Institute of Cancer Research

The Institute of Cancer Research stands in London as a public research institute specialising in oncology. It began in 1909 as a department of the Royal Marsden Hospital and later joined the University of London. The institute has sites in Chelsea, Central London and Sutton in southwest London. It works closely with the Royal Marsden Hospital to form the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Europe. Research at the institute has led to major discoveries, including the identification of DNA damage as the basic cause of cancer. The institute is recognised for its world-leading research, with 97% of clinical medicine and 99% of biological sciences research assessed as excellent. It offers taught postgraduate degrees and research programmes to around 340 students. Funding comes from government bodies, research councils, charities such as Cancer Research UK, and public donations. The institute runs campaigns to support cancer research projects and maintains strong partnerships with medical and scientific institutions. Visitors to the institute’s sites find modern research facilities alongside historic laboratories. The Chester Beatty Laboratories in Chelsea and the Centre for Molecular Pathology in Sutton house advanced equipment and expert teams. The institute’s research focuses on genetic epidemiology, molecular pathology and therapeutic development. A £17 million Centre for Molecular Pathology opened in Sutton in 2012 to design personalised cancer treatments. The institute’s history includes groundbreaking work in chemotherapy and the discovery of T cells, shaping modern cancer research.