IN THE NEWS
Last month, Girls Aloud kicked off their longawaited reunion tour in Dublin – with a set that included numerous tributes to their late bandmate, Sarah Harding, who died of breast cancer in September 2021 aged just 39.
Despite dying tragically young, model and singer Harding left behind more than just a musical legacy. The Christie NHS Foundation Trust has revealed that a groundbreaking cancer research project launched in her memory is already successfully identifying young women at increased risk of breast cancer – just a year after it began.
Following treatment at The Christie Hospital in Manchester, it was Sarah’s dying wish to find new ways to spot the signs of the disease earlier and stop it cutting lives like hers short. Before she died, she said, “Research is incredibly important in the fight against cancer. Although this research may not be in time to help me, this project is incredibly close to my heart as it may help women like me in the future.”
Now the research study, known as BCAN-RAY (Breast Cancer Risk Assessment in Younger Women) is one of the first studies in the world to identify new ways to predict the risk of younger women getting breast cancer.
Led by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, the study, which was set up in May 2023, has been made possible by funding from The Christie Charity Sarah Harding Breast Cancer Appeal, Cancer Research UK and The Shine Bright Foundation, with support from Sarah’s family, friends and Girls Aloud bandmates, Cheryl Tweedy, Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle and Nicola Roberts.
Participants are asked to complete a questionnaire, provide a saliva sample and have
