Ann Thomas legacy a gift to breast cancer research

When Peter Thomas left a gift in his Will in honour of his wife Ann, he ensured both her legacy and his would be one of hope for future generations diagnosed with cancer.

Peter’s gift became the Ann Thomas Cancer Research Fellowship, set up to support breast cancer research – a cause close to the family’s heart.

When Ann was diagnosed with breast cancer in the early 1980s, the radical surgery and radiotherapy took its toll on her and Peter, as well as their three young children. While there was a time when they thought she would recover and their ‘idyllic’ family life would continue, the medical therapies available at the time were not advanced enough and the cancer returned – more aggressive and ultimately fatal for Ann. The impacts of this on her family were profoundly life altering and also deeply intimate.

“Peter lost his wife, but more than that, his partner, his best friend and the one source he relied on for a different perspective of the life they shared,” said Ann and Peter’s daughter, Kristin.

“For us children, the loss was immense but also unique and personal to each of us, as Ann was mother and protector and nurturer to us all in differing ways. We all now faced a life bereft of that maternal love and support, negotiating adolescence and adulthood without the presence of Ann.”

As the most common cancer affecting women worldwide, early detection and tailored treatments are critical to improving breast cancer outcomes. While treatment and survival have improved dramatically since Ann’s diagnosis, ways to accurately detect and diagnose breast cancer still need improvement.

Thanks to the generosity of the Ann Thomas Cancer Research Fellowship, Professor Andrew Scott’s innovative work is bringing us another step closer to improving survival and quality of life for people diagnosed with breast cancer.

He and Dr Zhipeng Cao are developing a groundbreaking imaging test designed to detect HER2 – a protein that plays a key role in cell growth and is found in high levels in certain breast cancers.

HER2 is a vital marker used to guide diagnosis and treatment decisions. The problem is that identifying it usually means invasive biopsies that can be painful, slow, and sometimes impossible – especially when tumours are deep within the body or in advanced stages.

If successful, Andrew’s project will completely change how HER2 is detected – providing precision without the pain. By creating a highly specific, non-invasive imaging technique that can detect HER2 in real time, the result will be a faster, gentler, and more accurate diagnosis for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.

“HER2 is just one of many proteins that appear in cancer cells but not in healthy tissue,” said Andrew.

“Developing tools to detect these markers quickly and non-invasively opens the door to a new era of cancer care – one that is smarter, more responsive, and deeply patient-centered.”

This project wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of Peter Thomas and the legacy he left in Ann’s name, as well as the ongoing kindness of the Thomas family. Their commitment is enabling another major step forward in reducing the impact of breast cancer, combining cutting-edge science with compassionate care.

“It is the hope of Peter and his children that no other family suffer the pain of the loss that they experienced, specifically due to breast cancer. Whilst there is no single cure to the complex disease, it is hoped that early detection and research will provide families access to more timely and successful therapies,” shared Kristin.

“If any family can be spared the agony of such a profound loss, then the Ann Thomas Cancer Research Fellowship has honoured Ann's memory.”