The end of the Dryathlon

I can't believe that it is February already! And this can only mean one thing....the Dryathlon is over! If we're connected via social media, it will have been hard for you to escape posts by my friends and I about the money we are raising for Cancer Research UK. We are pleased to report that we have managed to give up alcohol in January and have so far raised over £700 in total for the charity. We are so grateful for all your donations - thank you, thank you, thank you! Our sponsorship pages are open until 28th February 2013 so if you would still like to donate, you can do here and we would be over the moon.

Images from Cancer Research UK

As an indication of how exciting this money raised is, here is what the money raised can do (source):

£10 could buy enough glass slides for a scientist to examine 300 tumour samples down a microscope

£30 could buy around 250 special sterile dishes to grow the cells in and keep them healthy, helping answer fundamental research questions that could lead to the breakthrough discoveries of tomorrow

£40 could buy a key textbook to ensure our Cancer Information Nurses never stop learning. That way they can answer as many questions as possible that people have about cancer.

£50 could buy around 50 thermometers – indispensable for many experiments that need to be performed at very precise temperatures.

£94 could cover the cost for one woman to take part in a clinical trial aiming to improve survival for post-menopausal women with early-stage breast cancer.

£120 could fund a trained counsellor to facilitate the nurses’ monthly clinical supervision meeting. Experienced cancer information nurses provide a confidential service for anyone with concerns about cancer. This will develop their skills in dealing with calls and help them cope with the emotional impact of the experiences they hear.

£260 could buy a sophisticated microarray, a powerful piece of technology, helping scientists to scrutinise thousands of genes in a single experiment, and identify which are switched on in cancer.

£677 could cover the cost of one person taking part in a clinical trial testing chemotherapy before and after surgery, and the antibody drug Vectibix, to improve survival for bowel cancer patients.

£1,260 enables a man to take part in a study to help tackle the long term side effects of treatment for testicular cancer. In the future this could improve the quality of life for men who have had the disease.

£2,979 could cover the basic costs for one patient to take part in a clinical trial to improve treatment for head and neck cancer. The trial is testing if a new way of delivering radiotherapy can help reduce hearing loss, a common side effect of treatment, improving the lives of people with the disease.

So once again, thank you so much for all your support and donations. Personally, I think that I will try and continue this and be dry in February too. Will keep you posted!

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