On the pulse

Cancerkin’s news…

Cancerkin's Inaugural Annual Lecture - 28th February 2011

Cancerkin’s lecture is now only days away – it will take place next Monday, 28th February 2011 in the Atrium at the Royal Free. We at Cancerkin are very much looking forward to hearing National Clinical Director for Cancer at the Department of Health and UK cancer Tsar Professor Sir Mike Richards’ lecture “Tackling breast cancer in England: progress and challenges” and to seeing many of our friends and supporters there.

Welcome drinks will be served from 5.30pm before the lecture begins at 6.15pm. If you are interested in attending but have not yet reserved a space, please do get in touch. For reservations and further information, please contact Laura Smith at l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk or call 0207 830 2323.


Kundalini Yoga & Nia Technique

We are now holding weekly Kundalini Yoga and Nia Technique dance classes on Wednesday afternoons with therapist Beverley Drumm. Beverley’s classes got off to a fantastic start this week and we hope to see plenty of you here again next week – everyone is welcome to come along and no prior experience is necessary in either class.

Kundalini yoga will take place from 1pm to 2.15pm. Classes in The Nia Technique, an expressive, dance-based movement form, will follow at 2.30pm to 3.30pm. To register your interest, please email Laura at l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk or call 020 7830 2323


Comedy with a Cause and the Big Bra Auction

This Monday, the JCC’s ‘Comedy with a Cause’ evening took place at the London Comedy Store raising funds for both Cancerkin and the JCC. It was a fantastic evening enjoyed by all and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the JCC for all the hard work they put into organising such a successful event.

There are only days left in the Big Bra Auction, also in aid The JCC and Cancerkin. Over 40 celebrities including Dame Judi Dench, Tom Conti and Gloria Hunniford have unleashed their creativity and transformed plain white bras donated by Triumph into unique works of art. The bras will be on auction until 10am on Monday 28th February 2011 so make sure you get your bid in soon! To browse the bras and place your bid simply click here.


In the news…

New breast cancer gene discovered

Cancer Research UK has announced the discovery of a new breast-cancer causing gene, the first to be identified in over five years. When overactive, the ‘oncogene’, known as ZNF703, upsets the normal systems in place to control cell division and triggers the development of a particularly aggressive form of oestrogen positive breast cancer.

Researchers at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute and at the British Columbia Cancer Agency in Vancouver examined 1172 breast tumours as well as lab-grown breast cancer cells to study patterns of gene activity. They used a technique called ‘microarray technology’, which monitors differences in gene activity between normal and cancerous cells. Scientists identified a region on human chromosome eight which contains genes commonly found in multiple copies in breast cancer tumours and therefore likely to be linked to the development of cancer. The genes in this region were eliminated one by one until one gene remained that was found to be overactive in all samples – the ZNF703 gene. In two patients examined, it was the only gene found to be overactive, further evidence that it led to the development of cancer.

It is thought that over a third of cases of more aggressive oestrogen positive breast cancer could contain multiple copies of the gene. Researchers believe that testing a patient’s tumour for ZNF703 activity will help to identify whether it is an aggressive form, helping doctors to tailor treatment. Testing for the gene may reveal if a patient will respond to certain drugs and further research could lead to the development of treatment specifically targeted at ZNF703. Dr Lesley Walker, director of Cancer Information at CRUK, furthermore said: “This is exciting because it’s a prime candidate for the development of new breast cancer drugs designed specifically to target tumours in which this gene is overactive. Hopefully this will lead to more effective cancer treatments in the future.”

To read the article in full, please click here.


Blocking enzyme could stop cancer spread

Pre-clinical research conducted by the Institute of Cancer Research and published this week in Cancer Research Journal has shown that blocking a key enzyme in breast cancer tumours could stop the spread of cancer to other organs. The study’s results represent a positive step towards finding a way to prevent cancer spreading.

In studies in mice, researchers found that the enzyme lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) helps cancerous cells to escape from breast tissue and allows them to travel to distant organs such as the lungs, liver and bone. It was found that blocking the enzyme’s function with chemicals and antibodies helped decrease the spread of cancer from the breast to these organs. This suggests that a drug that blocks LOXL2 could be effective in preventing metastatic breast cancer. Scientists found that high levels of LOXL2 were associated with cancer spread and poor prognosis, meaning the enzyme could also be used as an indicator for how aggressive a patient’s cancer will be and how likely a cancer is to spread.

Dr Julie Sharp, senior science information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “Cancer spread is an important problem in breast and other cancers, and scientists are searching to find new ways to stop cancer spread and save many more lives. The team have shown that targeting the molecule LOXL2, which plays a key role in spread, could offer new approaches to tackle this problem.”

Please click here to read a BBC News report on the study or here to read more from the Institute of Cancer Research.


Laura Smith
24th February 2011