MAN UP TO CANCER’s Post

Embracing Hope: How CRIS Cancer Foundation's Investment in Research is Saving Lives: Fran Barreto’s story is a powerful example of the life-saving impact of cancer research and the vital role of organizations like the CRIS Cancer Foundation. At 45, Fran has been battling follicular lymphoma, a journey marked by numerous ineffective treatments. His voice, however, remains upbeat as he shares his experience from the Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid. A year-long struggle culminated in Fran becoming the first patient in Spain to receive CAR-T therapy for his type of lymphoma, a cutting-edge treatment that modifies the patient's own T-cells to attack cancer cells. Despite its high cost of around 300,000 euros, the therapy offers hope where conventional treatments fail. "I'm happy and feeling good," Fran says, reflecting on his fight for the approval of this therapy in Spain. The efforts of the CRIS Cancer Foundation were crucial. Fran and the Foundation took their case to Congress, highlighting the urgent need for this treatment. Their testimony led to political support and opened doors for meetings with the government. "For me, that moment was key," Fran recalls. The therapy, already approved by the European Medicines Agency since June 2022, needed recognition in Spain. Fran’s journey illustrates the challenge faced by many cancer patients: navigating the slow pace of political processes while their lives hang in the balance. The CRIS Cancer Foundation’s intervention was a beacon of hope, ensuring Fran could access the treatment. Fran's optimism is palpable. Post-treatment, he remains under careful observation to manage potential side effects. "Every day they ask me my name and the date. But I'm well," he says, eager to regain a semblance of normalcy. The CRIS Cancer Foundation's support exemplifies how research can transform lives. Fran’s story highlights the importance of continued investment in cancer research and the difference it makes. As Fran prepares to rebuild his life, his journey offers hope and a reminder: with the right support and treatments, cancer patients can look forward to a future filled with possibilities.

Cancer researchers are optimistic that in 2024 more people will benefit from cancer breakthroughs. The development of targeted therapy and immunotherapy has changed the course of care, saving lives and transforming cancer care. However, there is still much work to be done as cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States. Nearly 2 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year alone. Robert Stone, CEO of City of Hope, is extremely optimistic about the future of cancer care. He believes that research-driven breakthroughs in cancer prevention and treatment are transforming cancer care as we know it and improving the lives of millions of patients each year. Stone expects the pace of innovation in cancer care to accelerate in 2024, including research that unlocks the biology behind cancer disparities, wider access to CAR T-cell therapy, and better access to clinical trials. While some of the most significant discoveries in cancer care occurred in decades long past, the young century alone has brought innovative breakthroughs that have saved lives and changed the course of care. With continued advancements and research, we can look forward to a future where cancer care is more effective and accessible. Source: https://lnkd.in/g3_DFwn4

🏡💻 Reimagine Care and Moffitt Cancer Center announce today a strategic partnership to transform cancer care delivery. The collaboration addresses the increasing need for flexibility in care, allowing patients to receive their treatments without the limitations of traditional healthcare settings.  Moffitt Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center based in Florida and host of the CancerX Moonshot. By leveraging Reimagine Care's innovative platform, Moffitt patients will have access to personalized cancer care services anytime, anywhere, aligning with the shared vision of both organizations to make cancer care more accessible and patient-centric.  Dan Nardi, CEO of Reimagine Care shares, "Partnering with Moffitt, a leader in cancer research and treatment, is an incredible honor... Our collaboration will bring revolutionary, on-demand care directly to patients, empowering them with the support and resources they need throughout their cancer journey." "This partnership with Reimagine Care ensures that our patients receive seamless, comprehensive care, whether at the clinic or at home," said Dr. Timothy Hembree, Chief Quality Officer at Moffitt. Moffitt, renowned for its leadership in cancer research, treatment and patient care, is a pivotal player and host of the CancerX initiative, a public-private partnership aligned with the Cancer Moonshot. It seeks to accelerate the development and implementation of innovative cancer treatments and care models. Reimagine Care, as a founding member of CancerX, shares this commitment and is focused on contributing to the initiative's ambitious goals.  Learn more about how we’re reimagining the future of cancer care with Moffitt Cancer Center by visiting our website for the full press release - https://lnkd.in/gu5rdGNp

