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JUNE 2013
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Study Moves BC Cancer Agency Developed Prostate Cancer Treatment Closer to the Clinic
 Photo Caption: Dr. Marianne Sadar, Distinguished Scientist, BC Cancer Agency
BC Cancer Agency researchers are celebrating the advances made in a potential new prostate cancer drug. The BC Cancer Agency’s Dr. Marianne Sadar, together with Dr. Raymond Andersen of UBC, has developed EPI-001 which shows potential in overcoming treatment-resistant prostate cancer.
While existing therapies for prostate cancer are initially effective in slowing tumour growth, such therapies are not curative. EPI-001 could provide a new solution by targeting an area of the cancer Dr. Sadar considers to be the “engine” of the disease.
The next step will be to move the EPI-001 into clinical trials in order to validate the drug as a treatment option. Read more.
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Be a Concrete Hero!
The BC Cancer Foundation is pleased to introduce the first annual Concrete Hero, an adrenaline-pumping fundraising event taking place on September 29th in downtown Vancouver.
The urban obstacle challenge spanning over 7km will have participants diving, running, leaping and scaling massive obstacles along Vancouver’s streets and alleyways in support of groundbreaking research at the BC Cancer Agency. Aspiring heroes will leap over cars and busses in the “Lions Gate Lockdown,” swing over the muddy waters of “Lost Lagoon,” and climb nearly two stories over the “Chief”.
For more information, please visit www.concretehero.ca or call 604.488.HERO (4376).
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Three Studies Bring Hope for Improved Lymphoid Cancer Treatments
Photo Caption: Research Director Dr. Randy Gascoyne and Clinical Director Dr. Joseph Connors from the Centre for Lymphoid Cancer
Three new studies from the BC Cancer Agency’s Centre for Lymphoid Cancer (CLC) have recently been published in the prestigious journal Blood. These studies are showing tremendous promise to deepen researchers’ understanding of lymphoma and cultivate more effective treatments for patients in British Columbia.
Research Director Dr. Randy Gascoyne and Clinical Director Dr. Joseph Connors have partnered with Dr. Marco Marra, Director of the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre and a diverse team of researchers, scientists and clinical investigators with expertise in blood, genetics and cancer, to target three key areas:
1) Finding new treatment options for Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL), based on a recurrent genetic mutation.
2) Improving survival rates for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, which accounts for 30-40 % of new lymphoid cancer diagnoses.
3) Examining recurring mutations in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in order to uncover new potential therapies.
The CLC is now on a rapid course to finding effective solutions for these cancers.
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Introducing June Guest Blogger Dr. Stephen Chia
Thank you to Shaun Lorhan for introducing us to various models of patient navigation, and for sharing with us the research her team is undertaking to understand and address the needs of patients at the BC Cancer Agency Vancouver Island Centre.
For the month of June, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Stephen Chia as our guest blogger. Dr. Chia is a medical oncologist and a senior scientist at the BC Cancer Agency. He is also the Chair of the Provincial Breast Tumour Group and will share the important role clinical research plays in delivering care to breast cancer patients.
Read our Partners in Discovery blog here.
Summer Vim & Vigour with Christopher Plummer
In our latest issue of Vim & Vigour, veteran actor Christopher Plummer shares his secrets to healthy longevity. Also inside: the promise of personalized medicine, new devices at the BC Cancer Agency that will advance research on drug development and precise treatment delivery mechanisms; and North American research partnerships that are being formed to identify treatments for prostate cancer.
To subscribe to Vim & Vigour and read past issues online, please visit our website.
Helping Fathers Live Long and Healthy Lives
Father’s Day is coming up on June 16, a day to honour our fathers and the bonds we share with them. When it comes to the health of older men, screenings can help prevent harm. Here are a few things that men over fifty should watch out for:
Heart Disease. Get your blood pressure checked every two years and your cholesterol checked regularly (as recommended by your doctor). A blood sugar test to check for diabetes should also be a regular occurrence.
Colorectal cancer. Check for colorectal cancer with a home stool test every two years if you’re between the age of 50 and 74.
Prostate cancer. If you’re 50 or older, talk to your doctor about early detection.
More Events!
Visit our calendar of events to see what is happening in a community near you.
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