His Royal Highness met with researchers, donors and supporters to hear about our achievements and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our funded research.
His Royal Highness met with researchers, donors and supporters to hear about our achievements and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our funded research.
HRH The Prince of Wales visited the Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, at The Institute of Cancer Research, London on 13 May. It marks 21 years after he officially opened it in 1999 as the UK’s first dedicated breast cancer research centre.
Our Research Centre is globally renowned for bringing together world leaders in key scientific fields and enabling rapid progress in breast cancer research. The Research Centre currently houses more than 70 researchers from The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR).
As Breast Cancer Now’s Royal Patron, His Royal Highness learnt about key breast cancer research milestones that have been achieved at the Research Centre and are benefitting people affected by the disease.
To get a chance to meet HRH The Prince Of Wales is so inspiring
His Royal Highness visited a lab at the Research Centre to hear first-hand about a research trial currently looking for new treatments for lobular breast cancer, which accounts for up to 15 per cent of all breast cancer cases.
Breast Cancer Now donors whose support has helped fund research at the Centre over the past 21 years were also present. Many of our donors have had direct experience of breast cancer or have seen it affect a loved one.
This included people who have taken part in our £1,000 Challenge, each pledging to raise £1,000 for vital secondary breast cancer research at the Research Centre.
Oscar and his mum Danni, met with His Royal Highness. Oscar said:
‘My mama was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2018, and it came back as secondary breast cancer last year.
Hearing that she had the disease was a nasty shock, but ever since her first diagnosis I’ve raised funds for Breast Cancer Now in all sorts of ways – from making jewellery and tie dye bags and recently I raised £1,850 for a raffle for the £1,000 Challenge.
For me, raising money for breast cancer research is important because there isn’t an actual cure for it at the moment, but we are hoping that if we raise enough money, we might be able to find a cure’.
I was proud to shave my head to support others going through breast cancer treatment
Ann also met with HRH The Prince of Wales. She said:
‘Meeting His Royal Highness and seeing the Research Centre has been an incredible experience. After going through a breast cancer diagnosis, I know just how important the work being done by Breast Cancer Now’s researchers is, helping to give hope to people like me all over the UK.
‘When I was diagnosed with breast cancer my first thought was whether I would see my daughter start school the next September. Triple negative breast cancer gets a lot of bad press, as an “aggressive” form of breast cancer, and is particularly challenging to treat if it spreads.
‘When I had chemotherapy in 2015, I lost all my hair, which I found particularly hard as it makes a private disease become very public. I had no choice in losing my hair back then, so when I heard about the £1,000 challenge, I decided to do something positive.
‘I was proud to shave my head to support others going through cancer treatment and to help make important research happen, which it’s so inspiring to see today.’
Find out more about HRH The Prince of Wales’ visit to the Toby Robin’s Research Centre (link to press release)
Find out more about our breast cancer research and how it could change the future.