THEY are at the frontline in the battle against cancer, pioneering cutting-edge research and saving lives.

The quartet of scientists and surgeons are also evidence of Southampton’s burgeoning reputation in the world of cancer research.

Cancer Research UK supports research in Southampton to the tune of more than £3m every year, with the figure set to rise.

These millions last year helped pay for the Cancer Research UK Centre, located in the cancer sciences building next to Southampton General Hospital.

As one of the first in the country, the centre placed the city at the forefront of cancer care, with researchers, scientists and clinicians all working together.

Their focus is on developing new immune therapies in the laboratory and assessing their success in patients.

Mr Alex Mirenzami, Professor Gareth Thomas, Dr Simon Crabb and Mr Ramsay Cutress are just four local cancer experts to have benefited.

They are each carrying out research into the biology and treatment of the disease, including head and neck, bladder, bowel and breast.

Without the financial support of Cancer Research UK – and the participants of Race for Life – none of their world-leading work would be possible.

Mr Mirenzami, a clinician scientist, senior lecturer and consultant colorectal surgeon, last year secured £1m to help identify which cancer survivors are more likely to relapse.

The five-year project, which started last year, is entirely funded by Cancer Research UK. Crucially, it allows him to divide his time between the laboratory and treating patients.

“Southampton has got an excellent mix of different people from different specialities,” he said.

“Few centres across the UK have access to theatres and cutting edge laboratory research on the same site.

“In London for example they are scattered, which makes it very difficult for people like myself, who spend most of their time looking after patients, to then also focus on the research.”

Last May, Gareth Thomas, a professor of experimental pathology, moved his research group to Southampton.

He is now in the second year of a £600,000 project investigating how the disease invades the body.

“Southampton’s standing is pretty high,” Prof Thomas said. “One of my concerns about moving here was that it might be a little isolating compared to London.

“But actually the move has been great, the facilities and the people are very good and it has been a very positive move for my research group.”

Dr Simon Crabb, a bladder cancer researcher, started his clinical training in Southampton ten years ago.

“The shear scale of the facilities here in Southampton is world class,” Dr Crabb said. “And one of the things we do really well is to develop new treatments right the way through to launching clinical trials.”

Cancer Research UK has opened another three centres in Birmingham, Liverpool and Belfast with a total of 20 planned during the next five years.