A major project to try to unlock the secrets of lung cancer was launched today.
Some £14 million is being spent on the bid to uncover the genetic secrets of the tumours caused by the cancer.
The project, backed by Cancer Research UK, will involved studying detailed samples from some 850 patients.
Researchers want to be able to analyse as much tissue as possible as they believe they may find different genetic factors in different parts.
Centres in London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, Leicester and Aberdeen will take part in the project.
Researcher Professor Charlie Swanton, of University College London, said: "Our research will help explain why lung cancer is difficult to treat, and steer a path towards saving more lives.
"Success in treating lung cancer has been difficult to achieve but we’re hoping to change that. The first step to improving cancer diagnosis and treatment is to understand more about the disease and how it changes over time. Research has led us to this point when, after decades of earlier work, we can look to the future with real optimism.
"We plan to harness new sequencing technologies to trace the genetic evolution of cancer over the course of the disease."
The project is being backed by BBC business editor Robert Peston, who lost his wife Sian, a non-smoker, to lung cancer last year.
He said the project, known as Tracerx, was an "important and positive" development.
Cancer Research UK chief executive Dr Harpal Kumar said: “Lung cancer kills more people than any other type of cancer. We want to change this. For too long, success against the disease has been slow.
"We’re determined to unlock the secrets of the disease, to understand its biology, to develop more accurate tests to diagnose it and discover better treatments for people."
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