Zombi Warfare - Cancer Game Changer Alert In the relentless battle against cancer, traditional treatments like chemotherapy not only wage war against tumors but unwittingly unleash a hidden enemy – senescent tumor cells, often referred to as "zombi cells." These seemingly dormant cells, though incapable of reproducing, create a sanctuary for surviving tumor cells, setting the stage for a potential comeback. In a groundbreaking revelation published in Nature Cancer, scientists have unraveled a sinister tactic employed by these senescent cancer cells post-chemotherapy. They hijack the PD-L2 protein to evade immune detection, creating a suppressive environment that hampers the function of vital immune cells known as lymphocytes. This discovery unveils a crucial piece of the puzzle, providing a potential key to fortify cancer treatments. Imagine a scenario where deactivating PD-L2 in these senescent cells could empower the immune system to efficiently eliminate them, dramatically enhancing the effectiveness of chemotherapy. This game-changing finding, validated in various cancer cell and animal models, opens the door to a new frontier in cancer treatment. - For the rest of the article and reference visit: https://lnkd.in/gUmxNsks

Melanoma deaths have decreased by more than 40% in Queensland since 2013, thanks to the work of dedicated clinicians like Dr Megan. 👏   Megan is a Medical Oncologist at Cairns Hospital with a special interest in immunotherapy.   Immunotherapy is particularly useful in treating melanoma compared to chemotherapy. It works by helping the body's immune system—or defence system—hunt down and attack cancer cells.   'Before immunotherapy, many people with advanced melanoma would not survive a year, and chemotherapy often couldn't help them,' Megan said.   'With immunotherapy, some people recover fully and are able to stop treatment entirely. I have many patients like this who simply come to see me every three to six months for monitoring. It is so lovely to see them happy, healthy and going about their normal lives. ❤️   'I am very proud of the developments we've seen. We now have an active oncology clinical trial team and run many phase one to three trials so people in Far North Queensland with melanoma have access to quality treatments closer to home.'   Despite these impressive advances, Megan says there's still more work to be done to research new therapies and understand why some treatments only work for certain people.   Queenslanders are currently being invited to share their stories, suggestions and insights about cancer care in Queensland to help guide the development of the new 10-year Queensland Cancer Strategy.   The strategy aims to revolutionise cancer care across the state, significantly improving the experience of the over 33,000 Queenslanders diagnosed with cancer each year. It will support better access to early detection services and a unified, state wide approach to research, innovation and education in the field of cancer.   Consultation remains open until 17 April, with the final strategy due to be launched mid-2024. Have your say now 👉 https://lnkd.in/gZhS2cNx    Thank you Megan and all your team for your commitment to providing world-class cancer care! 👏

“World Cancer Day” is marked on February 4th every year. Although cancer treatment has advanced greatly in recent decades, mainly due to NGS assays, targeted treatments and immunotherapy, there are still many treatments that do not have any molecular marker that can predict their effectiveness, and in advanced stages of the disease the percentage of response to treatments varies between 20-40%. “Functional Precision Oncology” technologies come to counter this gap and make it possible to identify the optimal treatment for each cancer patient and his/her specific tumor. Visit our website to read more about the cResponse platform, the only combined "Functional - Genomic" cancer precision medicine platform, evaluating each tumor sensitivity to different drugs and drug combinations, providing an empirical read-out of different drugs’ functional effect for a truly personal cancer treatment report. www.curesponse.com https://lnkd.in/eTqJ5t4P

