You have returned to the top of the page.
TOWARDS
ZERO
HOW A SIMPLE BLOOD TEST COULD CHANGE THE GAME
Around 20% of people’s breast cancer will return after treatment. To give those people a higher chance of survival Associate Professor Clare Stirzaker is developing a reliable test that can pick up early signs of relapse – and allow for more effective treatment.
Diagnosing breast cancer recurrence early can prevent it from metastasising. This is why detecting the return of breast cancer as soon as possible is so critical to saving lives. But currently, tests are not sensitive or reliable enough to show relapse in its early stages, when treatment is most effective.
NBCF-funded researcher, Associate Professor Clare Stirzaker has discovered that breast cancer DNA has a unique chemical signature that can be detected in small amounts of blood. Together with her team, they are developing a simple blood test to detect breast cancer relapse early, so patients can easily monitor their risk and access treatment sooner rather than later.
Associate Professor Stirzaker is now working to make sure this test is as sensitive and reliable as possible. They will then use the test on blood samples from patients in clinical trials to assess its effectiveness.
If successful, this simple blood test will provide a new, non-invasive and affordable means of monitoring and detecting breast cancer relapse – giving people the best chance for effective treatment and better survival outcomes.
Research like Associate Professor Stirzaker’s gives Australians affected by breast cancer hope for a better future. And life-changing research like this is only possible thanks to the generosity of our community. Thank you for your support, and for helping us get closer to Zero Deaths from breast cancer.
THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR GENEROSITY, WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH LIKE THIS IS POSSIBLE – WE CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU!
“We have made great strides in our understanding of breast cancer, but there is still much that is unknown. Without the research you help to fund, we would not be able to make the groundbreaking discoveries that ultimately lead to improved outcomes for patients.”
- NBCF-funded researcher,
Associate Professor Clare Stirzaker
MEET GAME-CHANGER PROFESSOR SHERENE LOI
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And this year we’d like to shine a spotlight on a researcher whose work has pioneered a new tomorrow for breast cancer research – NBCF Endowed Chair Professor Sherene Loi.
Professor Loi was inspired to enter the world of medicine at a young age when her uncle died of colon cancer. Today, she’s recognised internationally as one of the best breast cancer clinician-scientists. Professor Loi is a pioneer in clinical trials looking into the use of immunotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer. Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that can boost the patient’s own immune system to fight off cancer cells.
She made the fundamental discovery of identifying immune cells that can help predict a patient’s response to treatment.
This has led to the innovation of a test for the presence of certain immune cells in the tumour – providing information that can assist clinicians to manage treatment for patients with more aggressive breast cancer subtypes like triple negative and HER2-positive breast cancer. This immune cell test is now used routinely and worldwide.
Professor Loi continues to build our understanding of how breast cancer interacts with the immune system, leading multiple clinical trials around the world. Her involvement in trials that treated women with triple negative and HER2-positive breast cancers using immunotherapy led to survival rates that have never been seen before.
In recognition of Professor Loi’s outstanding achievements in the field of breast cancer research, she has won one of Australia’s highest honours in the 2021 round of the Prime Minister’s prizes for science – the Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year. She has been recognised as a true pioneer in her field of research and ranked over the last decade, as one of the top 1% most influential researchers in the world.
Research like Professor Loi’s is only possible with funding. Thanks to kind donors like you, funding her research over the next five years as an NBCF Endowed Chair allows her to continue making these global research breakthroughs at home in Australia. It’s progress to be proud of and truly showcases the importance of research during this Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“Thank you, NBCF and your supporters. Being an NBCF Endowed Chair means that I can work on more innovative and long-term projects, and stay engaged with cutting-edge international clinical trials. Ultimately, I truly believe this will have a great impact on the lives of patients with breast cancer.”
– NBCF Endowed Chair,
Professor Sherene Loi
YOUR LEGACY CAN HELP FUTURE GENERATIONS
“As a mother, I don’t want to live in fear of getting breast cancer. I want to protect my family and future generations. If everyone left a gift in their Will to fund research, it would make an amazing difference.”
– Katharine, Research Guardian
In 1994, only 76% of people diagnosed with breast cancer would survive to the five-year mark. Thanks largely to research, today this number is at 92% and rising. That is why becoming a Research Guardian can help us continue to change the statistics.
Katharine understands first-hand breast cancer’s impact on a family. She watched anxiously as her grandmother, mother and aunt went through a breast cancer diagnosis and experienced the challenges of treatments and surgeries.
Katharine knows that funding breast cancer research is the only way to improve detection, prevention and treatment – creating a brighter future for her children, families like hers and future generations. That’s why she became a Research Guardian by leaving a gift for NBCF in her Will.
September 5-11 is Include a Charity Week – a time for everyone to consider leaving a gift in your Will to a cause that’s close to your heart. Even a small gift creates a legacy that can help change the future for generations facing breast cancer.
For further information about leaving a gift in your Will to NBCF, please contact Diana Morison, our Gifts in Wills Manager on 02 8098 4848 or email bequests@nbcf.org.au
PINK PARTY FOR A FRIEND
This year we are celebrating 20 years of Pink Ribbon Breakfast events. Pink Ribbon Breakfast events around the country are hosted by dedicated and passionate individuals.
This year, Rani is hosting her third fabulous pink themed event.
Breast cancer has entered Rani’s life many times. When she was a little girl, she lost two of her aunties and a cousin to the disease. And in 2020 she watched helplessly as her best friend faced a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis 2,000km away. Unable to visit her due to COVID restrictions, Rani was determined not only to support her friend from afar but to give hope to the thousands of Australians touched by breast cancer – by hosting her first Pink Ribbon Breakfast event.
Rani is now set on hosting a breakfast every year. She loves raising awareness, creating a space for women to have open conversations about the disease, and encouraging people to get checked.
We would not only like to thank Rani but everyone who has participated to make this a much-loved tradition over 20 years of Pink Ribbon Breakfast events. Thank you. Visit pinkribbonbreakfast.org.au
“If you want to start fundraising, don’t think about it. Just do it. If you have good intentions, people will follow you and give you a helping hand.”
- Rani