10 ways we made an impact in cancer treatment and research in 2024 – thanks to you

Together we have raised an amazing £35.9 million this year. Your generosity has meant that we’ve been able to fund life-saving research, support hospital teams to provide outstanding treatment and care, and purchase the latest equipment that will enable future breakthroughs.

Here our top 10 highlights of 2024!

Solid tumour cellular immunotherapy
‘Olive oil’ drug
Super Surgeons Series 2
Robotic arm ‘zaps’ lung tumours with heat
AI provides hope for future treatment
First robotic genomic testing lab in UK
New Linac machine
The new Physical Activity Strategy
Outstanding patient services
Research shout-out of the year

1. 2024 marked the beginning for solid tumour cellular immunotherapy

In February, the U.S Food and Drug Administration approved Lifileucel for the treatment of advanced Melanoma. This is the first-ever cellular therapy approved for treating solid tumours. This cancer treatment uses the patient’s own immune system to fight cancer and, until this year, it has only been used to treat people with blood cancer. Now – thanks to research supported by The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity – this groundbreaking treatment has shown to be effective in the treatment of advanced melanoma.

A Royal Marsden Nurse working in a sterile cellular therapies laboratory. She is wearing a blue sterile suit, gloves and mask and is using a syringe to pull liquid from a medication bag.

The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity has funded solid tumour cellular therapy work at The Royal Marsden since 2017 and part-funded Dr Andrew Furness – Consultant Medical Oncologist and Solid Tumour Cellular Therapy Lead – since 2019. 

Dr Andrew Furness, Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden.

Dr Andrew Furness says:

“We’re continuing our research into the use of TIL therapy, as well as other forms of cellular therapy, across a broader spectrum of cancers. This includes advanced lung, liver, ovary, skin and testicular cancers as well as soft tissue sarcoma.”

While TIL therapy is not yet approved for melanoma treatment in the UK, Dr Andrew Furness explains, a regulatory review on the therapy will now take place in Europe and the UK. This also paves the way for earlier use of TIL therapy in a patient’s treatment journey, which will be an important focus of research over the next few years.

Read more about this incredible research breakthrough.

2. This year showed promise for an ‘olive oil’ derived drug for brain cancer patients

More than one drug has driven hope for cancer treatment this year. Results from a study, led by The Royal Marsden and the Institute of Cancer Research, London, found that a unique drug derived from olive oil has shown early promise in treating some patients with the most common type of brain cancer - glioblastoma.

A smiling and happy husband and wife walking down the aisle while wedding guests throw confetti on them. — Glioblastoma patient Michele with her husband Aaron on their wedding day.

The 2-OHOA drug works by restructuring the abnormal membranes of cancer cells and blocking the abnormal growth signals that drive the disease. Dr Juanita Lopez, Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden who led the study, said:

Head and shoulders of a doctor, she is wearing a smart blue top and a purple Royal Marsden lanyard — Dr Juanita Lopez, Consultant Medical Oncologist

“There hasn’t been an effective new treatment for this patient group in nearly two decades, so drug development urgently needs to be accelerated. We’re very much looking forward to results from ongoing trials and hope this treatment eventually becomes widely available.”

Find out more about the study and how it helped to improve the life of our inspiring patient, Michele.

The future is now: AI, robotics and state-of-the-art equipment

Two trainee surgeons sitting at two consoles, which is controlling a robot. — Surgical staff at The Royal Marsden using the dual consoles of the Charity-funded da Vinci Xi robot, which featured in ‘Super Surgeons - A Chance at Life’.

Professor Paleri looking down and conducting surgery on a patient. He is opposite another surgeon, they both have masks, hairnets and lights on their head — The Royal Marsden’s Consultant Head and Neck Surgeon, Professor Vin Paleri, who features in series 1 and 2 of ‘Super Surgeons - A Chance at Life’. Image © Wonderhood Studios.

A group of surgeons in masks and scrubs operating on a patient under a blue sheet. They are using white robotic arms of the da Vinci Xi robot. — Surgeons at work with help from the da Vinci Xi robot, funded by The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Image © Wonderhood Studios.

3. Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life Series 2

This year The Royal Marsden’s surgical team was under the spotlight once again with the second series of ‘Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life’.

The docu-series highlighted groundbreaking work that would not be possible without the vital funds raised by our generous supporters. From performing innovative procedures using Charity-funded equipment like the da Vinci Xi robots, to world-leading research helping to inform what the future of cancer surgery might look like.

Huge advances have been made already at The Royal Marsden in 2024 and we’ve certainly taken a peek into the future of cancer treatment with robotic technology.

4. A robotic arm that ‘zaps’ lung tumours with heat

The Royal Marsden is just one of a few hospitals in the UK which have begun testing a new technology on patients with lung cancer: robotic-guided ablation. This is a type of cancer treatment that uses heat made by radio waves to kill cancer cells, through a ‘pinhole’ incision in the skin. Traditionally, this treatment was carried out by hand, but now it can be assisted with a robotic arm!

Surgeon in blue scrubs performing lung ablation on patient — Dr Ed Johnston, Academic Consultant in Interventional Oncology, performing a robotically-guided lung ablation

Researchers at The Royal Marsden compared 20 hand-guided lung ablations with 20 guided with the robotic arm. Results showed that the surgeries carried out with the robot:

were more accurate
needed fewer needle adjustments
lead to fewer complications like collapsed lungs

Dr Ed Johnston, Academic Consultant in Interventional Oncology, is part-funded by The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity

There is even promise that it can be used more widely across the other cancer types. Dr Ed Johnston, Academic Consultant in Interventional Oncology, says:

“Robotic guidance is set to be a sea-change in our practice...we have also previously performed robotic liver ablations successfully, so it’s encouraging even more patients can benefit from this new technology.”

Read more about how this revolutionary robot works.

5. Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to break boundaries in the field of cancer research, providing hope for the future of treatment

One study in 2024 – RADSARC-R – found that AI could be around twice as accurate as a biopsy at grading the aggressiveness of some sarcomas. An innovative AI tool was developed using imaging data, allowing clinicians to more accurately and quickly identify the type and grade of sarcomas, so that treatment can be tailored effectively.

“…we hope this tool will eventually be used globally, ensuring that not just specialist centres – who see sarcoma patients every day – can reliably identify and grade the disease.” Says study lead Professor Christina Messiou – Consultant Radiologist at The Royal Marsden and Professor in Imaging for Personalised Oncology at The Institute of Cancer Research, London.

A Consultant Radiologist in a smart blue dress, smiling and standing in front of an MRI machine in a large hospital room — Consultant Radiologist Dr Christina Messiou

Thanks to you, we were able to fund this pioneering research – read more about the RADSARC-R study.

6. The first robotic genomic testing lab for cancer patients in the UK launched

Not only has A.I. been leading the way in 2024, but robotic technology has too.

A pioneering partnership between The Royal Marsden and Automata technologies happened this year. It will eventually double the hospital’s capacity for genomic testing – where researchers analyse patients’ DNA to better understand the cause of the cancer. This will help to identify the potential risk of cancer, diagnose the disease and personalise treatment for many more people.

A laboratory team in blue lab coats, looking at a large robotic machine

The process of preparing samples of saliva, blood, bone marrow to be tested will now be carried out robotically. Read more about this groundbreaking technology.

7. The future of radiotherapy treatment and research

We are also proud to have funded a new Radixact Tomotherapy Linac at Sutton, with the first patient being treated on the new machine in October, thanks to incredible cross-team collaboration at the hospital. As well as offering improved imaging, the Radixact Linac will support The Royal Marsden’s aim of introducing an exciting new technological advancement in the field of radiotherapy, known as online adaptive radiotherapy (oART), in the future. Using oART, the treatment plan is adapted daily to account for changes in patient’s anatomy, meaning patients can be treated more efficiently and precisely. The new machine will also support radiotherapy research trials, helping lead to more effective, personalised treatment for patients in the radiotherapy department and beyond.

