Will there ever be a cure for cancer?

Centre of the Cell’s Big Question Lectures are brought to you by top scientists at Queen Mary, in partnership with Centre of the Cell and co-created with young people from our Youth Membership Scheme. They give audiences from age 14 the chance to hear from leaders in science and healthcare about the cutting-edge biology and innovative front-line medicine going on right here in east London.

Professor Fran Balkwill speaks about the cancer in her Big Question Lecture.

Cancer is a condition which can affect any one of us. It can happen for many different reasons, but it is always the result of our cells getting out of control and dividing too much. Every day more than 1000 people are diagnosed with some form of cancer, and while treatments are constantly improving, not everyone will be cured.

Frances Balkwill is a group leader at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London where she carries out research on ovarian cancer. She first studied at the University of Bristol, completing a degree in Cellular Pathology. Fran then completed a PhD on the topic of leukaemia. Throughout most of her career, Fran has investigated the tumour microenvironment, the dynamic mix of malignant cells and normal cells that are recruited and corrupted by cancer to help it grow and spread. This year she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. Frances has had a parallel career in science communication and is Director and Founder of Centre of the Cell, the first informal science centre in the world to be located within a working biomedical research facility.

What are the most important advances in cancer research and treatment since Fran gave the first Big Question Lecture – and what does the future hold? Will there ever be one cure for cancer?