Orchid

St Bartholomew's Hospital
Dominion House
London
EC1A 7BE

Tel: 020 7601 7167
Web: www.orchid-cancer.org.uk

Orchid exists to save men's lives from testicular, prostate and penile cancers, through pioneering research and promoting awareness.

The charity is dedicated to funding research into, and awareness about, the cancers that uniquely affect men - their prevention, diagnosis and treatment. With an award winning DVD aimed at informing young men about why and how they should carry out testicular self examination, and recent important publications spanning scientific and clinical research findings, Orchid has established an influential position in the still under-recognised field. Moreover, its work has been a pivotal factor in the setting up of the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre at the St Bart's and the Royal London School of Medicine.

Orchid aims:

To fund a clinical research team to support a portfolio of trials in testicular and prostate cancer. These include exploring the effectiveness of intermittent hormone therapy as a means of maintaining the prostate's responsiveness to the treatment and reducing the side effects associated with continual hormone therapy; and the use of chemotherapy for conservation of the testis affected by testicular cancer in order to safeguard fertility and reduce surgical intervention.

To support a combined clinical and scientific laboratory programme investigating the therapeutic potential of genes involved in making testicular cancer so sensitive to chemotherapy, in order to develop a new approach to treating treatment-resistant adult cancers such as prostate disease. In addition, to support research into developing diagnostic tools to simplify and improve the detection of prostate cancer.

To support the Orchid Tissue Bank that was established earlier in the decade, and has now achieved its national accreditation, which provides vital histopathology for both the standard treatment of patients and the analysis of tissue associated with scientific work strands and clinical research trials.

To improve men's health by raising their awareness to the signs of cancer by encouraging regular check-ups, through targeting healthcare outlets with information leaflets and posters, and in the case of schools providing free a copy of the award winning Testicular Cancer Awareness DVD 'Know Your Balls .... Check 'Em Out' to all UK schools with boys aged 15/16. Additionally, Orchid aims to promote healthy lifestyle, increased exercise and safe exposure to Vitamin D from the sun, as a means of preventing cancer.