• Cancer Research UK
• CLIC Sargent
• The Mental Health Foundation
• Great Ormond Street Hospital
• Breakthrough Breast Cancer

• Perfect Valentine’s Gifts from Cancer Research UK Shop
• CRUK Applaud Sunbed Bill Passing in the Commons
• David Beckham Visits UNICEF HIV Work in South Africa
• Help London’s Homeless and Give a St. Mungo’s Virtual Gift
• Help Save Sight This Christmas By Giving
• Christmas at Epilepsy Action
• Beating Bowel Cancer – Be Loud Be Clear Week 25-31st January 2010
• Visit the Donation4Charity.org Charity Blog

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's leading charity dedicated to cancer research. They fund the work of more than 4,500 scientists, doctors and nurses across the UK, all working together to beat cancer.

• Help with Regular Monthly Donations from just £2 - Sadly more than 1 in 3 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. With virtually no government funding for their research, the charity needs regular support to help beat the disease.
• Having spent £333 million on scientific research in the 2007/08 financial year your help is invaluable.

>> Just £2 a month helps Cancer Research UK to save lives

Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK carries out scientific research to help prevent, diagnose and treat different types of cancer. They are :

• the world’s leading organisation dedicated to cancer research
• responsible for some of the most novel and innovative treatments to date
• supporting cancer research in over thirty five towns across the United Kingdom
• employing their own scientists as well as providing support to grant funded researchers currently working in hospitals and universities across the UK.

Cancer Research Facts

• 9 out of 10 people in the UK live within 30 miles of Cancer Research UK funded research.
• In 2007/08 they spent £333 million on world class research, and a further £11m million on cancer information and advocacy. 

As well as the funding they provide for direct research they also fulfill an educational role which aims to give support and understanding to both cancer sufferers, friends and family and those that are indirectly affected by this disease. The main objective is to improve the lives of all cancer patients with a view to enabling swift and accurate diagnosis, effective treatment and support. Each cancer patient is faced with a number of choices regarding both treatment and in their everyday lifestyle. CRUK aim to give people as much information and support as possible in order to help them to make the right choices, both for them and also for their families.

We support their work wholeheartedly and would ask our community to support them also by making an online donation as just two pounds a month as a direct debit donation will help them to continue the good work and increase our understanding of this disease and the most effective ways to treat and prevent it.

Cancer Prevention and Lifestyle

Many people believe that getting cancer is purely down to genes, fate or bad luck. But through scientific research, we know that our risk actually depends on a combination of our genes, our environment and aspects of our lives, many of which we can control. In the UK, more than one in three people will develop cancer at some point in their lives. Every year, 289,000 people are diagnosed with the disease- a greater number than the population of a city like Nottingham or Belfast.

But experts estimate that at least half of these cases could be prevented by lifestyle changes, such as :

• not smoking
• cutting back on alcohol
• keeping a healthy body weight
• eating a healthy, balanced diet
• keeping active
• staying safe in the sun

>> Find out more information on Cancer and Lifestyle

>> Help Cancer Research UK with a Regular Donation from just £2 a Month

Cancer Research - Factors that Influence Cancer

Evidence gathered by Cancer Research UK suggests that around half of all cases of cancer diagnosed in the UK could be avoided if people made certain changes to their lifestyle :

• Bodyweight - it is estimated that if no one exceeded a body mass index (BMI) of 25 up to 12,000 cases of cancer (more than 4% of recorded cases) could be avoided. >> Click here to work out your BMI.
• Diet - it is generally agreed that diet is an important factor when determining an individuals risk of getting cancer although currently there are no exact details as to what constituents of an individuals diet are protective against cancer.
• Hormones - is is estimated that hormone levels could be responsible for up to 15% of female cancers in the UK
  
• Infections - while cancer is not infectious there are a number of infections that can increase cancer risk. It is estimated that as many as one in ten cancer cases in the UK are caused by infectious diseases.
• Occupation - most occupations that are known to have influences on cancer are either banned or well regulated within the UK. Those people who are diagnosed with occupation related cancer are a result of being exposed more than 10 years ago.
• Physical activity - it is reported that those with with higher levels of physical activity have a reduced risk of colon and probably breast cancer that is independent of bodyweight.
• Sunlight - it is widely reported that over exposure to ultraviolet radiation (including sunlight and light from sun beds etc) is the most important risk for both malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. Importantly this is modifiable by using sun cream.
• Tobacco - research indicates that the greatest factor in avoiding cancer is not smoking tobacco. Tobacco is responsible for the deaths of 6 million people in the last 50 years - that equates to more than 1 in 4 cancer deaths.

About Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK is the world's leading charity dedicated to cancer research. They fund the work of more than 4,500 scientists, doctors and nurses across the UK, all working together to beat cancer. Although it seems like they have been around forever, the charity in its present guise was formed relatively recently and have actually only existed since 2002 when the Imperial Cancer Research Fund merged with The Cancer Research Campaign. They are a completely independent organisation solely dedicated to researching all aspects of cancer via a pool of over 3000 expert scientists, doctors, nurses and health care professionals.