Stars surge to East Midlands to Stand Up To Cancer

PEOPLE across the East Midlands are being urged to unite with some of the
brightest stars from TV, radio and comedy to Stand Up To Cancer this autumn.
A host of familiar faces are sharing their personal cancer experiences to launch the
joint fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.

They include new Great British Bake Off host Alison Hammond, comedian and TV
host Adam Hills, radio presenter Jordan North, comedian and Ted Lasso star Ellie
Taylor, Bridgerton actress Kathryn Drysdale, radio and TV presenter Yinka Bokinni,
and her brother, actor Kola Bokinni, actor Kadiff Kirwan and Derry Girls actress
Siobhan McSweeney.

All have close friends and loved ones who have been affected by cancer and,
together, they are urging people across the region to raise money to help make the
next research breakthrough happen.

Gym bunnies and sofa surfers alike are being asked to flex their fundraising muscles
by getting sponsored to do 100 squats every day throughout November. By the end
of the 30-day fitness challenge, participants will have completed a total of 3,000
squats to help power life-saving research.

Alternatively, people can choose to donate, raise money in their own way or pick
from a host of fun-filled ideas, with a free fundraising pack available online for
inspiration and support.
In the East Midlands around 28,600 people are diagnosed with cancer every year*.
Stand Up To Cancer helps to take breakthroughs from the lab and accelerate them
into new treatments that could make a real difference to people with cancer in the
region and across the UK.

The campaign is helping to transform the landscape of cancer therapy. Since its
launch in 2012, it has raised more than £93 million, funding 64 clinical trials and
research projects involving more than 13,000 cancer patients.

This includes the CONFIRM trial that tested an immunotherapy drug, nivolumab, for
the treatment of mesothelioma when initial chemotherapy has failed. Mesothelioma
is a type of cancer that usually starts in the tissue around the lungs, often caused by
asbestos exposure, and can be very difficult to treat. The trial found nivolumab
boosts the immune system to find and destroy cancer cells, giving people more time
with their loved ones. This drug is now used in the NHS to treat mesothelioma.

Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson in the East Midlands, Michael Jarvis, said: “All
of the celebrities involved in the campaign have seen the devastating impact cancer
can have on loved ones. We’re grateful to them for sharing their personal
experiences to help inspire more support, so our researchers can keep making new
discoveries.

“One-in-two of us will get cancer in our lifetime**, but all of us can help beat it. That’s
why we’re asking everyone to Stand Up To Cancer this autumn. Whether it’s
choosing to donate, fundraise or tackle the highs and lows of our squats challenge, if
thousands of us take a stand we’ll speed up the progress of vital research – meaning
more people live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.”

The Stand Up To Cancer campaign will continue throughout October, with a
collection of special programming airing on Channel 4 later in the month and
culminating in a night of live television on Friday, 3 November.
Get involved at su2c.org.uk