![PI3-Kinase Inhibitors](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/PI3_web.jpg?itok=ip0R2nTr)
A novel cancer drug designed by scientists from The University of Auckland and the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to enter clinical trials.
Pathway Therapeutics Inc, a University of Auckland spin-out company, has also secured an additional US $7.5 million in investment to undertake the Phase I clinical trials.
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BCAC applauds the recommendations of Parliament’s Health Select Committee to make it easier to conduct clinical trials in New Zealand.
The committee has been considering how New Zealand can improve innovation through clinical trials and released its report this week (08/06/11).
It made four key recommendations. These were to:
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Millions of women facing an elevated risk for breast cancer could slash their chances of getting the widely feared malignancy by taking a hormone-blocking pill used to treat the disease or prevent a recurrence, researchers say.
![Taxotere (docetaxel) molecule](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/28-4842-2-Taxotere%20%28docetaxel%29%20molecule-original_tcm28-22555.jpg?itok=PhSGov7g)
BCAC is thrilled the government's drug buying agency, PHARMAC, is considering fully funding the chemotherapy medicine, docetaxel, for all types of breast cancer.
Currently, only some women with Her2-Positive breast cancer have access to funded docetaxel.
![Minister of Health, Hon. Tony Ryall](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/Tony%20Ryall.jpg?itok=HQYPqR6B)
BCAC welcomes latest Government reports which show that 99 per cent of all cancer patients needing radiation therapy start treatment within four weeks.
Government figures for the third quarter of this year show that cancer patients in all DHBs received radiation treatment within six weeks and most received the treatment within four weeks.
![Jenny Williams](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/Jenny%20Williams%20pic.jpg?itok=04v8ytaY)
Weird title to a Breast Cancer story - right?
Gertrude was the name we gave to my cancerous breast - I had to keep my breast through chemo and radiation due to the nature of Inflammatory Breast Cancer - once it 'blew up' it no longer looked like my breast and I couldn't wait to get rid of it. Calling it Gertrude was a way of separating it from myself.
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BCAC is strongly supportive of the need to gather accurate information about the incidence of breast cancer in New Zealand through breast cancer patient registers.
This year's Pink Ribbon Breakfast campaign run by BCAC member group, the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation, is raising money to establish breast cancer patient registers in all New Zealand oncology units.
BCAC chair, Libby Burgess, recently met with BreastScreen Aotearoa (BSA) representatives - Jacqui Akuhata-Brown (Group Leader, National Screening Unit (NSU)), Marli Gregory (newly appointed Clinical Leader, BSA), Barbara Irwin (Programme Leader, BSA) and Deborah Harris (Corporate Services Manager, BSA).
![Marli Gregory](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/BSA%20MarlyGregory%20%20DSC_1436%20-%20web%20nuse.jpg?itok=G-A8IzGa)
BCAC welcomes the announcement from BreastScreen Aotearoa that Dr Marli Gregory has been appointed as its new clinical leader.
Marli says she is excited at the opportunity to work with BreastScreen Aotearoa and the NSU, and looks forward to extending her skills and knowledge into new areas.
“I am proud to be part of helping all New Zealand women have access to our world class breast screening programme.”
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Low vitamin D levels among women with breast cancer correlate with more aggressive tumors and poorer prognosis, according to a new University of Rochester Medical Center study highlighted at the American Society of Breast Surgeons meeting in Washington, D.C in May 2011.