Cancer research in Tasmania will receive a much-needed shot in the arm thanks to a funding injection from The Cancer Council Tasmania.

Cancer research in Tasmania will receive a much-needed shot in the arm thanks to a funding injection from The Cancer Council Tasmania.

The Cancer Council will provide a three-year, $345,000 grant to establish the first dedicated cancer research position at the Menzies Research Institute, Tasmania's premier health and medical research facility.

This backing is on top of the $273,000 already committed by The Cancer Council Tasmania to cancer prevention and treatment research in the state this year. It brings to over $2.5 million the research funds donated by the state's leading cancer control organisation in the past decade.

The Menzies Research Institute, an institute of the University of Tasmania, hopes to appoint The Cancer Council Tasmania Research Fellow in September this year.

The Cancer Council Tasmania chairman Harvey Cuthill said that the appointment would help to strategically expand cancer research in Tasmania.

"It is essential that we build critical mass in Tasmanian cancer research because this has the greatest potential to produce better outcomes for Tasmanians," Mr Cuthill said.

"Medical research and early diagnosis mean that more than 50% of people diagnosed with cancer today will survive, and some forms of cancer such as testicular cancer and Hodgkin's disease are effectively controlled.

"However, despite these accomplishments, cancer still affects too many people. Around seven Tasmanians are diagnosed with cancer and three still die from the disease every single day," he said.

Menzies Research Institute Director Professor Simon Foote says that the Menzies Research Institute has a strong background in the field of cancer research.

"The Menzies Research Institute's cancer research program is making a significant contribution to the growing body of knowledge on the causes and prevention of many types of cancer.

"We are confident that we will attract a researcher of the highest calibre to add momentum to our cancer research activities.

"We welcome this partnership with The Cancer Council Tasmania as we work together for a healthier future," Professor Foote said.

Mr Cuthill said: "It is important to acknowledge that the funding for this important initiative is only possible because of the community's support of The Cancer Council's fundraising activities, such as Daffodil Day.

"More than 1000 Tasmanians took part in Daffodil Day last year, raising over $214,000, and we urge Tasmanians to once again give generously on August 25.

"The Cancer Council Tasmania Research Fellow is just one important and very tangible benefit afforded by the community's ongoing generosity on Daffodil Day," Mr Cuthill said.

The Cancer Council Tasmania has funded around 100 research projects in its 11 years on issues ranging from cancer risk factors and new treatment options through to treatment side effects.

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