On the pulse


Cancerkin's News Update.....

Cancerkin theatre tickets on sale now…

Tickets are now on sale for Cancerkin’s special evening at the theatre on 31st October 2011. To celebrate and promote the important message of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Cancerkin will be hosting a performance of a new play ‘The Last of The Duchess’ at the Hampstead Theatre. The play focuses on the final days of the controversial Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, spent in her household in Versailles and features an all star cast including Sheila Hancock and Anna Chancellor. Written by Nicholas Wright and directed by Richard Eyre, the play is a world premier and we hope you will join us for an unforgettable evening!

To buy tickets at £40 each, you can call Laura on 020 7830 2323 or you can complete a ticket form, which you will shortly receive in the post or that can be downloaded from our website. This needs to be completed and returned with your payment to the Cancerkin Centre. Seats are limited so book early to avoid disappointment! All funds raised from the performance will help us support more women affected by breast cancer.

If you are interested in helping out with organising the event, we are currently looking for volunteers to help stuff envelopes in the next few weeks. If you are available, please contact Laura on 0207 830 2323 or l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk.. Tea and biscuits will be provided!

Hyde Park Walk announcement!

This week we passed the £30,000 mark in funds raised for the Hyde Park Walk. Thank you so much and well done everybody! Just a reminder that the deadline for sponsorship monies to be received by the Cancerkin office is Monday 15th August. Please remember to make all cheques payable to Cancerkin and avoid sending cash in the post. Please contact Laura on l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk if you have any queries.

Internships at Cancerkin…

Would you like to work at Cancerkin? We are recruiting an East London Project Intern and an Events, Fundraising and Promotions Intern to join our team for three months in September. To read more detailed descriptions of the roles, please visit our website. To apply, please send a covering letter, clearly stating why you would like the internship and what you think you can bring to the role, plus an up-to-date CV. For the Events, Fundraising and Promotions Internship, please apply to Laura Smith at l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk. For the East London Project Internship, please apply to Asini Wijewardane on a.wijewardane@cancerkin.org.uk. The deadline for applications is 15th August 2011.

In the News.....

Potential new treatment for Herceptin resistant tumours

Of the 48,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year, around a quarter will have quick-growing HER2-positive tumours. Such tumours have a large number of receptors to a particular protein which triggers their fast growth. Whilst women with HER2 positive breast cancer previously had limited treatment options, the development of the cancer drug Herceptin (trastuzumab) over the last decade has benefited many patients with this kind of cancer. The drug works to stop cancer cells dividing and growing but over time some women may develop a resistance to the treatment.

Research conducted at the National Cancer Institute in Philadelphia in the US has found that a newly developed protein may help these patients. In lab trials conducted on mice, scientists have found that Affitoxin may be effective in destroying HER2-positive tumours that have stopped responding to Herceptin. Affitoxin kills cancer cells by delivering a bacterial toxin to them. Researchers now hope that the drug will soon be tested on patients in clinical trials and that it will then become available commercially.

Dr Jacek Capala, who worked on the study, said: “Herceptin has revolutionized the treatment of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, but a significant number of tumours acquire resistance to the drug. Affitoxin could offer another therapeutic option for those patients whose tumours no longer respond to Herceptin.” Delyth Morgan, chief executive of Breast Cancer Campaign, said “If Affitoxin realises its potential as a new treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer, it may overcome this issue of resistance and become an important alternative treatment. These promising results indicate a clinical trial is urgently needed to move this drug closer to patient use.”

To read more, please click here..

New research into benefits of tamoxifen...

In March, On the pulse reported on the first major study into the long-term effects of Tamoxifen, which confirmed that breast cancer is less likely to come back in those that take the drug for five years. The drug is frequently prescribed to women with oestrogen-receptor (ER) positive breast cancer to target any cancer cells missed by surgery and to prevent recurrence. The results of further research into the drug, published online this week in a report by the Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group, suggest that women who take the treatment for five years after their surgery can boost the long-term chances of surviving the disease.

Researchers compared information taken from 20 clinical trials involving patients with early breast cancer who took tamoxifen everyday for five years with information about those who did not. They found that those who did take the drug had a lower chance of dying from the disease for at least ten years after treatment began. Over the 15 years after beginning treatment, the risk of dying from breast cancer was reduced by around a third.

Professor Jack Cuzick a Cancer Research UK epidemiologist, said of the study: "This research provides further evidence that taking tamoxifen for five years increases the chance of surviving breast cancer, with the benefits lasting long after women have finished their course of treatment. Although tamoxifen is considered one of the most important drugs in the history of breast cancer treatment, it is now largely being replaced by a new generation of breast cancer drugs called aromatase inhibitors, which have been shown to be even more effective at preventing breast cancer returning with fewer side effects."

