More than one in three of us will develop cancer in their lives. Many of us have lost someone to it. We all want cures to be found.

Cancer Research UK is the leading independent funder of cancer research in Europe, but gets very little Government funding. We are almost entirely funded by the public – without the generosity and dedication of our supporters we would not be able to continue to make progress against cancer.

Every year of research improves our understanding of how to prevent cancer and treat it more effectively. In 2006/07 over 4,250 world-class cancer scientists, doctors and nurses were able to take forward their pioneering investigations. This is only possible because of the incredible support we receive from the public, but there is still much more to do.

In this section you can find out:

• how we fundraise – the many ways in which people support our research
• how funds are spent – making the most of public support
• how charities work – an overview of the charity sector.