Local cancer research boosted by Foundation

24April 2009

For immediate release

Local cancer research boosted by The NZ Breast Cancer Foundation

The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation (NZBCF) is excited to announce that their annual Research Grants for breast cancer research will open for applications from New Zealand researchers on May 1st.

The grants are available for clinical trials or scientific research promoting advances in the cause, diagnosis and management of breast cancer.

One of last year’s recipients of an NZBCF Research Grant was Dr Jo Perry of the Liggins Institute whose $150,000 funding grant investigated why a substantial proportion of patients develop resistance to frontline anti-estrogen based therapies for breast cancer, such as Tamoxifen.

“The research is aimed at delivering a therapeutic strategy, with rapid potential clinical application, to improve the prognosis of patients with hormone sensitive breast cancer,” says Dr Perry.

Dr Perry’s research is supervised by Associate Director of The Liggins Institute, Professor Peter Lobie who this week announced the discovery of three molecules which are found in 60-95% of breast cancers.

The Foundation’s Executive Trustee, Heather Shotter is praising the findings from the Liggins Institute “As women we are thankful that local funding has enabled a specialised group at the Liggins Institute, focused on breast cancer in New Zealand with the primary aim of increasing efficacy of breast cancer treatment”.

Breast cancer was the leading cause of death from cancer among females in 2005 (647 deaths or 17.1 percent of female cancer deaths), according to the latest statistics available from the Ministry of Health.

Chair of the NZBCF Medical Advisory Committee, breast surgeon Dr Belinda Scott is cautiously optimistic about Professor Lobie’s molecular discovery.”It is very rewarding to see that investment in local research is starting to pay dividends in the global quest to stop women dying from breast cancer.”

The Liggins Institute have said  that it will be at least another two years before human trials are launched. “It is the application of these findings on humans that will demonstrate if this research will save lives” Dr Scott says.

To date, The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation has distributed well over $1,000,000 for breast cancer research and medical grants in New Zealand.

Scientists and clinicians may apply for the 2009 Research Grants by visiting the NZBCF website www.nzbcf.org.nz/research

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