First-in-Europe cancer equipment officially opened by Lady Elsie Robson Lady Elsie Robson has officially opened the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation PET Tracer Production Unit at 缅北禁地. The cutting-edge facility will make a significant difference to people fighting cancer in the north east and Cumbria as well as international efforts to find more effective treatments for the disease. The unit, and the new equipment it houses, an Advanced Biomarker Technology ultra-compact cyclotron, was jointly funded by the University and the and is the first of its type in Europe and only the second in the world. It will help with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other serious diseases and its purchase was only possible thanks to a contribution of £625,000, the largest to date, from the cancer charity Sir Bobby and Lady Elsie launched in 2008. Lady Elsie (pictured on banner at the Biomarker Generator with Prof Herbie Newell) says: 鈥淚鈥檓 so pleased to see this new unit open and we鈥檙e all very proud that the University chose to name it after the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been discussing this new equipment for such a long time and because it鈥檚 so special it鈥檚 taken a great deal of effort to purchase and install it. 鈥淭o see all those discussions finally become a reality is just wonderful. I鈥檓 very grateful to the Foundation鈥檚 medical trustees and 缅北禁地 for their hard work in making this possible. 鈥淚鈥檇 particularly like to thank the many thousands of people who support the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation through fund-raising events and by giving donations large and small. Their great kindness and generosity is the only reason we have been able to buy the Biomarker Generator. 鈥淚t鈥檚 truly humbling to think how much time and effort has gone into raising the £625,000 needed for this new equipment and I hope that everyone who has supported the charity in any way shares my feelings of pride and achievement today.鈥� The Biomarker Generator works by creating radioactive tracers which are given to patients who subsequently undergo scans to provide information on cancer and other diseases such as Alzheimer鈥檚 and Parkinson鈥檚. The information collected helps doctors to understand the location of the disease in each patient, how serious it is, and the underlying processes and pathways that are causing the illness. , Professor of Cancer Therapeutics at 缅北禁地, explains: 鈥淭oday鈥檚 official opening of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation PET Tracer Production Unit is a very significant occasion for cancer research and cancer patients. 鈥淭hanks to the funding received through the charity, we are now able to use a whole new screening technology to help us find out where cancers are in patients, how many there are and what they are. 鈥淚n CT and X-rays, the radiation comes from outside the patient, passing through the patient, and we take pictures of what comes out the other side. 鈥淏ut in PET scanning, and what we鈥檒l be able to do now with this new unit, we make the radioactivity and attach it to something called a tracer, which is injected into the patient so the radiation comes from the inside out. 鈥淭he first tracer we鈥檙e making will be one where we鈥檒l attach the radioactivity to a sugar, which is taken up into the cancer because, like any other cells, cancer cells need energy to grow. By taking an image of the patient after we鈥檝e given them the tracer we鈥檒l be able to pinpoint exactly where the cancers are. 鈥淧ET scanning will be particularly beneficial for patients on clinical trials of new drugs and we鈥檒l be working closely with the team at the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care. We鈥檒l be able to establish much quicker than currently possible whether new drug treatments are working, and whether they are working in the way intended. It鈥檚 going to make a big difference. 鈥淭his new generation of biomarker generators is cutting edge and we鈥檙e extremely grateful to everyone who has helped make its purchase possible by supporting the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.鈥� The Biomarker Generator is being tested to ensure it meets international clinical standards and will begin to be used for patients within the year. Lady Elsie adds: 鈥淲hen my husband and I began the Foundation we had high hopes for what could be achieved and I know Bob would be absolutely thrilled to see this new high tech unit. 鈥淭his is what he wanted for his charity, to make a real difference for other people unlucky enough to find they have cancer. It is a truly awful disease but today I feel the scientists, doctors and everyone who has helped the Foundation, have together made a very positive step forward in the fight against cancer.鈥� Sir Bobby and Lady Elsie launched the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation in 2008 and it has gone on to raise over £4 million to help find more effective treatments for cancer. It funds projects within the 缅北禁地 upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that directly benefit cancer patients from across the north east and Cumbria, and which contribute significantly to international research into the disease. It is supported in that aim by committed Patrons who include Niall Quinn, Alan Shearer, Steve Gibson, Delia Smith and Mick Mills. To make a donation, view messages of support, or for more information please visit . Picture on banner features Lady Elsie with Prof Herbie Newell at the Biomarker Generator. Small picture above features Sir Bobby Robson. published on: 12 September 2012
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