Breast Cancer Trials

Dr Anna Singleton is a Senior Research Fellow at the Daffodil Centre, a joint venture between the University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW. Her research focuses on co-designing and implementing accessible, and scalable digital health services to improve health outcomes for people living with and beyond cancer.

We spoke with her about the EMPOWER-SMS clinical trial and what it aims to achieve for breast cancer patients.

Dr Stephen Luen is a Medical Oncologist and translational researcher at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. His current research interests include the study of genomic and immune biomarkers in breast cancer, with a particular focus on investigating biological characteristics and developing clinical trials for high-risk subgroups of patients.

We spoke to Dr Luen about the role of genomic testing in breast cancer treatment.

Marina Reeves is a Professor in the School of Public Health and Deputy Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Queensland. She is also an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian coordinating a research program that is focused on breast cancer epidemiology and the role of supportive care interventions in improving outcomes and quality of life for women diagnosed with breast cancer.

We spoke with Professor Reeves about the importance of optimising care for metastatic breast cancer patients through diet and exercise.

Dr Eva Zopf is an exercise physiologist whose research interest focuses on the role of exercise as medicine for the management of cancer. Aside from developing, conducting, and evaluating exercise intervention studies in cancer patients, Eva is also dedicated to improving the supportive care services available for cancer survivors.

We spoke with her about the PREFERABLE-EFFECT study, and the role of structured exercise in metastatic breast cancer and quality of life outcomes.

Professor Bruce Mann is the Director of Research at Breast Cancer Trials, Professor of Surgery at The University of Melbourne, and Director of the Breast Tumour Stream at the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre. His research interests focus on tailored screening and treatment for early breast cancer, and we spoke to him about some of the key challenges in diagnosing very early breast cancer.

Professor Prue Francis is the Clinical Head of Breast Medical Oncology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and a consultant Medical Oncologist at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne. Associate Professor Steven David is an experienced Radiation Oncologist based at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, bringing a strong interest in implementing cutting-edge radiation technology to provide his patients with the highest level of care.

We spoke to Prue and Steven about Oligometastatic breast cancer from the perspective of a Medical Oncologist and Radiation Oncologist, and the current standard treatment approaches for this disease.

OLIO is an immunotherapy clinical trial which is examining whether the addition of olaparib to standard chemotherapy, with or without durvalumab, will improve outcomes for young, pre-menopausal women with high-risk, early breast cancer. Dr Stephen Luen is the Study Chair of the OLIO clinical trial, and we spoke to him about the aim of this research, how it might improve patient outcomes, and his hopes for the future of breast cancer research.

For more than four decades, the Cole Classic has been a cornerstone event at the iconic Manly Beach and is one of the world’s most celebrated ocean swims.

The event hosts a 1km, 2km, or 5km swim option and allows participants to raise funds for a number of charities, including Breast Cancer Trials.

In this episode, you’ll hear a recap on the 2024 Cole Classic with race director, John Thompson, and the team at Fugen Constructions. By becoming a Pink Champion and entering a sporting event, your workplace can raise vital funds for breast cancer research.

Whether it's running, walking, or swimming, there are hundreds of events across Australia that your team can enter to fundraise for Breast Cancer Trials.

To find out more about how you can become a Pink Champion, visit our website at breastcancertrials.org.au.

Naomi Richards is a wife and mum of three daughters, Mila, Lottie, and Eden, living in Wagga Wagga, Australia.

In 2023, Naomi felt a lump in her left breast, and after undergoing days of testing, including a mammogram and an ultrasound, she was diagnosed with breast cancer on March 8th, 2023, which also happens to be International Women's Day.

We spoke with Naomi about her shock diagnosis, navigating breast cancer with a young family, and the importance of supporting breast cancer clinical trials research.

Jenna Dean is a Radiation Therapist at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre, with an interest in patient-centered care, research, breast planning, and particle therapy.

This is the third year of the Breast Cancer Trials Clinical Fellowship Program, and Jenna has been successful in receiving a fellowship in 2024.

Her project is called OPRAH MRL and will investigate the benefits and limitations of lying on your stomach versus lying on your back during treatment with the MR Linac (a magnetic imaging machine), to see which patients will benefit more from either treatment position.

Find out more in this episode!