OUR AMBITION

Today at Breakthrough we are driving a new strategy, which builds on immense success already delivered, to expand on our already ambitious approach, but enable greater impact for people diagnosed with low survival cancers. This strategy aims to deliver greater improvements in survival over the short, medium and longer term.

In the next four years, Breakthrough Cancer Research will lead research discovery and innovation for the benefit of those with low survival cancers.

We are increasing our research focus to channel greater investment into seven specific low survival cancers, which are responsible for nearly half of all cancer deaths in Ireland annually (also in Europe and the U.S.). Our investment is primarily being directed to Brain, Oesophageal, Lung, Stomach, Liver, Pancreatic, and Ovarian cancers. New strategic grant programmes will create impetus and harness the research towards improved survival. One such programme is the AllCaN Programme.

All-Ireland Cancer Networks

The All-Ireland Cancer Network (AllCaN) Programme Grant is a Breakthrough Cancer Research funding programme that started in 2021. The Programme Grant is designed to fund networks of the best scientists/researchers at institutions across the island of Ireland, to develop new and innovative approaches to improving cancer outcomes. Researchers collaborate across disciplines, institutions, and as appropriate across the four pillars of prevention, detection, treatment and survivorship. The successful researchers work together on a common goal, pooling their knowledge and resources to work together to eliminate barriers and to hasten the progression needed to improve patient outcomes.

The first of these, AllCaN-Oesophageal, launched on World Cancer Day 2023 and is being led by Prof. Jacintha O’Sullivan (Trinity St. James’ Cancer Institute) and co-led by Prof. Helen Coleman (Queen’s University Belfast) and links six major academic institutions across the island of Ireland – Trinity College Dublin, Queen’s University Belfast; University College Cork; Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, University College Dublin and University of Galway, with health agencies in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and industry. They share decades of collective experience in Oesophageal Cancer and Barrett’s Oesophagus (a significant risk factor for oesophageal cancer).

The second AllCaN will focus on Pancreatic cancer and should launch early in 2025. The calls to fund and form the other networks will follow as and when funding allows. Each network receives €1 million funding over a 4 year period and leverages additional funding from other partners.