Breakthrough Cancer Research
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Breakthrough Cancer Research is an Irish medical research charity investing in world-class research to impact the quality of life for people with cancer.
Our Charitable Purpose, for which the company (which has charitable status) is established, is the raising and application of money and other resources for the purpose of education, and research and development, in the field of cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Registered Charity Number: 20077945
🔬 Meet Elena Brophy, one of our 2026 Breakthrough Cancer Research Summer Student Scholars.
This summer, Elena is working with Prof. James Clover and Dr. Ann Kirby University College Cork to explore the potential of electrochemotherapy, an emerging treatment for skin cancer.
Electrochemotherapy combines chemotherapy drugs with short, controlled electrical pulses that help the treatment enter cancer cells more effectively. It may offer another treatment option for people with skin cancer when standard treatments are unsuitable or have not been successful.
Elena’s research will look at both the clinical benefits and costs of electrochemotherapy to better understand whether it could be introduced more widely within Ireland’s public healthcare system. The study will also draw on the experiences of people who have received treatment, alongside insights from clinicians and other stakeholders.
By supporting students like Elena, we’re helping to develop the next generation of cancer researchers and offering the opportunity to contribute to research that could help shape better treatment and care for people with cancer.
Congratulations, Elena. We look forward to following your research this summer. 🩵
👉 You can support cancer research like this here: https://breakthroughcancerresearch.ie/donate-now/
There is no safe way to use a sunbed.
Niamh Hetherton from Dublin GAA is helping raise awareness about the dangers of sunbed use, and the message is clear:
☀️ Using a sunbed before the age of 35 increases your risk of melanoma skin cancer by 75%
☀️ Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer and can spread to other organs in the body
☀️ Sunbed use can cause your skin to age more quickly
☀️ It can lead to brown spots, wrinkles, loss of skin firmness and leathery skin
Protect your skin. Protect your future.
This is part of our campaign, helping raise awareness of the steps we can all take to reduce our risk of skin cancer.
More information:
HSE Ireland Healthy Ireland
👉 Or follow the link here: https://bit.ly/SunSmartHSE
With around 900 people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer across the island of Ireland each year, new and better approaches are urgently needed.
Breakthrough Cancer Research is investing €1 million in our AllCaN Pancreatic programme, bringing together researchers, clinicians, patients and partners across the island of Ireland to address some of the biggest challenges in pancreatic cancer research.
In this video, Prof. Richard Turkington of Queen's University Belfast , co-lead of the programme, explains how the research will focus on improving access to genetic testing, studying pancreatic cancer in the lab and developing ways to detect tumours earlier, when more treatment options may be available.
Through our AllCaN initiative, we are supporting deep collaboration across institutions and disciplines to improve outcomes for people with cancers where progress is urgently needed.
By supporting Breakthrough Cancer Research, you’re helping to fund research into new, better, kinder, smarter treatments and diagnostics for people with cancer. 🩵
Support cancer research and help us here: https://bit.ly/BreakthroughDonate
11/08/2026
Were you diagnosed with oesophageal cancer before you turned 50? Researchers at Queen's University Belfast would like to hear about your experience.
There is very little research into the experience of younger people being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in Ireland and the UK, from first noticing symptoms and undergoing tests through to receiving a diagnosis.
As part of our All Ireland Cancer Network (AllCaN) Oesophageal programme, Breakthrough Cancer Research-funded PhD researcher Abigail Jeyaraj at Queen’s University Belfast is seeking people willing to share their experiences.
By listening directly to younger people who have been through this diagnosis, the research aims to better understand their particular needs, priorities and challenges, helping to inform healthcare services and future research.
You may be eligible to take part if you:
🔹 were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer
🔹 were aged 18 to 49 when diagnosed
🔹 were diagnosed in Ireland or the UK
🔹 received your diagnosis between two months and five years ago.
Your experience could help researchers better understand what younger people need during an oesophageal cancer diagnosis.
📲 Scan the QR code below to complete a short form and register your interest.
For more information, contact [email protected]
🩵 Meet Holly Fahy, one of our 2026 Summer Student Scholars.
Holly is based at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) , where she is working on research focused on improving the pathway to lung cancer diagnosis.
Early detection of lung cancer is strongly associated with improved survival, but making a timely diagnosis in primary care can be challenging. One important part of this is safety-netting – the systematic follow-up of patients whose symptoms have not been resolved.
This summer, Holly is examining how safety-netting approaches vary across general practices in Ireland. Her findings will help identify gaps and build on existing strengths, informing an intervention aimed at improving pathways to cancer diagnosis.
Holly’s research is patient-focused, with the aim of reducing diagnostic delays that can contribute to lung cancer being diagnosed at a later stage.
We're proud to support the next generation of cancer researchers and look forward to following Holly's research journey.
👉 You can support cancer research like this here: https://breakthroughcancerresearch.ie/donate-now/
09/08/2026
☀️ You don't have to be on holiday to get sun damage.
Whether you're out walking, hiking, cycling, gardening, playing golf, or simply enjoying a coffee outdoors, UV rays can damage your skin here in Ireland between April and September – even when it's cloudy.
Make sun protection part of your routine.
