Latest News
BCAC chair, Libby Burgess, recently met with BreastScreen Aotearoa (BSA) representatives - Jacqui Akuhata-Brown (Group Leader, National Screening Unit (NSU)), Marli Gregory (newly appointed Clinical Leader, BSA), Barbara Irwin (Programme Leader, BSA) and Deborah Harris (Corporate Services Manager, BSA).
That meeting follows another earlier this year, with the aims of further strengthening the relationship between BCAC and BSA; establishing good, frequent communication to ensure BCAC is kept up to date with developments and issues; being informed of progress in reaching screening targets; offering consumer representation; and discovering whether BSA will distribute the BCAC Step by Step support pack at their breast cancer diagnosis appointments.
| On this page you can find out more about those who appear in BCAC's Kiwi Stories of Breast Cancer. Our thanks go to all those below, who were brave enough and generous enough to share their stories so that others could learn more about breast cancer. | |
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BCAC welcomes the announcement from BreastScreen Aotearoa that Dr Marli Gregory has been appointed as its new clinical leader.
Marli says she is excited at the opportunity to work with BreastScreen Aotearoa and the NSU, and looks forward to extending her skills and knowledge into new areas.
“I am proud to be part of helping all New Zealand women have access to our world class breast screening programme.”
Low vitamin D levels among women with breast cancer correlate with more aggressive tumors and poorer prognosis, according to a new University of Rochester Medical Center study highlighted at the American Society of Breast Surgeons meeting in Washington, D.C in May 2011.
The study is one of the first to examine vitamin D and breast cancer progression. Previous research has focused on vitamin D deficiency and the risk of cancer development. The URMC epidemiology study associates sub-optimal vitamin D levels with poor scores on every major biological marker that helps physicians predict a patient’s breast cancer outcome.
Sadly, BCAC member group, the Rotorua Breast Cancer Trust (RBCT), recently lost their chairperson to breast cancer. Fellow trustees on the RBCT write of her warmth and vitality and how Donna showed them how to meet life's challenges head on. Read their tribute below.
When I first met Donna we had an instant connection. We were both facing a huge hurdle - breast cancer. I had just completed my treatment journey and Donna was about to embark on hers.
Her wonderful sense of warmth and vitality was inspirational so we asked her to be a poster girl for the 2009 Pink Walk campaign. She accepted and from then on Donna became one of our Rotorua Breast Cancer Trust sisters.
In 2007, Australian and New Zealand women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast were invited to take part in a research study organised by the Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG). The study (BIG 3-07/TROG 07.01 trial) aimed to see whether improvements could be made to radiation treatment for these patients.
DCIS is most commonly treated via surgery to remove the part of the breast with DCIS, followed by radiation treatment. Radiation treatment has been shown to improve the chances of not developing further cancer in the affected breast. This study aimed to find an optimal radiation treatment regime for these patients.
Trial design
The MARIANNE trial was an international trial involving up to 1092 patients with progressive or recurrent locally advanced or previously untreated metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer.
The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of trastuzumab emtansine (also known as T-DM1; brand name Kadcycla). Trastuzumab emtansine is an antibody-drug conjugate consisting of trastuzumab (brand name Herceptin® and others), a linker molecule and the cytotoxic (chemotherapeutic) agent DM1. Trastuzumab emtansine was a new drug at the time the trial began. (Trastuzumab is an antibody-based drug which binds to HER2 receptors in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.)
BCAC is pleased a new linear accelerator is in the wings for the Southern DHB and believes will make a difference for cancer patients.
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is sub-type of breast cancer that lacks the receptors for hormones or HER2 protein that are found in hormone receptor positive breast cancer and HER2 positive breast cancer, respectively. About ten percent of New Zealand women diagnosed with breast cancer will be triple negative. TNBC is more common in younger women (under the age of 44) [1] and tends to be more aggressive than other sub-types. Between 15 and 25% of those diagnosed with TNBC carry BRCA gene mutations [2].
TNBC is usually treated with surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Because it lacks hormone or HER2 receptors, it will not respond to hormonal (endocrine) therapy or anti-HER2 therapy.
