Right now, one in three children who die with cancer die from side effects of treatment, not the cancer itself.
While amazing progress has been made in children's cancer research and 80% of children will survive their diagnosis, their treatments - often designed for adults - can cause severe, lasting, and even deadly side effects. Yet research to reduce these effects is almost non-existent. That’s why in 2023, we launched The Candlelighters Supportive Care Research Centre - to help paediatric oncologists better treat and prevent them.
During a family trip to London, Ralph - previously a healthy little boy - was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma after doctors found large tumours in his neck and chest. Treatment began immediately and was effective against the cancer, but the side effects were devastating: severe sickness, tooth decay that meant five had to be removed, sore skin that was painful to touch, and life-threatening sepsis.
"No one can prepare you for the side effects. He couldn’t walk, he swelled up from steroids, he would scream in agony." - Ralph's mum, Cleo
Yet for children and teenagers with cancer, this experience is far too common. We established the centre to find better ways to care for children like Ralph. To reduce their suffering and ultimately reduce deaths from side effects of childhood cancer treatment.
Cancer treatment includes different types of care. Curative care aims to cure the disease, like chemotherapy. Supportive care focuses on managing side effects, such as pain relief or antibiotics for infections. Supportive care helps reduce side effects and improve quality of life during treatment. For children and young people, curative and supportive care are both vital.
The Candlelighters Supportive Care Research Centre
The Candlelighters Supportive Care Research Centre is bringing together the world’s leading supportive care experts to carry out high-quality research. Led by Professor Bob Phillips, the centre is identifying and exploring new techniques and treatments which can have significant positive impacts on young people and can be implemented on a national and international scale.
We’re committing £1m over five years to establish the centre and make better care for children with cancer a reality. By establishing the centre, we hope to raise the profile of supportive care and help transform what it means to undergo cancer treatment as a child.
Current projects
Preventing mucositis
Using red light therapy to prevent severe mouth ulcers which can leave young people unable to eat or swallow. These ulcers can extend from the mouth to the entire digestive tract and be excruciatingly painful for young people.
Preventing nausea and vomiting
Exploring ways to reduce persistent sickness and nausea which are detrimental to children's wellbeing and can lead to weight loss and heightened anxiety around receiving treatment.
Reducing hospital stays
Finding how to determine which young people can safely return home, minimising stress and disruption to their daily lives, and getting them back to the surroundings they are most comfortable in.
Priority setting
Working with patients and families to identify the most impactful areas of research for them and using this insight to determine the strategy and priorities for the centre, going forward.
The life-changing research we fund is all thanks to support from donations and fundraising. We receive no government funding and only a small proportion of national cancer research funding is spent on researching children's cancers. Your support is vital to continue making progress. If you'd like to support our research, please donate today.