🧥 Slip on protective clothing
🧴 Slop on SPF 30+ sunscreen
👒 Slap on a wide-brimmed hat
🌳 Seek shade whenever possible
🕶️ Slide on UV-protective sunglasses
✅ Follow the 5 S's to help protect your skin.
🇮🇪 Cloígh le 5 Leid le do chraiceann a chosaint.
This post is part of our series, helping you reduce your risk of skin cancer while enjoying the outdoors this summer. 🌤
More information:
HSE Ireland Healthy Ireland
👉 Or follow the link here: https://bit.ly/SunSmartHSE
06/08/2026
We are proud to highlight the work of Prof. Silvia Giordani, Full Professor and Chair of Nanomaterials at Dublin City University DCU , whose research is focused on developing smarter ways to deliver cancer treatments.
Cancer treatments can be powerful, but they can also affect healthy cells, leading to difficult side effects for people with cancer.
That's where this research comes in. 💙
Prof. Giordani is pioneering the development of smart nanomaterials - tiny engineered structures designed to carry cancer drugs directly to tumour cells while helping to protect healthy tissue from unnecessary side effects.
Her research combines chemistry and nanotechnology to:
🧬 Deliver cancer drugs directly to tumour cells
🎯 Improve the precision of cancer treatments
💙 Help reduce harmful side effects
🔬 Support the development of more targeted and personalised therapies
By developing smarter ways to deliver cancer treatments, researchers hope to improve outcomes and quality of life for people with cancer.
You can help make research like this possible by supporting researchers like Prof. Giordani as they work to develop new, better, kinder, smarter, and more effective cancer treatments.
👉 Donate today: https://breakthroughcancerresearch.ie/donate-now/
05/08/2026
🏃♀️ Join Team Breakthrough for The Cork Echo Women’s Mini Marathon on Sunday, 20 September 2026! The Echo Women's Mini Marathon EchoLive.ie
Whether you run, walk, skip or roll, this 6km event is a powerful way to come together and support Breakthrough Cancer Research.
Starting on Centre Park Road and finishing just before Kennedy Park, this year’s route will also take participants through the newly redeveloped Marina.
Every step you take and every euro you raise helps fund research into new, better, kinder, smarter treatments and diagnostics for people with cancer.
🩵 Join Team Breakthrough and you will receive a free T-shirt and fundraising pack, while becoming part of a community united by purpose and hope.
You might be chasing a personal best, taking on a new challenge, walking with friends or participating in memory or celebration of someone important to you. Whatever your reason and whatever your pace, you are welcome on our team.
📍 Centre Park Road to Kennedy Park, Cork City
📅 Sunday, 20 September 2026
👟 6km run, walk, skip or roll
When registering, make sure to select Breakthrough Cancer Research as your chosen charity.
🔗 Register and set up your fundraising page here: bit.ly/EchoMiniMarathon
🩵 Meet Iftikhaar Haque, one of our 2026 Summer Student Scholars.
Iftikhaar is based at University College Cork , where he is developing new laboratory tools to help researchers better understand how ovarian cancer grows and spreads.
His research focuses on a protein called Rab25, which helps cells move important materials to where they are needed. Previous research suggests that Rab25 may play a role in making ovarian cancer more aggressive, meaning it could become a potential target for future treatments.
This summer, Iftikhaar will work with ovarian cancer cells with different forms of Rab25, as well as cells in which the protein has been switched off. These tools will help his research team investigate exactly how Rab25 affects the behaviour of ovarian cancer cells.
By improving our understanding of this protein, Iftikhaar’s work could help lay the foundations for new and more targeted treatment approaches for people with ovarian cancer.
We are proud to support the next generation of cancer researchers and look forward to following Iftikhaar’s research journey.
👉 You can support cancer research like this here: https://breakthroughcancerresearch.ie/donate-now/
01/08/2026
🫁 This World Lung Cancer Day and we are highlighting some of our researchers working across a wide spectrum of lung cancer research.
From improving screening and supporting earlier diagnosis to understanding why treatments stop working and exploring possible new approaches, each project is helping to build a clearer picture of lung cancer and how it could be treated more effectively.
🧬 Dr. Niamh Lynam-Lennon is researching how lung cancer cells may use proteins from the immune system to resist chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Her research could help predict who will benefit from these treatments and identify ways to make them work more effectively.
🧬 Dr. Diarmuid O’Connor is investigating TRPA1, a cough receptor, to understand whether it also plays a role in how lung cancer develops and responds to treatment.
🧬 Clodagh Murphy is studying molecules that control how cells behave. By identifying which ones are not working properly in lung cancer cells, her research could help uncover possible new treatment approaches.
🔬 Some of our 2026 Summer Student Scholars are also contributing to lung cancer research:
* Caoimhe Quinn is working on helping to improve conversations about lung cancer screening.
* Holly Fahy is exploring how GP follow-up could support earlier diagnosis.
* Sarah Vickers is studying plant compounds that may affect lung cancer cells.
Together, these projects show the breadth of lung cancer research taking place, from prevention and early detection to treatment and future discoveries.
You can support lung cancer research by purchasing a White Ribbon. Read more here: https://bit.ly/BreakthroughWhiteRibbon 🩵
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
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Glenlee, Western Road
Cork
Opening Hours
| Monday | 9am - 5pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 5pm |
| Friday | 9am - 5pm |