Pelican Cancer Foundation is a medical research and education charity. We are the only charity in the UK dedicated solely to the research, training and advancement of precision surgery for bowel cancer and its associated secondary diseases, particularly in the liver. Surgery is often the most effective cure for patients with bowel cancer but is seriously underfunded compared with treatments using drugs.
Our aim is to help patients with bowel and liver cancer live well for longer and we achieve this through our research and the delivery of our education programmes, enabling cancer specialists from across the UK and internationally to advance their skills and understanding of precision treatment.
Pelican was founded in 1993 to advance the pioneering colorectal surgical work of Professor Bill Heald CBE, the world-renowned surgeon, who transformed survival rates of patients with bowel cancer by dramatically reducing local recurrence rate of bowel cancer from 40% down to 2%, a technique which is now acknowledged as a gold standard procedure across the world. For the past thirty years, Pelican Cancer Foundation has worked with Professor Heald, Mr Merv Rees OBE, Mr Brendan Moran, and their colleagues at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, a world class centre of excellence for the treatment of colorectal cancer, sharing the latest advances in early diagnosis, technology and surgical treatments to embed best practice and knowledge.
Our Vision – We are dedicated to helping those with bowel cancer and its associated secondary diseases, particularly in the liver, live well for longer.
Our Mission – We achieve this by seed funding research and facilitating education programmes for clinical experts to share learning to improve diagnosis and treatment of bowel cancer.
Our Aim – To identify the most effective treatments for patients – refining treatment options to achieve the best outcomes for patients’ survival and quality of life.
Research is an essential element of our work, funded by Pelican, the MERCURY trial (lower rectal cancer study) has shown that MRI scans can predict which patients can have a rectal cancer fully removed by surgery. This research changed practice worldwide and was a giant step in improving patient outcomes after rectal cancer surgery.
Our impact is far reaching, Pelican’s educational courses and programmes are attended by medical professionals from across the UK and internationally. Across the world, patients with bowel cancer will have a better chance of living well for longer thanks to the success of Pelican training programmes in advancing the skills of surgeons and their cancer teams.
With your support, it is vital we continue to raise the standards of surgical treatment and clinical outcomes for patients.