Branch News

Cheshire, North Wales Branch News

Irene Huskisson and I had a marvellous opportunity to visit the Roy Castle research laboratory based in Liverpool. Doctor Michael Davies looked after both of us along with 4 members of Roy Castle Head Office. It started with a presentation on the considerable work done in finding treatments and to try to understand how lung cancer develops. For some years, they have created and have a considerable bank of tissues, malignant, benign, blood all kept in these huge freezers at -80 degrees. All catalogued carefully, a library of diverse tissues.

People, who have been selected and have agreed to be on the panel, give their blood, which is studied then preserved in these freezers. From that moment, these people are closely monitored and if at any time, they are diagnosed with lung cancer, then the scientists look back at their blood and the changes in the present bloods. It enables them to try to understand and see what has changed in their blood. They also test DNA from healthy and sick people. During our visit, we were surrounded by very sophisticated machines, some are able to give them a rapid response compared to the ones in the past. Absolutely fascinating! Dr Davies stressed the fact that they share their findings and data with Belgium, who are very proactive in lung cancer research and with America. At the William Henry Duncan building, there are other departments researching for other cancers and they exchange their findings. Clatterbridge Centre across the road also send tissues of tumours, obviously with the agreement of families or patients to be studied. The Roy Castle research lab is the only one in that building which is solely funded by the Charity. Hopefully we will find a cure soon.

Members who regularly attend meetings with the Cheshire, North Wales branch have been invited to visit the lab in the near future.

Michele Allison

Branch Secretary