Oxford today takes centre stage in the global fight against cancer.

Scientists are celebrating a multi-million-pound investment by the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, placing the city at the forefront of the treatment of patients and in the search to find a cure.

The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust secured the scheme after bidding against Cambridge's renowned Addenbrooke's Hospital. The move will now see the two university cities working together, with Oxford leading the way.

The breakthrough will mean patients suffering from cancer will benefit from improvements, with the possibility that newly diagnosed sufferers will receive new techniques before the cancer has a chance to spread. The research, a major part in the global battle to fight the feared disease, will take place on several hospital sites in Oxford.

Trust chief executive John MacDonald said: "This means a strengthening in the partnership between the ICRF and Oxford - a partnership which already plays a large role in cancer research.

"What they will be bringing to Oxford gives people in the city incredible benefits in cancer services and obviously we all welcome the decision."

The ICRF scheme will be result in a huge expansion of existing cancer facilities at the charity's Clinical Research Centre, based at the John Radcliffe Hospital. The John Radcliffe will also benefit from an extension to the Institute of Molecular Medicine and a new pathology unit at the site.

An additional epidemiology unit, examining how the disease spreads, at the Churchill will make the facilities the biggest in Britain.

The ICRF hopes to be able to work in partnership with a new £21m Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics in Oxford. Dr John Toy, ICRF clinical research director, said the investment would make Oxford second to none. He said: "The clinical research centre and genetics in the city are already world recognised and this will boost the facilities. We want to extend our research base into pathology with the University of Oxford and also safeguard the work which is already there." Dr Paul Nurse, director general of the ICRF, said: "This exciting new opportunity has been made possible because members of the public have given us such generous support.

"It's essential that we build on the outstanding work at Oxford to accelerate our progress against cancer. This expansion of our research in Oxford, which is an excellent location for this work, will help us do just that."

Story date: Thursday 16 December

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