1. New Test Offers Hope to Patients

A simple, personalised test to diagnose treatment for one of the most deadly cancers in young people is just around the corner. New research by Dr Kerrie McDonald and Dr Megan Hitchins from Lowy Cancer Research Centre has developed a new test to determine the most effective treatment for patients with brain cancer, finally giving hope to patients by making the test more affordable, and increasing the chance of overall survival.

Current genetic tests to determine the best course of treatment are unreliable, laborious and expensive. This not only creates a barrier for patients who may not be able to afford the cost of the test but many diagnostic laboratories are reluctant to offer the test because of the running costs.  Dr Kerrie McDonald has found a method that is less time consuming than the current assessment and has also found that this new test, when used in conjunction with the old methylation technique, has a great capacity to predict longer term survival.

The test will help to work out if people will respond positively to current treatment options.  In the longer term, it will help us to move a step closer to personalised therapies where patients will receive specific treatments that will give them the best chances of beating brain cancer.

Research project details:

2. New Brain Cancer Drug

Dr Megan Chircop and her team at the University of Sydney have made excellent progress in their pursuit of a new brain cancer drug. While testing has only been done in mice so far, the new drug has caused an 80% reduction in brain tumour size over an 11 day treatment period. Cancer Council NSW is continuing to support this research, which could lead to better treatments for brain cancer sufferers.

Research project details:

3. Progress in Understanding Why Brain Cancer Spreads

Many cells in the body shed little particles, called microvesicles. However, we know very little about what these packages are and what they might contain. This is important as evidence suggests that they may deliver their ‘cargo’ to other nearby cells. Brain cancer cells also shed microvesicles, and it appears that these tiny parcels could be working to help the tumour grow.A multidisciplinary team of researchers have made a fascinating discovery about how brain cancer cells spread through the brain and force nearby cells to help. The group included teams led by Professors Grau (University of Sydney), Bebawy (UTS) and Guillemin (UNSW), and Drs Suter and Buckland (the Victor Chang Institute).

The researchers examined brain cancer micro vesicles to see what they contained, and to see how these contents affected normal cells. They discovered that brain cancer cells may use microvesicles to control the genes of normal cells nearby, particularly cells that are lining the inside of blood vessels, called endothelial cells. By altering their neighbouring cells in this way, the brain cancer cells could change their environment, possibly making it easier for them to spread through the rest of the brain.

This is a breakthrough in our understanding of how brain cancer cells behave and target other nearby cells. It has paved the way for larger studies that will aim at exploiting this discovery to create new diagnostics and therapies.

Donations to brain cancer through Cancer Council NSW 1200 Club are directly funding vital research projects for brain cancer. These projects are making breakthroughs, showing that with drive, persistence and by working together we can change future outcomes for people facing a brain cancer diagnosis.

Are you a pop-quiz wizard?  A geography genius? A general knowledge know-it-all? Or do you simply like a good night out?  Join us at The Hilton Sydney, for a night of trivia with the irresistibly cheeky Portia Turbo to raise funds for brain cancer research.

Wednesday June 12, 2013, 6.30pm arrivals, 7pm dinner, drinks and trivia

• $135 p/p including dinner and drinks  (Or $115 p/p Exclusive 1200 Club Member price)
• $1350 for teams of 10 
• $3000 Corporate tables (includes marketing and onscreen, online recognition)

Many of us are still unaware brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for young people under the age of 39 and children under 10.  Very little is known about the causes and very little funding is available for research. It is considered a forgotten cancer.

We need your help to raise urgent funds for research and support services. Join us for a great night for a great cause!Thousands of $$$ in prizes to be won!  Just see some of our fabulous supporters below…

What’s the next step? To purchase your trivia night ticket/s please click here.