To read more about the study, please click here.

Laura Smith
29 July 2011

On the pulse


Cancerkin's News Update.....

Glamgiving and Cancerkin…

Last month, Cancerkin was thrilled to be invited to take part in an exciting new initiative called Glamgiving. About to be launched by Louise Stacey, Glamgiving’s website will sell high end and designer clothes and accessories online that have been donated by retailers and individuals, with a high proportion of the proceeds going to charity. As part of this, Glamgiving plans to hold parties at which guests can donate and buy such luxury fashion wares. Cancerkin was lucky to be selected as one of the charities to benefit from Glamgiving’s first party on 13th June. The party raised an amazing £700 for Cancerkin, which will be put towards the running of our gold standard Lymphoedema clinic. We would like to thank Glamgiving and all those at its first event for their generosity, and we wish Louise all the best for the future!

Hyde Park Walk sponsorship…

Thank you once again to all those who have been busy collecting sponsorship money for the Hyde Park Walk and who have already sent it our way. The current total raised has already surpassed the £25,000 mark so well done to you all! There is still plenty of time to send in your funds – the deadline for monies to be received by the Cancerkin office is Monday 15th August 2011. You’re in with a chance of winning the title of one of our top three fundraisers and to receive a stunning prize donated by Floris. Please remember to make all cheques payable to Cancerkin and avoid sending cash in the post. Please contact Laura on l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk if you have any queries.

Internships at Cancerkin…

Would you like to work at Cancerkin? We are recruiting an Events, Fundraising and Promotions Intern and an East London Project Intern to join our team. To read more detailed descriptions of the roles, please visit our website. To apply please send a covering letter clearly stating why you would like the internship and what you think you can bring to the role plus an up-to-date CV to the following people:

For the Events, Fundraising and Promotions Internship, please apply to Laura Smith at l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk. The deadline for applications for is 1st August 2011.

For the East London Project Internship, please apply to Asini Wijewardane on a.wijewardane@cancerkin.org.uk.The deadline for applications for is 15th August 2011.

In the News.....

Research suggests new line of attack against cancer…

Scientists at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at the Institute of Cancer Research (IRC) have this week announced the discovery of a new way in which chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells, called necroptosis. It is hoped that the discovery will assist efforts in the fight against cancer, including breast cancer, by providing vital information on why certain patients do not respond to some chemotherapy drugs and showing how resistant tumours can be targeted in a new way.

Until recently, it was thought that cancer cell death as result of treatment happened through a process called apoptosis. This process is often blocked in cancer cells, leading cells to resist treatment and meaning they continue to grow and spread. Whilst examining how a certain group of chemotherapy drugs named topoisomerase inhibitors kill cancer cells, they found that some drugs actually use the process of necroptosis to kill cancer cells that are resistant to apoptosis. During the process of necroptosis, certain proteins within a cell are switched on, leading the cell to lose its membrane integrity and to self-destruct. Lab tests found that it is possible to switch on these proteins and to initiate necroptosis. The process rarely occurs in healthy cells and so these proteins may provide a target for new drugs that encourage cancer cell death but that leave healthy tissue unharmed, meaning fewer side effects for patients. Excitingly, a drug already exists which targets one of the proteins, named SMAC-mimetics, which is showing promise in clinical trials.

Study author Professor Pascal Meier, from the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at the ICR in London, said of the discovery: "Chemotherapy has been around for decades but we have never understood how it kills cancer cells. This work shows not only that it can happen by two different processes, but how drugs can be developed to activate this newly discovered second cell-killing process in a much smarter, more effective way. We are at an early stage with this work but it could represent a new way of thinking about how we treat cancer patients in the future.”

To read more from Breakthrough Breast Cancer and from Cancer Research UK, please click here. and here.

Blogging to beat Breast Cancer…

The Daily Mail this week featured the inspiring story of one young woman’s efforts to come to terms with a breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 29. Following her diagnosis in August 2008, Emily Holt of Cotesbach, Leicestershire decide to start a blog about her experiences, sharing everything about her personal battle against the disease with the online community. Since beginning the blog, she has written about everything from having a mastectomy and the prospect of breast reconstruction to undergoing six months of chemotherapy and the resulting hair loss, and has now gathered a huge online following.

Emily said of her blog: “Writing the blog was both therapeutic and scary. It forced me to evaluate my mortality whilst trying to remain positive for the future. But it was like writing a diary, a diary that could provide hope and information to other young girls battling cancer. I wanted younger people to realise they're not invincible and they have to examine themselves. I've had lots of positive feedback from other suffers who say my blog inspired them to keep fighting, that is the best reward.'