Innovative new research projects targeting improved lung cancer outcomes have now been given the green light through joint Lung Foundation Australia and Cancer Australia funding! Grant recipients Dr Hilary Byrne and Dr Nicholas Hindley will lead two new projects, funded under the 2023 Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme (PdCCRS). Commencing in mid-2024 the two funded projects will target lung cancer patient outcomes, with one aiming to reduce radiation side effects for lung cancer patients and increase eligibility for lifesaving immunotherapy by delivering daily imaging of lung function, tracking changes over the weeks of treatment and sparing healthy lung sections. The second harnesses Einstein’s theory of relativity to develop a method of tracking tumours and organs as they move during radiation therapy, enabling precision targeting of radiation beams which avoids damaging healthy tissue.  You can read more about the joint funding here: https://lnkd.in/gUMk5R2R

Cancer Deaths Are Falling, but There May Be an Asterisk: Cancer deaths in the United States are falling, with four million deaths prevented since 1991, according to the American Cancer Society's annual report. At the same time, the society reported that the number of new cancer cases had ticked up to more than two million in 2023, from 1.9 million in 2022. The New York Times: Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease. Doctors believe that it is urgent to understand changes in the death rate, as well as changes in cancer diagnoses. The cancer society highlighted three chief factors in reduced cancer deaths: declines in smoking, early detection and greatly improved treatments. Breast cancer mortality is one area where treatment had a significant impact. In the 1980s and 1990s, metastatic breast cancer "was regarded as a death sentence," said Donald Berry, a statistician at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and an author of a new paper on breast cancer with Sylvia K. Plevritis of Stanford University and other researchers (several authors of the paper reported receiving payments from companies involved in cancer therapies). The paper, published Tuesday in JAMA, found that the death rate from breast cancer had fallen to 27 per 100,000 women in 2019 from 48 per 100,000 in 1975. That includes metastatic cancer, which counted for nearly 30 percent of the reduction in the breast cancer death rate. Breast cancer treatment has improved so much that it has become a bigger factor than screening in saving lives, said Ruth Etzioni, a biostatistician at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Death rates have even declined among women in their 40s, who generally did not have regular mammograms, said Dr. Mette Kalager, a professor of medicine at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, "indicating a substantial effect of treatment," she said. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Thank you, Malvina, for this IMPORTANT POST sounding the alarm about the very alarming rise in colorectal cancers in young adults. And thank you, CancerIQ, for your work to make it so easy for care providers to identify individuals at risk of hereditary cancer so that potentially lifesaving genetic testing can be performed. My Faulty Gene #hereditarycancer #coloncancer #rectalcancer #colorectalcancer #cancerstatistics #knowyourrisk #familyhealthhistory #pcp #familydoctor

NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) New screening trial to save thousands of men’s lives from prostate cancer Thousands more men could be saved every year as a new screening trial aims to double the efficacy of #prostate cancer screening. The £42m trial called TRANSFORM aims to find the best way to screen men for prostate cancer and is co-funded by Prostate Cancer UK and NIHR. The Government is investing £16m for the trial through NIHR. Movember is providing £1.5m funding, and there is support from the Freddie Green and Family Charitable Foundation. Previous trials using the current blood tests PSA (prostate-specific antigen) and biopsy to screen for prostate cancer have shown it is possible to prevent 8% and 20% of prostate cancer deaths. This depends on how regularly men are screened. TRANSFORM will test new approaches which have the potential to more than double this impact and reduce prostate cancer deaths by 40%. With over 12,000 prostate cancer deaths in the UK, this could mean thousands of men saved each year here, and many thousands more worldwide. TRANSFORM will bring together 6 of the world’s leading prostate cancer researchers. They will lead the team taking on the biggest prostate cancer screening trial for 20 years. It will begin recruitment of hundreds of thousands of men from across the UK next year. Prostate Cancer UK worked with NIHR and the National Screening Committee to ensure the trial will provide the evidence needed to revolutionise prostate cancer diagnosis. It will compare multiple methods of screening. These will be compared against how men are tested now. They aim to find the safest, most accurate and most cost-effective way to screen men for prostate cancer. The team will collect a biobank of samples, images and data at a scale never seen before in prostate cancer. This will be available to other cancer researchers. It is predicted to spur a wave of new discoveries and provide proof for the next generation of diagnostics. The trial's flexible design means promising new testing methods can be added at any stage. https://lnkd.in/dem5qCxR