JUNE 2021
Our Breakthrough Public Patient Initiative (PPI) panel involves members of the public and patients collaborating with cancer researchers. 

Helen joined our PPI panel because she wished, in any way she could, to pay back the cancer research community, and supporters like you, for the excellent treatment she received as a result of cancer research.
"Being diagnosed with breast cancer came as a complete shock to me. I was just 50 years old and had absolutely no symptoms. The cancer was picked up at my very first mammogram, the week of Hurricane Ophelia. My treatment was immediate and thankfully effective. It was also delivered with such kindness from all the medical personnel involved.

When I recovered and began to get my energy back, I was keen to contribute what I could to cancer research, in acknowledgement and gratitude for all the expertise I had benefited from. 

Joining the Breakthrough Cancer Research PPI panel has introduced me to a group of like-minded people, who have had first-hand experience of cancer in varying guises. I find talking to people who have had such an experience both supportive and comforting.  Also, I like the idea that I am in a small way paying back the cancer research community for the excellent treatment I received as a result of their work.

In my opinion it’s important for all cancer research funding bodies to have a PPI panel.
 
PPI creates a partnership, and helps support the dialogue and connection between cancer researchers, funding bodies and those affected by cancer. I think that input from patients and others directly affected by cancer is key to successfully progressing research projects – it takes the research from the theoretical to the practical.

It is essential that the voices of cancer patients, those who have recovered from cancer and their families, are heard by those involved in the research process.
 
These voices provide the lived experience which is so important in informing decisions on funding and the researchers' amazing work."
                       
 Helen McGonagle, Clonmellon, Co.Westmeath
On National Cancer Survivors Day, Sunday 6th June, we marked this very special occasion with the unveiling of a new county, Co. Saolfada.

The support you give so generously to cancer research is working. We are thrilled to report that Irish cancer survivors now outnumber the populations of some of Ireland’s biggest counties. If Irish cancer survivors had their own county, the population would be as big as Limerick, Kildare, Meath or Cork City. Therefore, on National Cancer Survivors Day we thought it was only fitting to designate a symbolic 33rd county, Co. Saolfada - the county of Survivors, a name derived from ‘long-life’, to our 200,000 survivors. It’s a place of wonder, hope and above all life, where people work, live, play and laugh as much as they possibly can. It’s a land made possible by science, resilience, and human compassion and ingenuity. 

Our wish is that this will be the fastest growing county in Ireland. The number of survivors is predicted to double over the next 25 years, mainly due to improvements in early detection, effective cancer treatment and new treatment developments.  The survival rates for some cancers are already above 80% or even 90%. Sadly however, that’s not the case for all cancers and we urgently need to change that. With more research and better treatments, we could save many more of the 9,000 who still die from cancer each year in Ireland.  Our aim, with your help, is to add at least 80,000 more residents to Co. Saolfada in the next 10 years. Everyone diagnosed with cancer should get the opportunity to live there.
To find out more about Co.Saolfada click here. 

Please help us to continue to increase the population of Co.Saolfada by supporting more cancer research! 
The Cyclist's Tan 
The only safe tan is a fake tan. Outdoor workers and those taking part in outdoor sports are in a high risk group for skin cancer.  We know there are many of you taking part in the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle this year on behalf of Breakthrough, so we want to ensure you are safe while having fun during this cycling challenge. 

This Patch Tan film takes a humourous approach, to what is a deadly serious subject, to share an important message. Ireland has the highest mortality rate for melanoma in Europe.

 On the areas of skin you can't cover up or keep in the shade, we encourage you to please be sure to apply a high factor SPF (30+) carefully, so you're 100% covered. 

 
Click here to learn more about how to safely enjoy your summer ahead. 
If we said calcium, you would probably think of milk and strong bones, but researchers are starting to discover new ways to use calcium to manage hard to treat cancers. One of the exciting research projects we are funding is investigating The Use Of Calcium & Electricity To Treat Skin Cancer In An Outpatient Setting. 

A current cancer treatment, Electroporation, uses an electrical field to increase the permeability of cell membranes. Then chemicals, drugs, or DNA can be introduced into the cell to treat the cancer. Through their research, Professor Merete Haedersdal along with Dr. Declan Soden of Mirai Medical, are developing a more effective method for treating skin cancers using electroporation.

The goal is to develop a simpler treatment that minimises patient risk and reduces costs. Their study will investigate electroporation in combination with calcium, delivered in an outpatient setting with local anaesthetic. This study will provide insights into the use of these technologies on basal cell carcinoma skin cancers. Electroporation with calcium would be far easier to administer compared to using chemotherapy, which has to be done in the hospital.

This treatment could provide significant benefits to both patients and the healthcare provider, for example, less time in hospital. Dr. Declan Soden recently spoke at a Breakthrough webinar on this topic, which is available to watch on demand now if you would like to find out more. 
WATCH WEBINAR NOW
Watch On-Demand Now:
Pulsed Electricity Fields For Cancer Treatment: From Idea to Industry 
Dr. Declan Soden, Mirai Medical 
We see great potential in calcium and so are also funding a second calcium research project focused on Oesophageal Cancer.

When dissolved in water calcium forms calcium ions (Ca2+). Ca2+ acts as a signal, which controls lots of processes in the body from muscle movement to metabolism and how genes are activated. However, high concentrations of Ca2+ lead to cell death.

Acid reflux is one of the risk factors for developing oesophageal cancer. As intracellular Ca2+ rises, oesophageal cells react, especially to acidity. Increased Ca2+ in the cells damages DNA and causes inflammation. This promotes the development and progression of the cell becoming cancerous. We don’t yet know which molecular mechanisms cause these changes in Ca2+.

However, thanks to your generosity, Dr. John Mackrill of University College Cork aims to find out. Dr. Mackrill will use a technique called fluorescent videomicroscopy, which allows him to observe changes in Ca2+ in oesophageal cancer cells. He’ll investigate how Ca2+ signals work and whether different drugs can interrupt them. This research is the first step toward developing new types of anti-oesophageal cancer chemotherapy.
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Glenlee, Western Road, Cork, T12 F9XD, Ireland   |   Tel: 021 4226655   |  LoCall: 1890 998 998

 info@breakthroughcancerresearch.ie   |  www.breakthroughcancerresearch.ie

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Breakthrough Cancer Research · Glenlee · Western Road · Cork, Co. Cork T12 F9XD · Ireland