To read more about Emily’s experiences, please click here for the full Daily Mail article.

Laura Smith

15 July 2011

On the pulse


Cancerkin's News Update.....

Our On the pulse scribe, Laura Smith, is on a well earned holiday in the sun so you have me this week. It does give me the opportunity to thank all those who help us make Cancerkin such a success. I am lucky to have the most dedicated staff to support me and all the patients that come through the door. I also want to say a very big thank you to Cancerkin’s Trustees. They are an exceptional group, each bringing a unique skill to the Charity and supporting me in every way. It was very hard to say good bye to Sally Malin who left the Board last week. Fortunately she will be ‘migrating’ to Chiswick so we will soon be neighbours. At the same time another Chiswickian has joined the Board, Jenny Oppenheimer from the Pilgrim Trust. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge about trusts and foundations and an in depth knowledge of the Third Sector. An enormous thank you also to the Lymphoedema volunteers who manage the ever expanding Lymphoedema Clinic. They are an extremely hard working group of women who manage all the patients’ visits, ordering of supplies and general admin for the clinic. And finally, a big thank you to our Experienced Patients who offer a caring hand and listening ear to all our patients living with breast cancer. A truly amazing team and I feel so lucky to be able to work for Cancerkin.

Cancerkin’s East London Project

Project Manager Asini Wijewardane is off working in the Bromley by Bow Health Centre today taking with her a number of our therapists who will offer free massages, reflexology and dance therapy sessions for the day. We now have regular sessions there and at St Joseph’s Hospice so that we can extend to women in East London what has been offered in North London for 24 years.

Hyde Park Walk sponsorship…

Thanks to all those loyal supporters who are forwarding us their sponsorship money for the Hyde Park Walk on 19th June. Whilst we were warned not to raise our hopes this year I have to say that I am overjoyed at the amounts that are coming in. You are all doing so well and we are so touched by all your efforts to support us. There is still time to make the Monday 15th August deadline so don’t despair. You may be one of the top three fundraisers to receive one of the stunning Floris prizes. Please remember to make all cheques payable to Cancerkin and avoid sending cash in the post. Please contact l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk if you have any queries about sponsorship.

Therapies

As most of you know, since I started working here I have enjoyed introducing new therapies thus giving our patients a taste of something different each term. This has meant increasing the number of therapies on offer and ensuring that we are open 9-5.30 five days a week. I am hoping to bring in a drama therapist this autumn and we are also investigating employing a flower essence therapist. These new classes will be piloted in September and introduced in October if there is a demand from our patients.

Please note that Pilates is taking a break over the summer. Classes will recommence on Thursday 8th September 2011 at 1.30pm.

Now over to Una and Asini for our latest snippets from the news desk.

In the News.....

Gene dilemma to prevent next generation cancer

New genetic treatments may be able to help couples ensure their baby will not inherit family diseases. Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) - a technique which screens IVF embryos for genetic disorders and transfers any free of the faulty gene into the mother's womb – has been offered on the NHS for more than a decade for serious diseases that come early in childhood, like cystic fibrosis or Tay Sachs.

However the ethics of extending the use of this technique is debatable, with the first child free of the breast cancer gene by PGD born only in 2009. Professor Michael Baum, a leading researcher in breast cancer, is doubtful whether PGD should be used for inherited breast cancer. He explains a phenomenon in genetics and cellular development called co-expression where two genes could be stuck together – so the mutant gene (i.e. the BRAC1 and BRAC2 mutation) might be co-expressed with favourable components (e.g. complex genes of beauty or intelligence). Therefore he believes by selecting out the embryos of these mutations, there is a risk of selecting out ‘some of the best people in our society’.

To read more, click here.

Fad foods and breast cancer – how to read the headlines

There are many articles out there that focus on the links between food and cancer, with headlines often promoting the cancer-fighting benefits of certain foods. Very often though, it can be difficult to decipher whether the headlines are indeed fact or fiction. A recent article on website ‘Koman for the Cure’ helps to give greater insight into how to ‘read between the lines’ when it comes to articles about foods and breast cancer.

When reading about possible links between diet and cancer, it can be helpful to look at whether the results come from studies of cells, animals or people. Whilst findings from cell studies may be interesting, they indicate a very early step in the research process, and may not necessarily translate to human health. Similarly, whilst animal studies can add to our understanding of how and why some factors may affect breast cancer risk in people, there are many differences between animals and people, and so human studies are needed before deciding whether certain foods are actually linked to the prevention, treatment or risk of breast cancer in people.