With special thanks to our 2013 event partner

And our event supporters: 

Hewlett Packard CORPORATE SPONSOR

Aesop

Sambag

Catalina Rosebay 

Megan Park

Giorgio Armani Australia

HMMG – Harry M Miller Group

Valonz Salon X

Mad Pizza

NSW Rugby Union

Take 2 Eggs – Cooking school

Naomi Hamilton Photography

AVIS Kings Cross

Lotus Pod Darlinghurst

Many people are unaware that brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in young people (below age 39) and accounts for more than a third of cancer deaths in children under 10.¹

The brain is considered to be one our most precious organs yet brain cancer has been forgotten.  Very little is known about the causes and not enough funding is provided to support the research needed.

Approximately 1600 people are diagnosed with brain cancer every year in Australia with almost 1200 of these people likely to die.  The high number of fatalities and low survival rate makes research difficult to do.

There is hope.  We are urgently rallying to create awareness and funds to find the causes, prevention and determine effective treatments for patients.  Over the last 5 years Cancer Council NSW has pledged over $8 million towards brain cancer research in a bid to make urgent progress.

Whilst we do not yet know the causes of brain cancer, we do know that having a healthy, balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce the risk of certain cancers, such as bowel, oesophagus, kidney and pancreatic cancers as well as endometrial and post-menopausal breast cancers in women.

Fruit and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet and most of us don’t eat enough. They can help to keep weight down and also appear to protect against cancer of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, stomach and bowel. Fruit may also protect against lung cancer.²

The protective effects of fruit and vegetables against cancers, as well as other diseases such as coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes, mean that we’re encouraged to eat two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables every day.² ³ ⁴ There are two ways that fruit and vegies are thought to help protect against cancer:

1. Directly through specific anti-carcinogenic (anti-cancer) agents
2. Indirectly by helping to maintain a healthy body weight

Cancer Council supports the Australian Dietary Guidelines that recommend eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and a variety of both to obtain maximum benefits.

Fruits should include citrus, coloured fruits (especially red, yellow and orange) and berries, while vegetables should include dark-green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, bok choy, broccoli; Allium types such as onion, garlic, chives, leeks and red/yellow/orange vegetable types. Both cooked and raw vegetables should be part of a cancer protective diet.⁵

For detailed information about diet and cancer visit Cancer Council NSW website, you can also download the fruit vegetables and cancer position statement.

1. NSW Cancer Institute, NSW Cancer Registry, 2008
2. Cancer Council NSW POSITION STATEMENT Fruit, vegetables and cancer prevention UPDATED June 2009
3. National Health and Medical Research Council.  Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults. National Health and Medical Research Council. Canberra. 2003
4. Children’s Health Development Foundation & Deakin University.  The Australian guide to healthy eating. Canberra, AGPS. 1998.
5. Link LB, Potter JD. Raw versus cooked vegetables and cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2004; 13(9): 1422-1435.

Quotes

“Once diagnosed, patients have just a five per cent chance of surviving this extremely aggressive disease. Most die within six months.” – Dr Charlie Teo Ambassador for Cancer Council NSW Brain Cancer Action

“Worryingly, there has been no significant improvement to brain cancer survival rates in almost two decades, but with research we can make a difference.” – Dr Andrew Penman

Memberships to the 1200 Club and donations to Brain Cancer Action are directly funding vital research projects for brain cancer. These projects are making breakthroughs, showing that with drive, persistence and by working together we can change future outcomes for people facing a brain cancer diagnosis.

New Brain Cancer Drug

Dr Megan Chircop and her team at the University of Sydney have made excellent progress in their pursuit of a new brain cancer drug. While testing has only been done in mice so far, the new drug caused an 80% reduction in brain tumour size over an 11 day treatment period. Cancer Council NSW is continuing to support this research, which could lead to better treatments for brain cancer sufferers.

Progress in Understanding Why Brain Cancer Spreads

A multidisciplinary team of researchers have made a fascinating discovery about how brain cancer cells spread through the brain and force nearby cells to help. The group included teams led by Professors Grau (University of Sydney), Bebawy (UTS) and Guillemin (UNSW), and Drs Suter and Buckland (the Victor Chang Institute).

