Exciting Developments in Cancer Research from Breakthrough Cancer Research
NOVEMBER 2020
"In September 2014 I was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer and given only months to live. As you can imagine, my diagnosis turned my life upside down. I was a massive planner, always looking forward to the next gathering or trip but now I couldn’t plan - how long would I get? Six years later I am still here, living life to the full, and celebrating every extra day I have with my husband, children and grandchildren. How is this possible you might ask….one word, research! Without research, there is no way I would be alive, no way I would still be on this earth today.
While going through my treatment I was offered a newly available drug and the ending of my story was changed. A new treatment that a researcher had invented saved me. I always knew research was important, and had even met the amazing Breakthrough researchers early in my diagnosis who had filled me with such hope. But I really didn’t expect I would be lucky enough to benefit from these great advancements in my lifetime. Research is the reason my family still have a wife, mother and grandmother. I have been given the precious gift of time as a result of research and the wonderful people like you who support it. From the bottom of my heart, Thank You" Anne Herlihy (aged 57), Charleville, Cork
What extraordinary times we are all living through! All of our lives have been disrupted by Covid and here at Breakthrough we are no exception. Lab closures, trials postponed, events cancelled, fundraising decimated - we really were on the back foot. Thankfully, with your wonderful support we have been able to Buy Back some of the time we had lost, and are as determined as ever to change the future of cancer.
It's hard not to be able to meet you in person and to share with you the developments and progress you are making happen. But we have moved to find new ways to share our research updates and lab developments with you. We are therefore so excited to bring you our new e-newsletter, so that we can keep you up-to-date on all of the ways your support and donations are helping patients with cancer and their families.
As you know, here at Breakthrough Cancer Research we specialise in the research of poor prognosis cancers, and with your support,we want to achieve 100% survival for 100% of cancers. I know this might seem like an ambitious goal but with every research breakthrough we make, thanks to your support, it brings us one step closer to this goal. Together we are finding ways to shorten the time it takes to get new effective treatments to patients who are waiting for them.
I hope you’ll look forward to our monthly updates and will continue to support us as we strive to make more survivors.
Thank you so much and stay safe, Orla Dolan, Chief Executive, Breakthrough Cancer Research
Research: The Use Of Exhaled Breath Condensate To Detect Mutations In Early Stage Lung Cancer
“We believe we can use our breath tests to meaningfully complement the current blood-based approach and use this to improve outcomes for lung cancer patients.”Prof. Bryan Hennessy Lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer with a 5-year survival of 15%. However early stage disease is more easily treated and has a much better prognosis. Blood samples have been investigated as a "liquid biopsy" to get information about the genetic changes in the lung cancer cells of a patient. Taking blood samples from patients to get this genetic information is far safer for patients than invasive biopsies. The information is vital to understand how best to treat patients. However, for patients with Adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer, the success rate for blood biopsy is less than 1 in 5 patients.
Prof. Hennessy’s research group in the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland have already found that important mutations, or genetic changes, can be detected in the breath samples of patients with lung cancer. Indeed, breath analysis is outperforming blood-based testing.
This new research will investigate whether we can use breath analysis to detect genetic changes that predict lung cancer recurrence. This information is vital in determining treatment decisions. Click Here For More
Research: Harnessing A Patient’s Immune Systems To Fight Pancreatic Cancer Using Immunotherapy & Radiation
Based in the Center for Tumour Immunology at University of Rochester, New York, our researcher Joseph Murphy is working to develop novel therapies for pancreatic cancer. This project and lab are looking at ways to harness a patient's immune system to treat the cancer using a combination of immunotherapy and radiation therapy.
We previously reported that this research programme had led to three investigator-led clinical trials, and now the most recent work, looks to not only remove immune suppressive cells but also to re-educate these cells inside tumours so they can be repurposed to fight the cancer.
This can be achieved with newer forms of radiation therapy, which are highly targetable and ‘wake up’ dormant immune cells, causing them to attack the tumour. This project is coupling this radiation therapy with a molecule, or drug called a Cytokine. When these cytokines are delivered in high doses to the tumour, using specialised drug delivery platforms, they are highly effective at educating the local immune system, resulting in significant decreases in tumour size in the pre-clinical model. This data is very exciting and will be tested in clinical trials as early as 2021! Click Here For More
Your support funds researchers such as Prof. Bryan Hennessy and Joseph Murphy. On behalf of those diagnosed with cancer, and their families, we thank you for helping us find treatments to make more survivors.
Glenlee, Western Road, Cork, T12 F9XD, Ireland | Tel: 021 4226655 | LoCall: 1890 998 998 info@breakthroughcancerresearch.ie | www.breakthroughcancerresearch.ie Charity No: 19801 | Charity Reg No. 20077945 You are receiving this email because you are a Breakthrough Cancer Research supporter or subscriber. We wish to keep you updated on the amazing research and cancer trials that your generous donations are funding. Please note that you can unsubscribe at any time. Thank you as always for your support.