Sign up for our newsletter to hear more about this exciting advancement in the new year.

Helping patients to live well with, and beyond, cancer

Patient wellbeing and quality of life during and after treatment continued to be championed at The Royal Marsden this year.

8. We got physical!

A Royal Marsden Physiotherapist smiling, wearing a sports jumper and sitting in front of gym equipment including a yoga ball and exercise bike. — Physiotherapist at The Royal Marsden, Sarah Dewhurst

The Royal Marsden launched its new five-year physical activity strategy – one of the first NHS Trusts in the UK to do so! The strategy aims to educate patients, staff and volunteers on the physical and mental benefits of exercise – breaking down historical misconceptions of exercise for cancer patients: “…regular physical activity during cancer treatment is safe and can help reduce symptoms and side effects, such as muscle wastage and fatigue.” Says Sarah Dewhurst, Physiotherapist at The Royal Marsden. There have been plenty of resources and opportunities to incorporate it into routine cancer care, from walk trail maps, funded by The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, to structured exercise support.   

Discover more and get involved in The Royal Marsden’s Physical Activity Strategy.

9. Outstanding patient services

A female reflexologist massaging a female patient's hand. Both women are smiling at each other. — Caroline Osland, Complementary Therapies team lead, massaging a patient's hand

Thanks to supporters of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, a broad range of complementary therapies are available across the hospital, including massage therapy, aromatherapy and reflexology. This service provides vital support to patients with complex symptoms, from pain and anxiety to altered body image throughout their treatment journey. The hospital also offers prehabilitation and psychological support.

We featured many patient stories in 2024 who have benefitted from these fantastic services. See how you have made a difference to their lives:

A woman sat in a treatment chair holding a magazine. She has a towel around her shoulders and is wearing a blue medical mask — Vicky was referred to the Complementary Therapies team for help with managing her scars post-mastectomy: “The surgery left me with a large lump of scar tissue and the massage was to try to break that up a bit and make it less painful. It definitely helped and it doesn't hurt any more.”

Head and shoulders of a woman with short grey hair, she's smiling and wearing stylish glasses and dark blue and green scarf — Pauline had one-to-one prehabilitation and physiotherapy exercise support, which helped her build up strength before a big surgery to her stomach: “Some of the exercises I did with them are things I’ve never done in my life – I can’t believe they got an old girl like me moving like this! Their support has really made such a big difference.”

Jon standing in the middle of his Banham Marsden March team, at the Sutton hospital finish line. They are all cheering and wearing bright pink t-shirts and hats — Jon (middle) had invaluable help from the psychological support service after undergoing surgery to completely remove his voicebox: “I completed a six-week mindfulness course. This support has calmed me down and helped me to find myself again. It’s amazing that this is something the hospital offer."

Read their blogs:

Vicky's story: From aromatherapy to massages: supporting cancer patients with complementary therapies.
Pauline's story: “I’ve been treated at The Royal Marsden for over 20 years!”
Jon's story: "I had invaluable mental health support after surgery to remove my voicebox"

10. Research shout-out: Clinical Nurse Specialist, Sarah Adomah

Sarah is conducting research with Black women on lifestyle adaption after being diagnosed with breast cancer. With help from funding from The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, she will be working with them to understand any barriers which may be preventing or impacting them from making lifestyle changes, and providing support and interventions.

This main focus of Sarah’s pre-doctoral fellowship is vital, as not only is there a lack of research when it comes to Black women and breast cancer in the UK, but there are also societal, cultural and healthcare barriers that can prevent them from getting the support they need.

Sarah Adomah, Breast Clinical Nurse Specialist, who is undertaking a pre-doctoral fellowship at The Royal Marsden

Read more about Sarah’s inspiring work in our recent Q&A.

We will never stop looking for ways to improve the lives of people affected by cancer

Thank you to all our generous supporters who have made this fantastic work possible in 2024.

Your support has helped transform the lives of people with cancer and their loved ones at The Royal Marsden, across the UK, and around the world.

Here’s to 2025 – find out more about ways you can support us next year. Have a happy New Year!