There are many ways you can help the PA Breast Cancer Coalition. From our Home Run Derby, to volunteering at any number of events, there is something you can do.
Thanks to the generosity of state taxpayers, three researchers will be awarded grants through the PBCC’s 2012 Refunds for Breast and Cervical Cancer Research initiative. Allan Lipton, M.D. of the Penn State College of Medicine, Andy Minn, M.D., Ph.D. of the University of Pennsylvania, and Takemi Tanaka, Ph.D. of Thomas Jefferson University will each receive a $50,000 grant to be used during this calendar year on their respective research projects.
All three researchers’ topics deal with the issue of metastases. Dr. Lipton’s research focus is Predicting Response to HER2-Targeted Therapy. The focus of Dr. Minn’s research is Identification of Metastasis Signaling Pathways That Regulate and Predict Organ-Specific Metastasis. Dr. Tanaka’s research centers on Prevention of Breast CancerMetastases.
The PBCC’s Refunds for Research grants are made possible through contributions from state taxpayers who choose to contribute all or part of their state income tax refund to the program. Every penny raised through state taxpayers’ contributions goes to fund research happening right here in Pennsylvania.
A public kick-off event for the 2012 Refunds for Research campaign will be held on Monday, March 12 at 2:30 pm in the Main Rotunda at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg. Another event will be held in Philadelphia in early February at a time and location to be determined. Join us in recognizing these three talented researchers and thanking Pennsylvania taxpayers for their continued support of this crucial program.
Over 60 women were assisted by our patient advocacy efforts. Nearly 1,000 breast cancer survivors, advocates, health care professionals, and community and corporate leaders attended the PA Breast Cancer Coalition Conference in October. $100,000 was given to Dr. Craig Meyers at the Penn State College of Medicine to further his promising research into a virus that kills breast cancer cells that could potentially lead us to a cure. Grassroots Partners raised over $425,000 to enable us to continue our efforts on behalf of women and their families.
In 2012, we remain committed to representing, supporting and serving breast cancer survivors and their families in Pennsylvania. We renew our commitment to the goal of finding a cure for breast cancer now…so our daughters won’t have to. Please join us!
The PBCC visited Dr. Craig Meyers’ lab at the Penn State College of Medicine to get a first hand glimpse at the promising research happening there. Thanks in part to an initial grant through the PBCC’s Refunds for Research program, Dr. Meyers’ team was able to discover a virus that effectively kills breast cancer cells. Refunds for Research is made possible through the generosity of Pennsylvania taxpayers who contribute their refunds for breast cancer research.
When more funding was needed to continue the study, the PBCC was able to provide Dr. Meyers with an additional research grant of $100,000. Many researchers have applied for grants for the 2012 program cycle, and those who have been selected to receive grants will be announced in the coming months. You can help fund research like Dr. Meyers’ groundbreaking study by donating all or part of your state income tax refund to the PBCC’s Refunds for Research program. Every penny contributed through the state income tax refund goes directly to fund breast and cervical cancer research happening right here in Pennsylvania.
When a woman is being treated for breast cancer, her major concern, as well as that of her care givers, must be survival. However, after treatment is completed and she is on the road to recovery, there are other health issues that should move to the top of her list. One of these is bone health. Many women, particularly those of northern European descent, are at risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures in their later lives.
The therapies that accompany breast cancer treatment put a woman at an even greater risk of developing this potentially debilitating problem, which can result in serious fracture and death. Those who have undergone certain chemotherapeutic regimens and treatment with aromatase inhibitors may be at particular risk. All women, but especially women who have been treated for breast cancer, should talk to their physicians about undergoing bone mineral density studies to measure and monitor the density of their bone structure as they get older. Medical care for osteoporosis includes treatment with bisphosphonates, calcium, Vitamin D, and other agents.
