The Bone Cancer Research Trust (BCRT)
Encyclopedia
The Bone Cancer Research Trust is a charity providing funding for research into primary bone cancer
, raising awareness of the disease, providing patient information and support services. The charity operates in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Charity Number 1113276, registered in 2006 in England and Wales.
dedicated to funding research into primary bone cancers, in particular osteosarcoma
and Ewing's sarcoma.
The vision of the charity is ‘a world where lives are no longer limited by primary bone cancer.’ The charity aspires to be the authoritative voice on primary bone cancer in the UK and Ireland.
The charity’s aim is to improve outcomes for people with primary bone cancers through research, awareness, information and support.
The parents' group increased with the addition of families, including one from Ireland, whose children had battled against another primary bone cancer, Ewing’s sarcoma. Expanding the group helped to unite skills and enthusiasm as well as funds already raised. The families pooled money totalling £176,000, to start the charity and fund the first pieces of research.
The Bone Cancer Research Trust became a registered charity in March 2006 and by September 2006, the first two successful applications for research grants had been accepted.
Alongside research funding, information provision is now one of the charities activities. The Bone Cancer Research Trust provides information (online and printed) on primary bone cancers for patients, their families, the general public, media and Health Care Professionals. Currently there is detailed information on osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma and a glossary/ medical dictionary. BCRT state on their website that they intend to produce information specifically aimed at teenagers in the near future. In addition, information on other primary bone cancers such as chondrosarcoma
, chordoma
, spindle cell sarcoma
s, angiosarcoma
and a list of open and recruiting clinical trials will also be available.
The charity also provides support for patients and their families and friends, and in the longer term, specialist counselling services may be made available for them.
During Awareness Week various activities are carried out by the charity’s supporters, with the main campaign being Bake a Cake for Bone Cancer. Another highlight is the annual Patients’ and Supporters’ Conference, which brings together patients and parents with the many different professionals whose work affects the lives of those who find themselves with a diagnosis of bone cancer.
Bone tumor
A bone tumor refers to a neoplastic growth of tissue in bone. Abnormal growths found in the bone can be either benign or malignant .-Classification:...
, raising awareness of the disease, providing patient information and support services. The charity operates in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Charity Number 1113276, registered in 2006 in England and Wales.
About the Charity
The Bone Cancer Research Trust is a charity in the UK and IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
dedicated to funding research into primary bone cancers, in particular osteosarcoma
Osteosarcoma
Osteosarcoma is an aggressive cancerous neoplasm arising from primitive transformed cells of mesenchymal origin that exhibit osteoblastic differentiation and produce malignant osteoid...
and Ewing's sarcoma.
The vision of the charity is ‘a world where lives are no longer limited by primary bone cancer.’ The charity aspires to be the authoritative voice on primary bone cancer in the UK and Ireland.
The charity’s aim is to improve outcomes for people with primary bone cancers through research, awareness, information and support.
History
The Bone Cancer Research Trust was initially a parents’ group started up in September 2004. Five families who had lost teenage children to osteosarcoma and who all wanted to see more research carried out into this rare cancer to hopefully improve the outcome for future sufferers were brought together.The parents' group increased with the addition of families, including one from Ireland, whose children had battled against another primary bone cancer, Ewing’s sarcoma. Expanding the group helped to unite skills and enthusiasm as well as funds already raised. The families pooled money totalling £176,000, to start the charity and fund the first pieces of research.
The Bone Cancer Research Trust became a registered charity in March 2006 and by September 2006, the first two successful applications for research grants had been accepted.
Growth of the Charity
In just two years, the meeting of a small group of bereaved parents grew into a significant and credible International charity with a turnover of around £500,000 per annum, which is driving research into the causes and treatment of primary bone cancer, and in particular of osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma.BCRT Website
The Bone Cancer Research Trust's website, provides information about the charity’s activities, including details of past and present research being funded by the charity; primary bone cancer information, information for Health Care Professionals, a dedicated Ireland section, a patient’s forum, stories of people’s bone cancer journeys, links to BCRT's Twitter and Facebook pages, and You Tube Channel.Research Funding
The charity normally puts out two research calls per year; to date the charity has funded 24 projects totalling £800,000 resulting in numerous publications.Present Day Activities and Future Direction
The families who formed the charity also had major concerns regarding the lack of reliable information available, this was most apparent in Ireland but little detailed information resources were available in the UK either or the internet as a whole.Alongside research funding, information provision is now one of the charities activities. The Bone Cancer Research Trust provides information (online and printed) on primary bone cancers for patients, their families, the general public, media and Health Care Professionals. Currently there is detailed information on osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma and a glossary/ medical dictionary. BCRT state on their website that they intend to produce information specifically aimed at teenagers in the near future. In addition, information on other primary bone cancers such as chondrosarcoma
Chondrosarcoma
Chondrosarcoma is a cancer composed of cells derived from transformed cells that produce cartilage. Chondrosarcoma is a member of a category of "soft tissue" malignancies known as sarcomas. About 30% of skeletal system cancers are chondrosarcomas...
, chordoma
Chordoma
Chordoma is a rare slow-growing malignant neoplasm thought to arise from cellular remnants of the notochord. The evidence for this is the location of the tumors , the similar immunohistochemical staining patterns, and the demonstration that notochordal cells are preferentially left behind in the...
, spindle cell sarcoma
Spindle cell sarcoma
Spindle cell sarcoma is a type of connective tissue cancer in which the cells are spindle-shaped when examined under a microscope. The tumors generally begin in layers of connective tissue such as that under the skin, between muscles, and surrounding organs, and will generally start as a small...
s, angiosarcoma
Angiosarcoma
Angiosarcoma is a malignant neoplasm of endothelial-type cells that line vessel walls. This may be in reference to blood or lymphatic vessels ....
and a list of open and recruiting clinical trials will also be available.
The charity also provides support for patients and their families and friends, and in the longer term, specialist counselling services may be made available for them.
Raising Awareness
The Bone Cancer Research Trust has an annual ‘Awareness Week’ during which the charity concentrates on gaining as much local and national media coverage as possible in order to inform and educate people about primary bone cancer symptoms. The Bone Cancer Research Trust website information about symptoms of bone cancers is more complete than all other UK and Irish sources of information. This is important for medical practitioners when they are diagnosing as well as for young people and their parents when they need to be aware that some symptoms really do need to be checked by a doctor.During Awareness Week various activities are carried out by the charity’s supporters, with the main campaign being Bake a Cake for Bone Cancer. Another highlight is the annual Patients’ and Supporters’ Conference, which brings together patients and parents with the many different professionals whose work affects the lives of those who find themselves with a diagnosis of bone cancer.