improve experiences and health outcomes
Continue to increase our research funding towards projects with a focus on improving the quality of life for children, including those experiencing late effects of treatment
Work with national research funding partners to ensure our research supports the priorities identified by patients and families through the James Lind Alliance Children’s Cancer Priorities
3. Rapidly translate research discoveries into the NHS
Research into rare diseases, like childhood cancer, takes far too long from initial discoveries in the laboratory to reaching a child’s bedside and making an impact. We want to progress research identified above as quickly and efficiently as possible to ensure new discoveries reach patients without delay. Once available on the NHS, many more patients can benefit from these breakthroughs.
4. Create a strong research culture
We want to create an environment where all research can thrive and is embedded within the NHS.
To do this, we need to support our workforce, giving them the time, space and resources to carry out important research.
We will:
Expand our support for early career researchers, such as mentoring, training and conference attendance
Partner with other research funders to co-fund fellowship schemes aimed at mid-career researchers
Investigate how we can encourage and support new people, such as nurses and allied healthcare professionals, to get involved in research
Bring together the cancer research community through networking activities
We want to share our research across the UK and around the world, so as many children, young people and families can benefit.
We will:
Map out the clinical research infrastructure to determine where investment is most needed to accelerate research
Continue to support the expansion of data and genomic sequencing capabilities
Investigate how we can work more closely with other hospitals and research institutions to share best practice
Find out more
To find out more please read the full version of our 2024-2029 cancer research strategy.
For more information, please contact Caroline-May Huxley, GOSH Charity Cancer Programme Manager