Transforming breast cancer outcomes through advanced prediction – enabling earlier intervention and saving lives
The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) has partnered with the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) to fund a new centre in Brisbane for women at very high risk* of breast cancer.
Princess Alexandra Hospital and Griffith University in Brisbane have been awarded a $2.5 million grant from ACRF to establish the ACRF Centre for High-Risk Breast Cancer, home to a world-leading magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) scanner.
The funding from NBCF will support the research radiographer salaries over two years to operate the new MRS scanner that can detect warning chemical changes in breast tissue years before cancer appears.
For the thousands of Australian women at very high genetic risk of breast cancer, this breakthrough technology has the potential to act as a real-time risk predictor: helping identifying exactly who may be at risk of developing and who might safely delay or avoid preventative surgery or medications. The non-invasive, contrast-free scan could also offer an alternative for measuring breast density in women who may not be able to tolerate standard contrast agents.
The centre will run national clinical trials in breast cancer, with the goal of making this lifesaving early-detection system available across Australia and potentially internationally. Scans will also be offered to people to assess their risk of ovarian cancer.
CEO of Australian Cancer Research Foundation, Kerry Strydom, said this technology will bring clarity, control and, above all, hope and comfort to women in Australia.
“Every year more than 20,000 Australians are diagnosed with breast cancer and over 3,300 lives are lost. The ACRF Centre for High-Risk Breast Cancer has the potential to make a significant impact on these numbers. For the first time, women at the highest genetic risk will have a tool that tells them exactly when cancer is becoming likely, not just possible, giving them the chance to potentially stop the disease before it starts. This is prevention in its most powerful form, and we are proud to make it possible.”
The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) have also committed additional funding support to resource the centre.
National Breast Cancer Foundation CEO, Dr Cleola Anderiesz, highlighted the power of collaboration between cancer charities and the individual role each project plays ending deaths from breast cancer.
“We are proud to support the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and co-fund this initiative alongside the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. At the National Breast Cancer Foundation, we remain committed to our vision of Zero Deaths from breast cancer. Every research project we support powers progress – turning vision into action and action into lives saved.”
Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation CEO, Robin Penty added, “The OCRF is proud to be collaboratively funding this project that crucially facilitates innovative technology to accelerate outcomes across two cancers that disproportionally affect women, including ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer remains the most lethal gynaecological cancer, therefore identifying those at the highest risk of developing the disease at pre-cancerous stages with Professor Mountford’s state-of-the-art approach, truly has potential to transform survival statistics.”
The new centre is highly complementary to NBCF’s research which is focused on how to prevent breast cancer through precision prevention, how to detect breast cancer as early as possible and before it progresses, how to stop the progression and recurrence of breast cancer, and how to treat hard-to-treat and metastatic breast cancer – research that ultimately saves lives.
* Individuals who are considered high risk include:
- Genetic risk (known BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers)
- Familial risk (strong family history)
- IBIS lifetime risk score >20%
- Personal history of breast disease (previous or newly diagnosed breast cancer)
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