A WORLD-class cancer facility at the heart of Basingstoke, the Pelican Cancer Foundation has been quietly saving lives for more than a decade.

The centre, which evolved from the Basingstoke Bowel Cancer Charity, was created in 2000 with the aim of improving cancer patients’ chance of enjoying a longer life.

Based in The Ark Conference Centre, in the grounds of Basingstoke hospital, the facility’s focus is on advancing precision surgery for bowel, liver, prostate and bladder cancers.

It also works on improving surgery for the extremely rare cancer pseudomyxoma peritonei, which is treated by a revolutionary treatment which involves pouring liquid chemotherapy into a patient’s torso for a number of hours.

At the end of last year, survivors of what is called the Mother Of All Surgeries met each other, and world experts, in a three-day Pelican-hosted conference at The Ark.

Pelican welcomes experts from around the world to share expertise in training courses and meetings.

Sarah Crane, chief executive of Pelican Cancer Foundation, said: “It is difficult to quantify the precise difference that Pelican makes, but we know that the clinicians who come here will go back to their own patients and use the knowledge and techniques they will have learned.

“Our focus is not just on saving lives but also on the quality of lives.”

She explained that after treatment for prostate cancer, for example, sexual and urinary function can be affected, which in turn can affect men’s quality of life.

Mrs Crane said: “We want to help people maintain this quality of life following cancer treatment and this can be achieved through more precise and appropriate treatment.”

Pelican was formed to promote a revolutionary bowel cancer treatment, TME, pioneered by Professor Bill Heald, OBE.

TME involves removing the part of the bowel where the tumour is sited, and also, importantly, all of the surrounding tissue.

The surgery has halved the chances of cancer returning and minimised side-effects, and Pelican Cancer Foundation has been building on this work ever since.

Mrs Crane said: “The work we are doing is for the patients of today. The surgeons who come here from all over the world are very likely to begin operation on their patients in a different way after coming here – the effects are immediate.”

The centre relies heavily on public donations and fundraising to support its good work.

Mrs Crane said: “The majority of our funding comes from the public and we are extremely grateful to everyone who supports us. It is these donations that allow us to continue sharing information so that lives can be saved.”