Many cells in the body shed little particles, called microvesicles. However, we know very little about what these packages are and what they might contain. This is important as evidence suggests that they may deliver their ‘cargo’ to other nearby cells. Brain cancer cells also shed microvesicles, and it appears that these tiny parcels could be working to help the tumour grow.

The researchers examined brain cancer micro vesicles to see what they contained, and to see how these contents affected normal cells. They discovered that brain cancer cells may use microvesicles to control the genes of normal cells nearby, particularly cells that are lining the inside of blood vessels, called endothelial cells. By altering their neighbouring cells in this way, the brain cancer cells could change their environment, possibly making it easier for them to spread through the rest of the brain.

This is a breakthrough in our understanding of how brain cancer cells behave and target other nearby cells. It has paved the way for larger studies that will aim at exploiting this discovery to create new diagnostics and therapies.   This breakthrough has also been funded through the Cancer Council NSW grant program and is supported by the 1200 Club and donations to Brain Cancer Action.

Cancer Council NSW Research Projects, funded with the support of the 1200 Club and Brain Cancer Action

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The drug known by the trade name Avastin, shrinks tumours briefly in patients with the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme…but then they often grow again and spread for reasons no one has previously understood.

Mayo Clinic researchers have now found out why. They have also discovered that pairing Avastin with another cancer drug, dasatinib, can stop that lethal spread. Dasatinib is already approved for use in several blood cancers.  ”We are very encouraged. This finding could potentially benefit many cancer patients,” says Panos Z. Anastasiadis, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Cancer Biology at Mayo Clinic in Florida.

“While Avastin offers clear benefit in some patients, oncologists have also noted that when cancers of many types recur after use of Avastin, they become aggressive and invasive,” he says. The researchers then tested dasatinib. They found that while use of Avastin or dasatinib alone did not provide much benefit in mouse models of human glioblastoma, use of both together shrank tumours and blocked any subsequent spread.

“If you block that migration, the cells are forced to stick together and hopefully die by lack of nutrition,” Dr. Anastasiadis says.  Researchers will work next to identify which patients benefit the most from this new treatment, which do not, and why.

Source article: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-combo-avastin-drug-brain-cancer.html

U.S – Genetic Landscape of Common Brain Tumours Holds Key to Personalised Treatment

Nearly the entire genetic landscape of the most common form of brain tumour can be explained by abnormalities in just five genes, an international team of researchers led by Yale School of Medicine scientists report online in the journal Science.

Knowledge of the genomic profile of the tumours and their location in the brain make it possible for the first time to develop personalised medical therapies for meningiomas, which currently are only managed surgically.

Brain tumours called meningiomas tend to be benign. The Yale study shows that tumours associated with mutations in NF2 genes have a greater chance of becoming cancerous and form on the hemispheres of the brain, while those with non-NF2 mutations such as TRAF7 form near the base of the skull, and maybe good candidates for targeted chemotherapy rather than surgery.

“Combining knowledge of these mutations with the location of tumour growth has direct clinical relevance and opens the door for personalized therapies,” said Dr. Murat Gunel, the Nixdorff-German Professor of Neurosurgery, professor of genetics and of neurobiology, and senior author of the study.

Source article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130124150804.htm

U.S – Brain Tumors Respond To Diet and Radiation Therapy

Brain cancer researchers have successfully treated mice with malignant gliomas with a unique combination of radiation therapy and ketogenic diet, a high fat, low carbohydrate and minimal protein regime that forces the body to use fat instead of sugar for energy. Should the approach succeed in human trials, they say the diet could quickly and easily be added to current human brain tumour treatments. The research is thought to be the first study of its kind to look at the effects of the ketogenic diet with radiation.

Led by Adrienne C. Scheck, from Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, in the US, she says their study shows promise for treating human malignant gliomas:  “We found that the ketogenic diet significantly enhances the anti-tumour effect of radiation, which suggests that it may be useful as an adjuvant to the current standard of care for the treatment of human malignant gliomas”.
There is also evidence that the diet’s effect on brain regulation or homeostasis has potential for treating other brain disorders.