Another interesting factor to look out for when reading articles about food and breast cancer is the number of people used in a study. The more people used in a study, the more information or evidence it gives us, as results from a small study can sometimes be due to chance rather than a true effect. Important to also consider is how many other studies have been done on the same topic with similar outcomes as this can help us to have more confidence in the results. In other words, the more human studies is with large numbers and with similar findings there are, the more we can trust whether a food is linked (or not linked) to breast cancer. So next time you read about the link between a certain food and breast cancer, investigate whether the study was done with people, whether it was a large study and supported by other research – armed with this knowledge you will be better able to ‘read between the lines’ and properly interpret the headlines.

To read more, click here.

Victoria Todd

8th July 2011

On the pulse


Cancerkin's News Update.....


Hyde Park Walk sponsorship…

Sponsorship money from those who took part in our Hyde Park Walk on 19th June is now coming in thick and fast – many thanks to those who have sent it in to us so speedily. Please note that the deadline for returning monies is Monday 15th August. On this day we will add up the grand total and announce our top three fundraisers by the end of that week. Each winner will be awarded with luxury products kindly donated by Floris. Please remember to make all cheques payable to Cancerkin and avoid sending cash in the post. Please contact l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk if you have any queries about sponsorship.

If you still have not taken a look at pictures from the walk, please head head to our Flickr or Facebook pages now! Please tag your friends and ‘like’ the photos and the Cancerkin page while you’re there. We’d love you to share your pictures and your experiences of the day with us, so please contact me at l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk – the best stories and photos will be posted online!


Bon voyage, Habeeb!

This week we say goodbye to our Office Manager Habeeb Ahmed. Habeeb started as an intern at Cancerkin in 2009 before taking on the role of Office Manager at the beginning of 2010. He is leaving us to go travelling before he pursues a career in aid and development. We are very sad to see him go but wish him the best for his travels and every success and happiness in his future endeavors!


June lectures at Cancerkin

Dr Anmol Malhotra MB BS BSc(Hons) MRCP FRCR, Consultant Radiologist and Clinical Lead at the Royal Free Hospital gave a fascinating and informative lecture on breast imaging in our second June lecture on Tuesday. Dr Malhotra talked about his role in the breast screening process as a Radiologist and explained the signs a Radiologist looks for when assessing a patient. He described the latest developments in breast imaging techniques that aim to speed up the diagnostic process, including discussion of mammograms and their effectiveness. We would like to thank him for sharing his time and expertise with Cancerkin’s patients and supporters in what was a thoroughly enjoyable lecture.


Therapies reminder…

Please note that pilates classes will be taking a break over the summer. The last session before the break will be on Thursday 7th July 2011 at 1.30pm, and classes will recommence on Thursday 8th September 2011 at 1.30pm.


In the News.....


Potential new treatment for oestrogen-negative breast cancers

Of the 48,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year, five percent of these will have a specific type of tumour known as an oestrogen-receptor-negative molecular apocrine tumour. Oestrogen-receptor-negative breast cancers such as these can be difficult to treat as they do not respond to hormone treatments like tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors. In more common oestrogen-positive tumours, oestrogen receptors in the cancer cells are switched on by the hormone, fuelling their growth. Oestrogen negative tumours do not have the protein receptors required by hormone to be effective, leaving these women with fewer treatment options.

Scientists at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute have discovered that patients with this kind of difficult to treat tumour could in fact benefit from prostate cancer treatments which target a different receptor. Androgen receptors, a key trigger of prostate cancer, are fuelled by the androgen hormone, testosterone, in a similar way to which oestrogen receptors are fuelled by oestrogen. Researchers found that in oestrogen-receptor-negative molecular apocrine tumours, androgen receptors can also switch on genes that are usually switched on by the oestrogen receptor, fuelling breast cancer growth. As the research is still in its early stages, it is not yet known what fuels the androgen receptor, whether it is testosterone or testosterone, or if the receptor fuels cancer growth independently without the presence of a hormone.

Lead author, Dr Ian Mills, at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Research Institute, said of the research: “This important discovery suggests that patients with a type of oestrogen-receptor-negative breast cancer may potentially benefit from therapies given to prostate cancer patients, which could transform treatment for this patient group in the future. But at the moment this laboratory research is still at an early stage. We don’t know if oestrogen or hormones from the androgen family such as testosterone also have a role to play in fuelling the disease in this patient group. The challenge is to pin down these answers through further laboratory and clinical research.”

To read more from Cancer Research UK, please click here.



Una Reynolds

1st July 2011