It is with great sadness that BCAC farewells and pays tribute to Mangalika Mendis, one of the tremendously brave women who fought for full access to the breast cancer drug Herceptin.
Sadly, Mangalika died in Australia in July 2013, leaving behind her husband Ruchitha and daughter Medhavie.
BCAC chair, Libby Burgess, says Mangalika was a special person who fought hard to see New Zealand women receive a fully-funded treatment programme of 12 months of Herceptin.
It has been very exciting to track down Dr Elizabeth Iorns – a scientist who is conducting ground-breaking experiments in America to reduce the genetic transmission of BRCA – and realise that she grew up in New Zealand!
This international early phase clinical trial, known as the FERGI trial, is testing a new oral chemotherapy drug called a PI3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitor. These drugs inhibit a protein called “PI3-kinase” that may be involved in the growth and spread of some cancers. This research examines the use of a PI3K inhibitor in combination with the hormonal treatment fulvestrant (given as an intramuscular injection).
The Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition says a new report which shows how little New Zealand spends on medicines is a wake-up call which should lead to a review of funding for pharmaceuticals.
The report from Medicines New Zealand shows that New Zealand ranks 31st out of 32 nations in the amount it spends on pharmaceuticals as a proportion of GDP. Only Mexico spends less on medicines than New Zealand.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among New Zealand women, with more than 2800 women diagnosed each year.
The best advice for women concerned about breast cancer is for women aged between 45 and 60 to be screened regularly as part of BreastScreen Aotearoa.
Most breast cancers occur by chance, with less than 5 percent attributable to the inheritance of a damaged or mutated gene.
This clinical trial compares the order of treatments for women who have oestrogen and/or progesterone receptor positive breast cancer and need radiation treatment and hormone medication to control the breast cancer following surgery.
Sandi shares her breast cancer story with courageous honesty.
July 2013
The Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition (BCAC) welcomes recent news that 50 cancer nurses are now in place in DHBs throughout the country working as dedicated nurse coordinators guiding cancer patients through their treatment and follow up care.
Some breast cancer sufferers could be treated with radiotherapy instead of more invasive surgery according to results from a Europe-wide study.
UK researchers, who studied 5,000 women found less invasive methods can be as effective as surgery for some patients.
It also means radiotherapy could be used instead to remove lymph nodes.
Consultant breast surgeon Prof Robert Mansel said it could mean fewer women requiring additional surgery.
New research shows that a lack of clinical trials aimed specifically at younger breast cancer patients leaves knowledge gaps that could be partly to blame for their poorer survival rates.
The study, by Cancer Research UK study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, analysed almost 3000 British women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40.
