Breast Cancer Trials

Being able to access support services after a breast cancer diagnosis is an important part of the recovery process for some patients, as having access meet and relate with others in a similar situation can aid in alleviating some feelings of anxiety and isolation. Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) helps to connect those with breast cancer with support services in-person and online. We caught up with BCNA's CEO Kirsten Pilatti about the importance of these groups, and how to access them.

The CHEK2 gene mutation is a genetic abnormality that can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. We spoke with Cancer Geneticist Associate Professor Judy Kirk about this genetic abnormality, why testing for the gene is not common, and what preventative measures can be taken for those who have the mutation.

It can be hard to know what to say or do when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. It can be a very traumatic experience, so we spoke with clinical psychologist and Cancer Council SA Senior Research Fellow Lisa Beatty about how you can best support someone close to you during their diagnosis.

Jessica's family has a strong history of breast cancer. Her uncle, cousin and sister were all diagnosed with breast cancer before her. In this podcast, she tells us what it was like to receive her diagnosis just weeks after her sister, what it was like to participate in the Breast Cancer Trials OlympiA clinical trial, how her art was therapeutic for her and her advice for other young women who have been diagnosed.

Cousin's Raylee and Lisa are the first Australian participants in the ground-breaking BRCA-P clinical trial. The BRCA-P trial is a prevention trial which is testing the effectiveness of a drug called Denosumab in preventing breast cancer in women with a BRCA1 gene mutation, like Lisa and Raylee. This treatment has been fast tracked from the lab to a stage three clinical trial due to it's impressive pre-clinical results. Listen in as Lisa and Raylee tell us what it's like to know you have a 70% risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer due to the BRCA1 gene mutation, what it's been like participating in the BRCA-P clinical trial and what their children think about their 50/50 chance of having the BRCA1 gene mutation.

To find out more about the BRCA-P clinical trial visit www.breastolution.com.au

To find out more about our life-saving research, or to support our research visit www.breastcancertrials.org.au

We speak with exercise scientist and behavioural epidemiologist at the University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), Professor Erica James, about the benefit of exercise for the prevention of breast cancer, how lifestyle changes can help to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence, and the best ways to get active after a diagnosis.

Breast Cancer Trials researcher Dr Ross Jennens is a Medical Oncologist at Epworth Hospital in Melbourne and one of 4,000 Australian health professionals participating in the BRACE clinical trial. This study aims to test the BCG vaccine, which was developed to prevent tuberculosis and is commonly used as a treatment for people with bladder cancer, to see if it can provide an immune system boost to protect people from COVID-19 symptoms.

Professor Fran Boyle and Associate Professor Nicholas Wilcken discuss how their institutions and teams have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss how some changes have been positive, how their patients have reacted to this new environment, and give a BCT research update.

Cancer Geneticist Associate Professor Judy Kirk explains the role of genetics in breast cancer research and how this information will help inform future treatments.

Early breast cancer is cancer which is confined to the breast or the axillary (armpit) lymph nodes. It's a research focus for Dr Stuart McIntosh who explains what the standard treatment is for early breast cancer, what clinical trials are currently investigating early breast cancer treatments and how treatments differ to advanced breast cancer.