Current statistics show that some 565 people are diagnosed with cancer in Yorkshire every week. Incidence and mortality rates in the county are higher than the England average.
More specifically, and for all cancers combined, NHS Hull has more men and women developing and dying from cancer than anywhere else in the UK.
The facts and statistics are stark, but they’re by no means a cause for submission – far from it. Yorkshire Cancer Research has recently awarded the University of Hull and the Hull York Medical School (a collaboration between the universities of Hull and York and the NHS) £4.9 million to deliver major research to improve cancer survival rates and care in Yorkshire. An additional grant of £712,500 has also been awarded for research into diagnosis and intervention of lung cancer.
The two grants are the latest of dozens to have been awarded to the University and Hull York Medical School (HYMS) in relation to cancer research.
Previous grants have been awarded for research into improving the care of those with chronic lung conditions; for investigation into new treatments for head and neck cancer; and for studying ways to approach drug-resistant cancers.
Collectively, the research enabled by grants over the years has radically changed the life chances of people in the region living with cancer, and it continues to do so.
Research carried out at the University of Hull continues to substantially impact the ways in which cancer is understood, diagnosed and treated.