In Principio August 2017

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS IN THE TREATMENT IN METASTATIC BREAST CANCER Associate Professor Sally Lord fromNotre Dame’s School of Medicine, Sydney, is on a mission, a special mission that could help the more than 17,500 Australians diagnosed with breast cancer each year. With the help of a $200,000 grant from the National Health and Medicine Research Council, Associate Professor Lord is leading a teamof experts studying the incidence, distribution and possible control of metastatic breast cancer – an aggressive form characterised by cells breaking away from the primary tumour and traveling through the blood or lymph system to form new tumours in other parts of the body. Breast cancer consumer groups in Australia and internationally have long advocated for better information for Australian women with breast cancer, specifically about the risk of metastasis and the survival rates of women living with metastatic breast cancer. The project will use information collected from about 16,000 women in New South Wales including data from theNSWCancer Registry, NSWhospitals, and Medical and Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme claims for women with a new diagnosis of breast cancer before (registered in 2001-2002), and after (registered in 2006-2007), new treatments were introduced in 2005. “Through this research, we hope to provide women and their doctors with up-to-date information about the epidemiology of metastatic breast cancer,” said Associate Professor Lord who expects to have preliminary data by the end of this year and complete the study in 2019. “There have been major advances in breast cancer treatment over the last decade that have reduced a woman’s chance of developing metastatic disease and which have significantly improved survival rates. “This information is critical for women who have suffered breast cancer as the fear of recurrence is a major source of anxiety. Many women receive the diagnosis when they are building their careers, have dependent children and are making major life planning decisions. We hope this project will help by providing doctors with relevant information to help counsel these women.” Associate Professor Lord said the results may offer further important insights such as specific changes in the location of cancer spread, survival rates resulting from the new treatments, any regional variations, the need for improvements in care for some groups and the development of new treatments. A S S O C I AT E P R O F E S S O R S A L LY L O R D I N P R I N C I P I O | 1 1