Source article: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/253659.php

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A new target for treating aggressive brain tumours has been discovered by researchers at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), and better still, a therapy is already in the advanced stages of development.

Originally, the protein EphA3 was discovered in 1992 for its role in promoting Leukemia cancer cells. This finding was made by Professor Andrew Boyd at QIMR, and clinical trials have since commenced to test a treatment which targets that particular cancer cell activity.

Now, years later, Professor Andrew Boyd together with Dr Bryan Day have found the same protein is implicated in up to 50% of cases of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), particularly in the most aggressive cases “This protein is something we can directly target with a treatment we’ve already developed,” said Dr Day.  “Its early days, but we know cells which express the protein EphA3 can be eradicated in the laboratory with this treatment, so it’s very encouraging.”  This discovery has been published in the journey Cancer Cell, and you can access it online here.

Source article: http://www.qimr.edu.au/page/News__Events/Media_Centre/Media_Releases/QIMR_finds_new_target_for_brain_cancer_treatment/

AUSTRALIA – Parent’s Exposure to Diesel Exhaust Increases Risk in Child Brain Tumour

A UWA study found the risk of childhood brain tumours (CBT) increased with exposure to diesel exhaust before a child’s birth and around the time of a child’s conception.

Prenatal exposure and early postnatal factors may be involved in the causation, since most CBTs are being diagnosed before five years of age.  “Diesel engine exhaust has recently been classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC),” Lead author and WA Institute for Medical Research Assistant Professor Susan Peters says.

The study show more fathers than mothers were exposed to diesel exhaust at the workplace. “For paternal exposure it appeared that exposure around the time of conception was associated with the highest risk,” A/Prof Peters says. “For maternal exposure the risk was increased with exposure any time before birth, but we were not able to specify the most relevant time period.”

Information used included “the type of vehicles they (each parent) drove, how they were powered, whether they worked near diesel powered equipment, if these machines were running and if this was indoors or outdoors, if they drove on major metropolitan roads most of the time. More studies should be done to see whether the observed association is real,” she says.

Source article: http://www.sciencewa.net.au/topics/health-a-medicine/item/1904-childhood-brain-tumours-echo-parent%E2%80%99s-occupational-exposure-to-diesel-exhaust.html http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/201212115348/research/diesel-fumes-increase-risk-childhood-brain-tumours

AUSTRALIA – Leading Childhood Brain Tumour Experts Meet in Perth

The best paediatric brain cancer clinicians and researchers from the most prestigious institutions around the world visited Perth in early February.

Their arrival marks an unprecedented attempt to solidify a global alliance in the fight against medullablastoma (MB), the most common malignant type of childhood cancer. Each diagnosis is devastating for the child and family. Surgery alone cannot cure it and attempts to remove as much tumour tissue as possible are routinely followed by high dose radiotherapy and intensive chemotherapy.

“While we may have made enormous progress in survival, we still leave children with huge long-term side effects.” Problems with cognition, attention and memory, to name a few, are unavoidable and there is currently no substitute for full brain and spine radiation during the vulnerable period of child growth and development.

The ‘Medullablastoma Down Under‘ meeting aims to bring global experts together to share new discoveries and ideas, and harmonise efforts to improve clinical treatment for MB.

Source article: http://www.sciencewa.net.au/topics/health-a-medicine/item/1950-leading-childhood-brain-tumour-experts-in-perth.html

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How did you get involved with Neurosurgery and what inspired you?

I really enjoyed surgery and was fascinated by Neuroscience so it was the obvious marriage. Neurosurgery has so much scope. No operation is really the same which makes it continually interesting.

How has Neurosurgery in Australia changed in the last 10-15 years?

It’s constantly changing. Technology is improving and an example of this is image guidance. I think the way that we do operations has also changed. It’s more minimally invasive and a patient can get out of hospital sooner. The approach has changed too. I think we are bolder than we were in a past. If there is a patient who may have had surgery already and you think you can help them with another operation – you will do it. Years ago that didn’t really happen so I think we are bolder in the way we try to treat patients with brain tumours compared with the past.

