Research you fund in action

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in Australian women, with one in seven women developing breast cancer by their 85th birthday.

Over the years and thanks to your support, cancer research has delivered incredible breakthroughs for breast cancer treatment. But, for people with the most aggressive breast cancer types, traditional treatments don’t always work.

Excitingly, your ongoing support has led to a new discovery made by Cancer Council funded researcher Associate Professor Jeff Holst and his team which is offering real hope.

A/Prof Holst and his team believe that even in the most aggressive types of cancer, it may be possible to starve cancer cells of the nutrients they need to survive and multiply.

They have discovered that cancer cells have pumps that enable them to metabolise nutrients. And A/Prof Holst believes these pumps are key to cancer’s spread.

“The premise of what we’re trying to do is to starve cancer cells.

“What we’ve been doing is looking at what’s happening inside the cell—their ability to metabolise nutrients. To grow, a cancer cell needs to be able to metabolise nutrients.

“These pumps are kind of like having more mouths. For a cancer cell to divide, they have to take in their bodyweight in nutrients in order to double and make two cells.

“But, if the pumps could be blocked, not only would it stop their growth and spread, it would destroy them.”

Early studies have revealed promising results, showing the team’s methods have been quite effective at slowing and stopping the growth of specific cancer cells.

This discovery could be a game-changer for the most aggressive breast cancer types. This is because unlike other breast cancers, there is no targeted therapy for this aggressive type of cancer.

Every breakthrough discovery is so important, as is your support.

From the moment of diagnosis, a race against time begins. Talented researchers like A/Prof Holst can deliver more effective treatments sooner, but to do that, cancer research needs urgent support.

Your support has been, and continues to be, vital in keeping cancer research projects like this moving forward so that we can keep delivering better treatments and saving more lives.

You can continue to help deliver research breakthroughs sooner by donating to the Daffodil Day Appeal by 28 August.