An update from Talan’s Trust trustee, Emma Bartrop about her and Sarah’s recent trip to the see how the money the trust has raised is being used.
Sarah and I were lucky enough to be invited to visit the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), based at the Royal Marsden Hospital. Our aim was to gain an insight into the work of the scientists in the Sarcoma Molecular Pathology Team, led by Dr Janet Shipley, who are conducting clinical trials into treatment options for Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Also, we wanted to get an understanding of where the money raised goes and what it pays for.
We met with Lyn and Lyn Lucas, from the Chris Lucas Trust, who were joining us for the afternoon.
We were given a presentation by Dr Shipley, outlining the trials completed, results gained and proposed future trials, which will look specifically at treatment options for relapsed or re occurring RMS. They have had some exciting results so far, which attracts future funding from Cancer Research UK. The initial clinical trials were solely funded by the combined efforts of the charities which feed into the Chris Lucas Trust, including our very own Talan’s Trust. Although the presentation was aimed at the research science community; Dr Shipley did a great job at explaining the more complex biology to us.
We were then give a tour of the labs and met some of the rest of the team. It was very evident that the work is detailed, extensive and attracting the attention of the International research community. Dr Shipley outlined their practice of pooling information and clinical findings from their research with other scientists around the world, which was reassuring to hear that the work is being conducted by the best brains in the field.
Overall the visit gave us a beneficial overview of the work being carried out in finding treatment options for RMS. The team expressed their gratitude for the continued financial support gained from our charities and advised that they will keep us updated regarding their ongoing findings.