Current research into bowel cancer

Lynch syndrome is a condition that runs in families and puts people at a higher risk of developing bowel, womb and other types of cancer. There is strong evidence that aspirin can prevent cancers in this group of people. Professor Sir John Burn in Newcastle is leading a clinical trial testing if lower doses of aspirin work as well as higher doses, but with fewer side effects.

Professor Owen Sansom is Director of our CRUK Scotland Institute (formerly the Beatson Institute) in Glasgow, where he's bringing together a European-wide consortium at the forefront of bowel cancer research. He hopes to accelerate the drug development pipeline – identifying new and repurposed drugs that can be used to combat different subtypes of bowel cancer. They hope to design clinical trials to test these personalised treatments in bowel cancer, to ensure no therapeutic opportunities are overlooked. 

In Belfast, Dr Vicky Coyle is leading the UK part of an international trial called the CHALLENGE trial. It’s looking at whether physical exercise could help reduce the risk of bowel cancer coming back after surgery and chemotherapy. The trial is supported by Stand Up To Cancer. 

We’re jointly funding a large international trial, called Add Aspirin, to see if aspirin can stop or delay bowel and other cancers coming back after treatment. It’s led by Professor Ruth Langley in London. The trial will help researchers work out who is most likely to benefit from taking aspirin, and how best to use it in cancer medicine.