Cancer & Us: behind the scenes of research

Cancer affects 1 in 2 people in Greater Manchester, but it’s a topic that can be hard to talk about. As part of Cancer & Us: Community Conversations, people from Greater Manchester visited a cancer research laboratory to explore behind the scenes.

Laboratory research is a key foundation for cancer research. It helps discover the biology of cancers, how to prevent and detect cancer early and how treatment can be personalised. The work that leads to new discoveries often happens behind closed laboratory doors where researchers use blood and tissue samples from patients.

Without the research, there’s nothing.

Ian, Participant

As part of Cancer & Us patients and people from local communities were interested in meeting the researched in finding out what they do and how this fits of improving the lives of cancer patients. To help answer these questions we brought patients to the laboratories used by cancer researchers whose work is supported by the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre and ask the questions that mattered to them.

The visit enabled new conversations between researchers and people that benefit from their work.

Each person on the team had a specialism. All of it together forms a beautiful picture of recovery potentially.

Rita, Participant

It’s a team effort, and the public and the patients are a key component of that team.

Dan, Cancer Researcher

To find out more about the experience of the people that visited the lab, the research they talked about and the importance of hearing from patients watch two of the videos on this page or go to our YouTube page .

If you’re interested in having a say in cancer research and make a difference to people in the future, you can join the Get Vocal on Cancer Network.

This blog is part of Cancer & Us: Community Conversations. Find out more on Twitter and Facebook by following @letsgetvocal and #CancerAndUs