Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world’s largest independent cancer research organization. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Cancer Research UK conducts research using both its own staff and grant-funded researchers. It also provides information about cancer and runs campaigns aimed at raising awareness and influencing public policy.

The organization’s work is almost entirely funded by the public. It raises money through donations, legacies, community fundraising, events, and retail and corporate partnerships. Over 40,000 people are regular volunteers.

The Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) was founded in 1902 as the Cancer Research Fund, changing its name to the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in 1904. The British Empire Cancer Campaign (BECC) was founded in 1923 and initially drew a hostile response from ICRF and the Medical Research Council, who considered it a rival.

Incorporated on 20 November 2001, the two organizations officially merged on 4 February 2002 to form Cancer Research UK, the largest independent cancer research organization in the world (the largest, the National Cancer Institute, is funded by the US Government).

The charity funds the work of over 4,000 researchers, doctors, and nurses throughout the UK, supports over 200 clinical trials, and studies cancer and cancer risk in over a million people in the UK.

According to the Wikipedia