Doubling the impact for South Australian cancer research

South Australians are urged to give this Cancer Research Giving Day, Tuesday 18 February, with every donation doubled for groundbreaking research happening right here in South Australia.

Money raised through Cancer Research Giving Day helps Cancer Council SA invest in the best and brightest researchers in the state, with an announcement today of an investment of $1.3 million into world-class research through five new grants.

Since 2011, Cancer Council SA has invested more than $41 million into cancer research in South Australia thanks to the generosity of our partners and donations from the South Australian community. Cancer Research Giving Day is an opportunity for South Australians to double the impact of their donation for cancer research.

From 7am to 7pm on Tuesday 18 February, every donation made to Cancer Council SA will be doubled by our generous matched giving donors until we exhaust our matched fund to reach a huge $150,000 raised for cancer research.

Cancer Council SA Chief Executive Kerry Rowlands emphasised the importance of investing in research, as it drives advancements in cancer diagnosis, treatment and care, ultimately leading to better outcomes for people in a cancer experience.

“With 30 new cases of cancer diagnosed in South Australia every day, cancer really does impact all of us. We are incredibly proud to fund research that is making a life-changing difference for South Australians impacted by cancer, and this wouldn’t be possible without the support of generous donations from the South Australian community,” Kerry said.

Coinciding with Cancer Research Giving Day and highlighting the impact of this vital fundraising day, Cancer Council SA announced five new fellowships, totalling $1.3 million.

Dr Carly Whyte from University of South Australia is one of the 2025 Cancer Council SA Research Fellowship recipients and her research aims to understand how the body’s immune system can play a role in new and more effective treatments for head and neck cancers, which are cancers that develop in the mouth, nose and throat.

“Head and neck cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Australia but unfortunately, the treatments for these cancers aren’t always effective and, because of the areas that the cancers develop in, they can often have really severe impacts on how well people are able to eat, speak and breathe,” Dr Whyte said.

“What my research hopes to understand is the ability of a patient’s immune system to fight off their cancer and we hope this will lead to new treatments that are less toxic, have fewer side effects and have better outcomes for patients.”

“There are so many wonderful researchers in South Australia making incredible progress to increase our understanding of cancer, to develop new treatments and to better support people going through cancer. Without the funding from Cancer Council SA and the support of such generous donors, so much of this work would simply not be possible.”

South Australians can double their donation this Cancer Research Giving Day here. Learn more about the new research Cancer Council SA is funding.