Professor Tim Maughan, deputy director of the Cardiff Cancer Research UK Centre and Chair of Cancer Studies at Cardiff University, said: "The Centre really helps to focus the application of knowledge to fighting cancer in the clinic by bringing together basic scientists, translational scientists, clinicians and research nurses.

"We are running a clinical trial to find out if we can select the best treatment for each individual patient with bowel cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Drawing on expertise from other types of scientists at the centre will ensure that the tests used are of the highest quality to identify which patient gets which treatment so the results of our trial are used widely and effectively. Becoming a Cancer Research UK Centre is an important milestone in achieving our vision to beat cancer."

Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "Funding these centres of excellence is one of the charity's priorities and will enable us to work towards the goals we have set to improve the treatment and survival of cancer patients. We're able to launch this new centre thanks to the generous donations of our Welsh supporters but we need their continued support if we are to build on what we have started today."

Cancer Research UK plans to launch more centres around the UK during 2009.

Source: Cancer Research UK