Cancer Research UK and Breakthrough Breast Cancer have announced that they will collaborate as research partners as part of the fundraising campaign Stand Up To Cancer.
A proportion of the money raised for the campaign will be combined to fund selected breast cancer research projects that will bring new breast cancer treatments to patients faster, the charities said in a statement.
Stand Up to Cancer is a joint national fundraising campaign run by CRUK and Channel 4, which raised a total of more than £8m in 2012 to speed up the new treatments available for cancer patients.
Not all of the money raised through the campaign this year will fund breast cancer research and research grants will be awarded to selected cancer research projects throughout the year.
As part of the 2014 campaign, CRUK has launched several fundraising drives, including the Undie Run, a student challenge event, and has sold merchandise. The campaign will end with a live TV and telethon on Channel 4 next Friday.
Breakthrough will also be promoting a text-to-donate number on and around the night of the broadcast. It is selling a limited edition t-shirt through its partner the high street retailer River Island to coincide with the Stand Up to Cancer Campaign.
Claire Rowney, director of UK Stand Up To Cancer at CRUK, said: “By coming together, showing unity and collective defiance against a disease that affects more than one in three of us, this partnership really highlights the message that together we will beat cancer sooner.”
Chris Askew, chief executive at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: “There is so much more to be done in order to stop breast cancer for good, but collaboration is key to getting us there. It is by bringing the best minds together, and working with a common goal, that we can truly reach the point where breast cancer, and all cancers, are stopped in their tracks.”
Stand Up To Cancer is a US initiative that has raised more than £100m for cancer research through telethons on US television networks since its launch in 2008.
The first UK campaign in 2012 raised money to fund 12 clinical trials across the UK.
