Cancer research receives €2.6m boost

IRISH cancer research is to get €2.6 million from the Irish Cancer Society this year to further developments in prevention, treatments and patient care.

The society’s research division, Cancer Research Ireland, is granting most of the money to scientific projects and studies concentrating on the psychological care of patients with cancer.

The investment was announced at the launch of the annual Terry Fox Runs at University College Dublin, a world-wide fundraising event.

Terry Fox, a young Canadian who lost his right leg to bone cancer, decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research in 1980. With one artificial limb, he ran almost 3,500 miles in 143 days, the equivalent of a marathon a day. He raised over $24m.

Terry died before his journey could be completed after the cancer spread to his lungs, but his spirit now lives on in hundreds of Terry Fox Runs held in 50 countries around the world.

Last year, the Terry Fox Runs around Ireland raised almost €300,000.

Chairperson of Cancer Research Ireland, Professor Cliona O’Farrell, said: “Seeing groups of scientists and clinicians from all over Ireland come together and tackle the challenges in the prevention, early detection and treatment is really exciting and crucial in improving the outlook for all cancer patients in Ireland.”

For more details, call the Terry Fox Runs Registration Hotline on 1850 60 60 60 or visit www.cancer.ie.