HARRISBURG, Pa. – The PA Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) gave an additional $100,000 research grant to Dr. Craig Meyers and his team at Penn State College of Medicine today. The announcement came at the 2011 PA Breast Cancer Coalition Conference held at the Hilton Harrisburg attended by over 1,000 people. This grant marks the single-largest research contribution made by the PBCC in its 18-year history and it follows a 2007 PBCC Pennsylvania Income Tax Refund for Research grant of $35,000 to Dr. Meyers.
Through this PBCC funded research, Dr. Meyers discovered that adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) kills breast cancer cells in every stage in the laboratory in tissue culture dishes. AAV2 is a nondisease-causing virus that kills human breast cancer cells and often infects humans. Preliminary research using AAV2 to treat breast cancer cells in a mouse model has also yielded promising results but needs further study.
“I’ve been working with this significant nondisease-causing virus that kills human breast cancer cells in the laboratory because we know that breast cancer has a complex structure and differing types,” said Dr. Craig Meyers, professor of microbiology and immunology at Penn State College of Medicine.
Referring to these exciting new findings as, “what, for decades, the medical community has worked towards and the rest of the world has been waiting for,” Pat Halpin-Murphy, president and founder of the PBCC said that her pioneering organization is thrilled to be part of Dr. Meyers’discovery of a virus that kills all stages and all types of breast cancer cells in the laboratory.
“Breast cancer survivors, their families, and all girls and women and those that care for them look forward to the final phase of this research–clinical trials with humans. While that final step may still be years away, it gives us hope that we will discover a cure so our daughters and granddaughters won’t have to. Dr. Meyers’ break-through is a real-world example that research is our best weapon in battling breast cancer,” added Halpin-Murphy.
Halpin-Murphy went on to say that “each day, 32 women in Pennsylvania are diagnosed with breast cancer and over 2,000 die every year from the devastating disease.”
“We are extremely grateful to the Coalition for their generous support of Dr. Meyers’ research,” said Richard J. Courtney, Ph.D., chair, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Penn State College of Medicine. “The recent findings of his research group are very exciting; however, much additional research remains to be done. This grant will be instrumental in helping Dr. Meyers and his colleagues to further advance this highly promising breast cancer research ongoing within his laboratory.”
The PBCC established and oversees the Refunds for Breast Cancer Research program, which uses donations from Pennsylvanians to fund vital research grants across the state. State residents may contribute all or part of their state income tax refund to the Refunds for Research program to help find a cure. To date, Pennsylvanians have donated over $2.8 million with the average donation from taxpayers being $8. Thanks to the PBCC’s program, nearly 70 research grants have been awarded to outstanding Pennsylvania scientists.
The PBCC represents, supports and serves breast cancer survivors and their families in Pennsylvania through educational programming, legislative advocacy and breast cancer research grants. The PBCC is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure now…so our daughters and granddaughters won’t have to. For more information, visit www.PABreastCancer.org or call 800-377-8828.
By: Barbara C. Good, Ph.D. It is not only private citizens who are undergoing belt tightening in these difficult economic times. The National Cancer Institute (NCI), which has for years funded clinical trials carried out by the 10 adult cancer cooperative trials groups, recently determined that there be only four such groups from this point forward into the foreseeable future. At this time, the previous groups are coming to agreements among themselves about which groups will merge together to meet this mandate.
Government-funded clinical trials will continue, but the manner in which they are carried out, how exactly the different groups’ methods of operation will be melded, and issues such as the particulars of data analysis and sample storage are as of now under consideration by the group chairs.
Under the new system, it is critical that NCI-sponsored trials continue to attract patient participants. The federal government, unlike private industry, can for the most part conduct these studies without the burden, real or perceived, of financial interest being a driving factor. Government-sponsored clinical trials have led to many of the advances in cancer treatment made over the past 40 years, including, in breast cancer trials, the option of lumpectomy and radiation instead of mastectomy, the common use of chemotherapy for treatment, and the use of tamoxifen as a preventive agent for women at high risk. Click here for more information about the current state of the clinical trials cooperative groups. Or, for more information on clinical trials in general, click here.
