An exhibition featuring the CTC-coordinated studies TRACERx and PEACE opens at the Science Museum in London today.
Titled ‘Cancer Revolution: Science, innovation and hope’, the exhibition will showcase a variety of objects and personal accounts from patients, researchers and clinicians, demonstrating recent developments in our understanding and treatment of the disease.
The Science Museum has described the aims behind the exhibition: ‘From busting myths about the causes of cancer and revealing how the disease isn’t unique to humans, to exploring how the latest cancer science, early detection technologies and immunotherapies are advancing cancer care today, 'Cancer Revolution: Science, innovation and hope' shows the incredible progress we have made in understanding this disease and highlights the important challenges that are still to be solved.’
On TRACERx, which opened to recruitment in 2014, researchers collect biopsies from the tumours of lung cancer patients over the course of 5 years. Using cutting-edge methods to collect and analyse genomic data, the study aims to identify patients who could benefit from trials of new targeted treatments.
PEACE, also open since 2014, involves terminally ill cancer patients who have agreed to the posthumous donation of tissue samples, taken from both their cancer tumour and from normal tissue in other parts of the body. Using these, as well as a series of blood samples, researchers are hoping to understand more about how cancer develops and spreads, why treatment stops working, and how the human body reacts in the final stages of the disease.
PEACE’s chief investigator, Professor Charles Swanton, said: “I have been on the Science Museum’s advisory board, meeting with the curator every three months over the last two years. It has been very interesting to see how ideas for the exhibition have evolved.
‘Explaining to people what cancer is can be very difficult. There are more possibilities for tumour evolution than there are stars in the universe! I hope the exhibition helps with people's understanding and also helps to explain why it can be such a difficult disease to treat. We are hugely grateful to Eileen Rapley, one of our TRACERx patients who contributed the patient perspective to this exhibition.’
‘
Cancer Revolution: Science, innovation and hope’ is on display until January 2023. The exhibition is free – more details can be found on
the Science Museum website.
Image shows exhibit featuring Professor Charles Swanton and the TRACERx study