Pro-Cancer-Research Fund is a registered charity and a support group for pioneering research into early diagnosis and treatment of cancer by Professor Mustafa Djamgoz and his team at Imperial College, London.  This premier academic institution is currently ranked fifth in the world for bio-medicine.

History

Pro Cancer Research Fund (PCRF) is a charity that was established on 22 February 2002 after an article in the Sunday Times about the work of Professor Mustafa Djamgoz. The aim of PCRF is to support a novel line of cancer research on prostate and breast cancer called "neuroscience solutions to cancer". Through its Support Group PCRF also supports anyone affected by cancer at the drop in centre.  PCRF is a registered charity and therefore complies to the requirements of the charities commission for its financial reporting standards and has fully audited accounts.

Research

PCRF continues to support "the neuroscience solutions to cancer" concept currently carried out by Prof Mustafa B A Djamgoz and his team at the Imperial College London, one of the pioneering academic institutions of the UK (recently ranked 5th in the world for biomedicine). The research is important in both the early detection in a non-invasive way, treating the cancers and in improving the prognosis of the disease. The group works on prostate and breast cancer and is targeting early diagnostic methods as well as targeted treatment.

Present methods

Currently all cancers, including breast and prostate, are diagnosed by examination and invasive biopsy, and will be treated using cyto-toxic drugs (chemotherapy) and radiation.  These traditional treatments have saved lives but have radical side effects that in some cases are long lasting.     
Chemotherapy is not able to differentiate between normal and cancerous cells and will attack all cells.  Radiotherapy can in some cases cause radiotherapy induced cancers.
It is therefore important to look for methods that do not have severe side effects.  Chemotherapy can cause vomiting, nausea, hair loss, memory problems, sensitivity to noise and smell etc.

Why this research is different

Professor Djamgoz has pioneered a new approach by looking at cancer cells in the same way he looked at neural or brain cells.  He has discovered that some of the metastatic cancers, those that will spread, had certain characteristics not present in tumours that do not spread. 
In cancer the danger is when the cells spread and migrate to other cells and organs or grow abnormally large and cause damage to surrounding cells or organs.
In diagnosis, the challenge is to find tests which differentiate, at a very early stage, between cancers which will spread and those which will not.  As the danger lies with those that spread, it is vital this information is available to the oncologist as early as possible.

A new approach

With the methods being developed by Professor Djamgoz, researchers are hopeful they will be able to diagnose the nature of the cancer cells from the very earliest stages through a blood test.  This is much easier than methods currently available, with minimum risk of complications. 
Once they have discovered what the cells are likely to do, they are looking at treatments which only recognise cancer cells and will not damage healthy cells. This is extremely exciting because there will be minimum side effects if normal cells remain untouched.

Results so far

The work is currently at a pre-clinical stage but the results are proving very promising.  In some cases the team has been able to reduce tumours by up to fifty percent in a relatively short time.  Money is needed for this work to proceed to the second stage so that more research can be carried out before the results become clinically available.
Professor Djamgoz believes his discoveries may also apply to other cancers, although his group is concentrating on prostate and breast cancer for the moment.

Conclusion

PCRF is different because it is supporting pioneering research that is looking at non-invasive early diagnostic methods that is able to detect the nature of the cancer at a much earlier stage which currently is not available and all cancers are treated in the same way. It is also looking at targeted treatment methods which will replace chemotherapy which attacks both healthy and cancerous cells.     

 

Charity Registration Number 1090822

Patron

Baroness Susan Greenfield CBE

Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain

Fullerian Professor of Physiology

Senior Research Fellow Lincoln College

Honorary Fellow, St. Hilda's College

Trustees

Professor Mustafa BA Djamgoz (Chairman) - President of PCRF

Dr. Graham Wilkin

 Please help us raise much needed funds to continue this great line of research

www.procanresfun.com