About Us

Our Mission

By 2023 we will scale up the amount of our research grants to £5m and projects to at least 23 per year, seed-funding scientists with great ideas to accelerate progress.

The Facts

Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer and recently became the most commonly diagnosed cancer in England.

300,000 men die from prostate cancer across the world, every year
56,000 men diagnosed in the UK in 2018
5,000 of these were under 60 years old
12,000 of these are likely to die from prostate cancer
Only 5% of all cancer research spend goes on prostate cancer research in the UK

What's the need?

Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer and recently became the most commonly diagnosed cancer in England.

We urgently need to develop new and effective treatments for advanced prostate cancer. It is in the late stages of the disease that prostate cancer kills, yet, surprisingly we are often still using treatments for late stage prostate cancer that are toxic and that prolong life by only a few months.

Globally, the funding of medical research into improved treatments has been minimal; according to the NCRI, just over £22m was spent overall on novel prostate cancer research in the UK in 2018. By way of comparison, £40–£46m has been spent on early stage breast cancer research over the last five years and mortality rates have fallen by 18% since 2014.

This is where PCR comes in. We are here to invest in the science, research and medical breakthroughs of the future.

Why us?

Our focus is on taking research from bench to bedside. In order to achieve this:

We help our researchers connect with patients so that they have a deeper understanding of patient’s needs and challenges
We help scientists build new collaborations and partnerships with other scientists
We monitor and evaluate our impact so that we ensure the effectiveness of our research and continue to improve our work in the future
Only by working in this way do we have a good chance of saving and improving lives.

PCR has recently embarked on a bold new chapter. We have increased income by 46% in the last two years, doubled our grant expenditure and increased the number of projects we fund by 175%. We are not just scaling up the quantity of the research we fund; we are seed-funding scientists with great ideas to accelerate their progress.

What we have achieved so far

Dr Christine Galustian’s research has reduced tumour growth in model organisms by up to 60% by modifying a protein and injecting into tumours.

In addition, Dr Galustian’s team has found that using the modified protein in combination with another cancer drug it significantly increases the potency of the treatment, dramatically reducing tumour growth by up to 100%.

Our seven new research projects are working to create a future in which prostate cancer treatment is tailored to the type of prostate cancer a man has – the same strategy which revolutionised the treatment of breast cancer. The scientists are taking different approaches towards this common aim: from using analytics and AI to putting prostate cancer into different groups depending on how individual cancers behave; using new radiation tools to hunt out cancer, including when it has spread to other parts of the body; looking at whether genetic changes can tell doctors which drug will work best for which patient; shutting down resistance to cancer drugs by blocking cancer-causing proteins in different ways.

Three of our new projects are pilot awards, which represent a brand new seed-funding approach. We saw a need to inject a small amount of funds into highly risk-versus-reward projects so that they may show the idea to be solid enough for funders to feel confident about making a larger long-term award.

Strategy for 2020-23

Our six core strategic goals will guide all of our decision making.

Our three-year strategic plan reaffirms PCR’s overarching vision and sets out six core strategic goals that will guide all of our decisions towards helping secure a better future for men and their families affected by prostate cancer. Our strategy aims to shift perspectives and combine scientific excellence with a patient-centric approach.

Strategy 2020-2023

Gold Standard

PCR aims to become the gold standard for research that has an impact on advanced prostate cancer. We are committed to being at the forefront of innovation and fostering scientific excellence and, to this end, we will actively seek out exceptional science proposed by outstanding scientists.

Leading Authority

To succeed in our mission, we need to further strengthen our credibility and reputation. We aim to be recognised as the leading authority on prostate cancer research among the research community, decision-makers and funders.

Form Partnerships

Looking out for and nurturing vibrant partnerships is part of the solution to speeding up the development of pioneering treatments for cancer patients in the UK and worldwide. PCR will build bridges between the scientific community, government, pharmaceutical industry and people with prostate cancer.

Assembling Experts

We have assembled experts to advise us on all aspects of running a successful and robust research charity. We will continue to analyse and assess our skills and experience and fill gaps that may exist in our scientific advisory committee, executive advisory group and board
of trustees.

Continuous Learning

Our main objectives will be to foster a culture of continuous learning and to build a ‘shared’ sense of purpose and the autonomy to achieve goals. Capturing and preserving knowledge will also be critical to PCR’s organisational effectiveness and long-term success.

Sustainable Growth

We will take a dual approach of bidding for larger grants from government, trusts, companies and high-net-worth individuals, while also strategically investing funds to ensure we build up the type of flexible funding that comes from events and individual giving.

Our Values

Our culture is driven by four core values which are enshrined in our work ethic and serve as the lens through which we evaluate our decisions.

Innovation

We believe in ‘innovation’ as a mindset. We always start off our work with an open mind and are not afraid to challenge conventional views to drive innovation. We actively seek out and support good ideas from our staff and volunteers and scientists. That’s why PCR believes in investing in research that will yield long-term impact in quality of life for patients.

Collaboration

Through collaboration, we maximise our impact. We believe that the best results stem from bringing in a mix of perspectives, talents and experiences. Our ambition is to leverage the combined expertise of leading scientists for the greater good. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach will benefit all parties involved and ultimately advance cancer research.

Accountability

We promote accountability and collective responsibility. We want our team to feel they can make decisions that will maximise our impact. Likewise, our drive for continuous improvement goes hand in hand with our willingness to take collective responsibility for our own actions and with our commitment to transparency. This also includes own up to our failures and correcting them wherever possible.

Empathy

It is personal connections that bring our work to life. Our work starts and ends with people. We put patients first by listening to what matters to them. We talk in simple terms and endeavour to make science accessible to all. We believe in compassion and recognise that empathy goes a long way towards improving the quality of life of people with cancer.