UCC lights up for World Cancer Day

UNIVERSITY College Cork was lit up in honour of World Cancer Day today.

The university decided to light up its quadrangle area in orange to support the global awareness campaign, which is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

The theme of this year's World Cancer Day, now its 22nd year, is 'Close The Care Gap'. 

The initiative asks people to reflect on what can be done to reduce barriers to cancer care and ensure equal access to healthcare.

The Irish Cancer Society said that the theme was especially relevant in Ireland and called for urgent action to be taken to handle waiting lists.

Meanwhile, it was also announced today that UCC, Breakthrough Cancer Research (BCR), and Cork University Hospital (CUH) have pioneered a new lithium-enhanced chemotherapy treatment.

The researchers, led by Dr Sharon McKenna at UCC, found that the addition of lithium makes chemotherapy more effective and reduces the risk of cancer returning.

The university hopes that the research will offer hope to Irish patients fighting cancers that are resistant to traditional chemotherapy treatments.