What do you think Australia needs to focus on to make an impact in the next five years?

There have been a lot of advances in the way that we treat patients.  We know that surgical resection is closely related to survival; chemotherapy has obviously improved; along with radiotherapy.  One of things that would be really great to have is intraoperative MRI for pediatrics because we know that extended resection is so closely linked to survival.  Increasing accuracy and the effectiveness of this surgery would be one thing. Research support also needs to improve in Australia. It’s quite frustrating that there are a lot of people who have good ideas but it can be hard to get funding for projects. We know that Neuro-research suffers.

Have you experienced projects coming to a roadblock due to lack of funding?

Yes, I’ve had this experience myself and my colleagues have had similar experiences. It takes a lot of money to fund research.  It can take $100,000 to have just one person in the research library. People can spend half the time running around getting funding when they need to be focusing on the research.  There can be a lot of time spent writing for the next grant proposal, rather than doing the research itself.

And where do you think we are making the biggest progress in terms of treating people with brain cancer?

I think there are two main areas. The first one is the surgery itself. It’s getting more effective and safer.  We can certainly reset tumours now that we probably couldn’t in the past. The other big thing that’s been around for a little while now, is combining radiotherapy and chemotherapy. That has resulted in significant improvements in survival and in cases where there hasn’t been hope in the past.

It was the research in different clinical trials, trying different types of chemotherapy, studying outcomes of patients and measuring resections which have led to these improvements.

How do you think Australia compares on a global scale in terms of research and treatment?

People would say that we punch well in terms of research on a global level because the professionals that come out of Australia are such high quality. Though I took a trip to Europe and the US to see some research centers and this is where they put their money. If you remember the whole UCSF centre in San-Francisco was donated by Dolby. There are a lot of centers like that funded in the United States.

This level of philanthropy is not really been seen yet in Australia. We have the Packer Lowy Institute so there are some big people donating money, but this is not the norm. It could be better. It is about encouragement and the Government and community promoting the value of research.

So do you have any message for how the community can help the cause?

This will sound cliché, but encourage people to get behind the 1200 club! Initiatives like this are obviously important. This is how we fund a lot of what we do and funding urgently needs to be supported.

To read more on some of Brian’s work follow:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/surgeon-and-the-champ/story-e6frezz0-1226453266138

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Seven high profile and highly talented business people have teamed up with seven professional Coffs Coast dance teachers, to perform one dance at the event. Dance styles include salsa, rumba, cabaret, jive, waltz, rock and roll and musical theatre. it is definitely a night of fun and intrigue and a few surprises!

The seven dance couples compete for three awards on the night. Firstly the People’s Choice Award as voted by the lovely audience. The second award is the Judges Choice Award, as judged by our expert panel of judges, one of whom is Raymond Mather, tutor and assistant choreographer on the film Strictly Ballroom and former dance partner to Sonia Kruger. There is also a Fundraising Award for the ‘star’ that raises the most money before the event.

The event is now in its third year. The first year Cancer Council raised just over $52,000 and in the second year $58,000 was raised so Cancer Council is hoping to top $60,000 in 2013.

Previous contestants have included Cllr Denise Knight (who was Deputy Mayor at the time and is now the Mayor), Michael Close (CEO of ETC), Lorenz Beckett (Centre Manager of Park Beach Plaza), Brain Hopwood (Brain Hopwood Homes), Alan Ball (Principal at Bishop Druitt College), Jacquie Houlden (Director of Janison) and Carol Walsh (Owner of Saltwater Restaurant). This year contestants include a Heather McKinnon (lawyer with Slater and Gordon), Karen Stocks (Director of New Products and Solutions at Google), Ray Ellicott (Owner of Ray Ellicott Concreting) and of course Melinda Pavey (Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health ).

To make a donation please call Caroline Lord on (02) 9334 1888.

We greatly appreciate your support.