Yorkshire Cancer Research Spotlights More Moments Together Thanks to Life-Saving Research

This World Cancer Research Day (24th September), Yorkshire Cancer Research is showcasing how life-saving cancer research is giving people across Yorkshire more moments with the people they love.

Through the launch of its campaign, More Moments Together, the charity is highlighting how pioneering clinical trials and innovative research in Yorkshire are helping more people affected by cancer live longer, healthier, cancer-free lives.  

Yorkshire Cancer Research funds £64m of cancer research and services to find new and innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, giving 175,000 people the opportunity to benefit from pioneering research and services funded by the charity.

The charity’s new TV advert represents the experiences of people across Yorkshire whose lives have been saved and extended thanks to research funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research.  

This includes Susan Greig from Leeds, who in 2019, received a letter inviting her to have a lung health check as part of the Yorkshire Lung Screening Trial - an innovative lung cancer screening study funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research and delivered in partnership with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Leeds. 

The trial offered people at higher risk of lung cancer the chance to be screened for early signs of the disease. Soon after having a chest scan on a mobile screening unit at her local supermarket, she received a letter explaining that a nodule had been found in her lungs. Following further scans, the results showed that it was likely to be cancerous. 

She said: “When I got the results, I just wanted to hide under the duvet. What worried me most was how to tell my family. My daughter was seven months pregnant, and my mum was nearly 90. I was terrified the news might upset them so much that it could affect their health.”

Fortunately, the cancer in Susan’s lung had not spread to other parts of her body and she was able to have surgery to remove the nodule, offering the best chance of cure.

Professor Mat Callister, Consultant Respiratory Physician at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Honorary Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Leeds and co-lead for the Yorkshire Lung Screening Trial estimates that without the early detection and treatment to remove the cancerous nodule in Susan’s lung, it would have taken approximately two to four years before she started showing symptoms. By then, the cancer would very likely have developed to a later stage when there would have been fewer treatment options, and it was more likely to be incurable.

Thanks to early detection, the surgery to remove the nodule in Susan’s lung was successful, and she spent ten days in hospital following treatment.  

But the day Susan came out of hospital became even more meaningful. It was also the day her grandson, George, was born.

“The very day I left the hospital, my daughter was in another hospital giving birth to my grandson, George. He’s six now and brings me so much joy. Two years ago, I welcomed another beautiful grandson too. I might never have got the chance to hold him if I hadn’t attended my lung cancer screening.” 

Now five years cancer-free - and medically classed as cured - Susan continues to enjoy every moment.  

The Yorkshire Cancer Research 'More Moments Together’ campaign follows recent analysis from the charity that people in Yorkshire are more likely to be told about research opportunities during their cancer care than almost anywhere else in England. In Yorkshire, 49.5% of people reported having research opportunities discussed with them, which is higher than the national average of 45.8%.¹

Among NHS Trusts in Yorkshire, Leeds Teaching Hospitals ranked highest, with 57.4% of people reporting discussions about cancer research opportunities, followed by Calderdale and Huddersfield (56.9%) and Harrogate and District (51.4%). These figures are close to the London average of 56.8%, the only region with a higher proportion of people being informed about research opportunities than Yorkshire.  

As the biggest funder of cancer research study places in Yorkshire, Yorkshire Cancer Research is working closely with clinical academic researchers to drive this progress, bringing innovative research into the real world. In 2024-2025, the charity funded 33% of all opportunities to take part in cancer research study places in the region, helping more people benefit from innovative treatment and clinical trials.

This includes Bill Hall, a doctor from York, who was offered the opportunity to take part in pioneering cancer research after James Platt, Medical Oncology Registrar at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, approached him about FOxTROT 3, a pioneering bowel cancer clinical trial. The trial is funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research and led by researchers at the University of Leeds and the University of Birmingham. 

Bill continued: “Thanks to the trial, the chemotherapy before my surgery made the tumour much smaller and the surrounding tissue easier to remove. As a result, the procedure was done through keyhole surgery, assisted by a robot, leaving minimal damage and no complications.”

Following successful treatment, Bill is now having six-monthly appointments to hopefully confirm the cancer has not returned. He is back to his role as a locum doctor and continuing his passion to support people with their health, as well as enjoying life in his new flat in York with his wife.  

While there are many people in the region, including Susan and Bill, whose lives have been saved and extended thanks to pioneering cancer research, Yorkshire continues to receive less research funding than other areas.  

Yorkshire represents nearly 8% of the UK’s population but receives only 5% of health research funding. This means fewer people in the region can benefit from the opportunity to trial innovative new treatments and access life-saving research.  

The charity’s landmark White Rose Cancer Report, published earlier this year, calls for the Government to address long-standing regional cancer inequalities, including giving Yorkshire its fair share of cancer funding. The report sets out clear recommendations to reform funding for clinical research and grow research opportunities across Yorkshire, so the benefits of cancer research can be felt by everyone in the region, no matter where they live. 

Dr Kathryn Scott, Chief Executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: "The experiences of Susan and Bill are exactly why Yorkshire Cancer Research exists, so more people live longer, healthier, cancer-free lives and can enjoy more moments together with loved ones. It's thanks to dedicated cancer researchers and clinicians that Yorkshire is performing well in offering research opportunities to people undergoing cancer treatment. However, there is still a way to go.

1 NHS England (2025). National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2024: National Results. Published 19 August 2025. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-cancer-patient-experience-survey-ncpes-2024