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Monday 28th April
Philip Black visit

Philip Black Visits Oswestry School

Philip Black, the Director of Legacies at the Institute of Cancer Research, visited Oswestry School on Monday April 28th. He spoke at the school assembly before taking part in a Sixth Form science lesson.

Introducing the work of the Institute of Cancer Research, which celebrates its centenary next year, Mr Black explained that 1 in 3 people will experience cancer during their lifetime, either in themselves, their family or friends. There is one cancer related death every three minutes in the UK, with 270,000 new cases each year. The most common forms are breast (in women) and prostate cancer (in men) but there are over 200 different forms of human cancer.

Cancer is caused by malfunctioning genes. The Institute is the world leader in research into cancer genetics and was the first organisation in the world to highlight the fact that cancer has a genetic cause and is not the result of protein damage. Working in conjunction with its sister hospital, the Royal Marsden, the Institute also leads the world in radiotherapy treatment and in cancer epidemiology. Underlining the clear link between smoking and lung cancer, Mr Black strongly encouraged students not to smoke.

Stressing that 95% of the money raised by the Institute is spent on research, with only 5% being used for administration, Mr Black thanked the students in advance for supporting ‘The Big Stride’, the Institute's fund raising drive in support of their Everyman male cancer research centre.

On July 1st, supported by The Rotary Club of Oswestry, Oswestry School pupils will undertake a challenging 15 mile sponsored walk in the countryside around the school to raise money for ‘The Big Stride’ together with the LEAP School, South Africa.

Ending his morning in Oswestry, Mr Black was the lunchtime guest of the Rotary Club where he addressed the members, and answered questions, giving them a full picture of the valuable work of the Institute.