About The Christie
The name of the Christie Hospital has a very special meaning for people across the North West whose lives have been touched by cancer.
Treatments offered include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, transplants and endocrinology.
Each year over 140,000 patients are seen in the hospital and consultants oversee many more treatments in local clinics.
Christie's enjoys a very good reputation in the region for excellence in cancer diagnosis and care and is a leader and member of the Greater Manchester and Cheshire Cancer Network.
In addition, Christie's is internationally recognised for its pragmatic research and development of new cancer treatments, thanks to the close collaboration between the hospital doctors and the scientists of the Paterson Institute.
The Christie is an NHS hospital so the extra money from charitable donations is used to develop extra services, buy new equipment, fund research and improve the quality of the hospital's environment.
Over 380 research projects are underway and there are more than 13 specialist research teams, each working on different aspects of the fight to cure cancer.
Projects currently include:
- Using image-guided beams to target tumours
- Reducing the side effects and increasing the effectiveness of radiotherapy treatment
- Understanding the role of stem cells in the development of breast cancer so doctors can prevent them becoming abnormal and turning cancerous
- Triggering killer T-cells to recognise, attack and destroy tumour cells
- Increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy for bone cancer in children
- Improving treatments while minimising side effects.
Donations can be directed to cancer research or towards equipment and facilities for patients.
Our history
The Christie Hospital has been a leading pioneer in the battle against cancer since 1901.
In 1948 the hospital became part of the National Health Service, under which it thrived and established a world reputation for cancer therapy.
Christie's specialist team has played a major role in so many of the crucial breakthroughs in cancer treatment and patient care of the 20th century. Here are some milestones:
- 1901 was the year Christie's pioneered the use of Roentgen X-rays for cancer therapy
- 1905 saw the introduction of radium for treatment at Christie's
- In 1932 it developed the Manchester Method of radium treatment, setting the first international standards for radiation treatment
- In 1944 it conducted the world's first ever clinical trial for the breast cancer drug stilboestrol
- 1970 saw another world-first for Christie's with the introduction of clinical trials for tamoxifen, a treatment currently being used by women with breast cancer around the globe
- 1986 saw the start of Christie's pioneering work into the use of cultured bone marrow for the treatment of leukaemia
- 1991 was the year it developed a unique method of protecting bone marrow during treatment by using stem cells from a single blood sample
- In 1996 photo-dynamic therapy for skin cancer was invented
- 2000 Christie trials vaccine for cervical cancer.