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Significant research results announced during the recent San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) (December 2011) showed that adding a new targeted medicine, pertuzumab, to a combination of trastuzumab (Herceptin) and docetaxel chemotherapy extended progression-free survival by a median of 6.1 months in patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer compared with patients who received the combination therapy with placebo.
Sweet Louise is the operational arm of the Louise Perkins Foundation, a charitable trust launched in October 2006 with the vision of ‘positive lives with breast cancer’. Sweet Louise’s unique mission is to help improve the quality of life and well-being of women and men living with metastatic (also known as secondary or advanced) breast cancer.
As they continue to expand throughout New Zealand, a new position of ‘Fundraising Coordinator’ has been created to help develop and implement Sweet Louise fundraising initiatives to grow fundraising income.
BCAC member group, WONS, a women’s health charity is re-branding; from 1 January 2012 WONS will be known as Well Women & Family Trust.
WONS (Well Women’s Nursing Service) was founded in 1989 and since then has evolved significantly. Their new brand – Well Women & Family Trust - encompasses the focus on the health of women, the family/whanau and communities.
Each year WONS performs cervical smear tests for 3,000 high need women, educates over 10,000 women on a range of health issues, delivers health promotion training sessions to help local women become health advocates and conducts women's health days in low income areas.
Three new television commercials are being developed for BreastScreen Aotearoa (BSA) and will go to air in February 2012.
BSA programme leader Barbara Irwin says the current campaign is now over three years old and it is time for a refresh.
“We are very pleased with the performance of the current campaign – it has been well received and has contributed to an increase in the number of Maori and Pacific women having breast screening.
“The refreshed campaign will aim to continue this success, by increasing understanding of why breast screening is important and motivating women to have regular screening every two years.”
The 2011/2012 Busting With Life breast cancer survivors’ Dragon Boat Team unofficially opened their season with a Flippin' Freezin' Super 12 Regatta at Sylvan Park, Lake Pupuke on Saturday 20 August. A group of hardy souls braved the mid-winter chill to blow the cobwebs away and take to the water to join in the fun of this pre-season splash 'n' dash.
Auckland will host the 2012 Triathlon World Champs and one of our own BCAC staff members, Jane Powell, will be representing New Zealand in the age group races. To be able to represent New Zealand in the age group you had to qualify and earlier this year Jane decided to have a go.
The Waikato Breast Cancer Trust (WBCT) is again selling their popular NZ Women's Health Diary for 2012. The diary costs just $14.95 and can be purchased through the WBCT website or by emailing direct on julie.wilson2@waikatodhb.health.nz. All funds raised go back to the WBCT breast cancer research programme.
Visit www.wbct.org.nz to purchase online.
The Pink Dragons are really only at the start of the dragon boat season but training is well under way. They are enjoying being back on the water again and already have several regattas under their belts including Tauranga and the Hamilton Super 12. They have welcomed several new keen paddlers into the team and both of these events were great fun and good to get the team back into racing mode.
Coming up before Christmas are the Wenderholm Beach Races and after the break the New Year kicks off with the Auckland Anniversary Super 10’s. Training will then focus on preparation for the Regionals at Lake Pupuke and the Nationals in Ashburton.
Sweet Louise launched its collection of creative writing by Members entitled Oysters for Lunch at a gala Christmas fundraising event held at Auckland’s Pah Homestead on 4 December. The event also celebrated the five-year anniversary of Sweet Louise.
Over 150 guests gathered for an evening of fine food and wine, fabulous auctions and raffles, inspiring performances by soloists from The NBR Opera NZ, carol singing and readings from Oysters for Lunch.
The Waikato Dragon Boat Association recently organised a regatta on Lake Rotoroa, Hamilton.
Everyone had a great day and enjoyed being out on the water, even when the weather decided to be a little unpredictable.
The Waikato Treasure Chests were involved in five races, which included the Breast Cancer Survivor race.
