Funding for cancer research projects in Ireland has doubled to €2 million this year, the Irish Cancer Society has announced.
Releasing the figures this morning, the society said €670,000 was provided to new research projects, €620,000 to existing projects and €770,000 to projects involving research into prostrate cancer.
The announcement was made at the announcement of the society's annual Operation Terry Fox run, which aims to raise over €300,000 for cancer research.
This year's operation, which was unveiled by Irish World Championship silver medallist Gillian O'Sullivan, will take place on Sunday, October 19th, in the form of 80 separate runs nationwide.
The Society is aiming to top last year's record fundraising total of €322,000.
The event is named after Canadian athlete and cancer-sufferer Terry Fox, who organised the inaugural run in 1979.
Fox, whose right leg was amputated because of a malignant tumour, oganised his Marathon Of Hope to raise funds for cancer research and ran an average of a marathon a day for 143 days. Cancer later spread to his lungs, however, and he died in 1981.