Michelle Mitchell: 'Cuts to UK cancer research could have a huge impact on patients'

Lifesaving new treatments are at risk due to Covid-19 income slump - unless the government steps in, warns the CRUK chief executive

The great British tradition of donning trainers to run for charity has been one of the many casualties of the pandemic, with calamitous consequences for the voluntary sector. At Cancer Research UK (CRUK), which funds 50% of all publicly funded cancer research, the cancellation of lucrative fundraising events such as its popular Race for Life series, alongside the temporary closure of its 600 shops, has made the fight to beat cancer that much harder, according to its chief executive, Michelle Mitchell.

It is a blow to our ambition," says Mitchell, referring to the charity's aim to ensure that by 2034 three in four people will survive their cancer for at least 10 years.