According to a recent FDA report, silicone breast implants are not made to last a lifetime. Potentially half of all women who receive them for reconstruction – and 20% of women who receive the implants for augmentation — will need the implants removed within 10 years.
The conclusion was reached after the FDA examined data from post-approval studies and from its own adverse event reporting system, in conjunction with completing a literature review. Capsular contracture, reoperation, and implant removal were found to be the most frequent adverse outcomes with silicone implants. Other common adverse events of which women should be aware include implant rupture, wrinkling, asymmetry, scarring, pain, and infection. The longer the women had implants, the more likely they were to have complications.
While it is important to note that the data is preliminary, the implants did not appear to cause breast cancer, reproductive problems, or connective tissue disease. If you experience any of these difficulties or complications, talk with your doctor about your options.
Are you a breast or cervical cancer researcher in PA looking for additional funds? Dr. Marius Sudol, shown left, is a past recipient of a PBCC Refunds for Breast & Cervical Cancer Research grant – and you could be next! $50,000 competitive grants are now available to PA researchers who apply. Thanks to Pennsylvania taxpayers generously donating their state tax refunds, over $2.8 million has been raised and every penny is given out in grants to cutting edge researchers.
Please visit PBCC.me/RFA for the full Request for Application and budget forms. Letters of intent are due to the PBCC by July 29th, and full proposals are due August 30th. The grant period is January 1, 2012 to December 30, 2012.
We encourage all breast and cervical cancer researchers to apply. Help spread the word to your personal and professional network about this opportunity. Please contact PBCC Program Director, Jennifer Pensinger at jennifer@pabreastcancer.org if you have any questions.
Make your PBCC Annual Conference experience twice as nice by taking advantage of our Bring a Friend Conference Registration discount. Buddy up and sign up for the October 11, 2011 conference, which will feature workshops on topics to challenge your mind and your soul – topics ranging from surgical options for breast cancer to the healing power of forgiveness.
Early bird Bring a Friend Registration for the conference is $100, which covers the cost of two conference registrations. Register as a pair and treat a friend, sister, daughter, mother, or colleague to an inspiring day devoted to breast cancer issues. Individual early bird registrations are $65 each.
Confirmed workshop topics and presenters include:
Free Treatment: The Ins and Outs of PA’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Program presented by Joe Burkhart, PA Department of Health and Jane Marsteller, PA Department of Public Welfare
Inflammatory Breast Cancer presented by Massimo Cristofanilli, M.D., Fox Chase Cancer Center
Release! The Healing Power of Forgivenesspresented by Rev. Dr. Michael Barry, Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Living Well During and After Breast Cancer: Stress Reduction and a Healthy Lifestyle presented by Aimée E. Todd-Pillman, PsyD, The Reading Hospital Regional Cancer Center and Amy Burke, Windber Medical Center
The Basics of Chemotherapy presented by Kathryn A. Peroutka, M.D., Andrews & Patel Associates, PC
The Latest In Breast Cancer Research and Clinical Trials presented byPriya Rastogi, M.D., NSABP
Breast Imaging 101 presented byAlison Chetlen, D.O., Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Does The Food We Eat Have an Impact on Our Health After Surviving Breast Cancer? presented by Dawn Palacios, R.D., LDN, Good Samaritan Hospital
Surgical Treatment Options for Breast Cancer: Which Way is the Pendulum Swinging Now?presented by Sun Yong Lee, M.D., FACS, Jefferson Breast Care Center
Many more workshops will be announced in the coming weeks, so please check the conference website for more details!
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Thanks to the generosity of state taxpayers, three researchers will be awarded grants through the PBCC’s 2012 Refunds for Breast and Cervical Cancer Research initiative. Allan Lipton, M.D. of the Penn State College of Medicine, Andy Minn, M.D., Ph.D. of the University of Pennsylvania, and Takemi Tanaka, Ph.D. of Thomas Jefferson University will each receive a $50,000 grant to be used during this calendar year on their respective research projects.
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