Richard Wilcox Charity tackles Prostate Cancer

Prostate Research Campaign UK is delighted to have become the catalyst for two major new projects which will be financed by the Richard Wilcox Welfare Charity at a cost of £100,000.  In the larger of the two projects the plan is to produce a detailed database of the very large number of patients treated for prostate cancer at St George's Hospital in South West London.  The expenditure involved will be £80,000 over a two year period beginning this February.

At the same time a parallel bank will be set up of patients' DNA, serum and, where possible, tumour tissue.  Currently there is a large, multi-disciplinary team on site involved in a number of aspects of prostate cancer research and this database together with the bank of material will greatly expand the usefulness of the work being undertaken and of future projects also.  Once the scheme is fully operational it is hoped to widen its possibilities by including other UK hospitals.

In the second project being financed by the Richard Wilcox Welfare Charity (with a further £20,000) genetic immunotherapy for prostate cancer will be worked upon at St George's also.  The central part of the research will be to analyse the in vitro immunological effects of vaccination.  The grant will enable a scientific officer to be employed there for a year together with provision of the necessary 'consumables'.

Mr Richard Oury, Administrator of the Richard Wilcox Welfare Charity, explained to Update that it liked to support specific projects where performance could be monitored and tangible results could be seen.  It was for this reason that he looked so favourably on the prostate cancer proposals put to him by Mr Brian Barnes of Prostate Research Campaign UK.

Mr Nick Sargent, a Trustee of the Richard Wilcox Welfare Charity, said that the charity recognised the serious Government under-funding of research into prostate cancer in recent years.  He added that he was pleased to be associated with something which would help towards redressing the balance.