Breast And Ovarian Cancer: Beyond Genome Wide Association Studies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$863,910.00
Summary
My research is focused on using genetic approaches to understand the basis of cancer, particularly breast and ovarian cancer. Although many risk factors have been identified for these cancers, they do not lend themselves to primary prevention, except for high risk individuals who opt for prophylactic surgery, and so there is an urgent need to understand the aetiology of these cancers in order to develop better risk prediction algorithms and risk reduction medications.
Clinicopathological Characterisation Of Male Breast Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$113,322.00
Summary
Male Breast Cancer is an uncommon and poorly understood disease. Due to its low frequency, there is a paucity of studies with large numbers of patients. Our aim will be to establish one of the largest worldwide databases of Male Breast Cancer. This will allow us to more thoroughly investigate clinical, pathological and molecular characteristics of male breast cancer, improve treatment of these patients and potentially develop novel and innovative strategies for treatment of female breast cancer.
Cancer is a genetic disease – it occurs because of genetic changes in the body that change how a cell grows, and because it occurs more often in people who have an inherited predisposition to cancer. My aim is to uncover more of the genetic events that give rise to cancer, particularly of the breast, ovary and stomach, so that we can identify people at high risk, and advice them accordingly, and also so that we can devise better treatments directed at particular genetic alterations.
Identification Of Target Genes At Breast Cancer-risk Loci With Potential For Drug Repositioning
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$757,478.00
Summary
Genome wide association studies have been extremely successful at identifying regions of the genome associated with breast cancer risk. However, to fully translate this information to prevention and treatment of breast cancer, we need to understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for increasing breast cancer susceptibility, and the genes that are involved.
Breast CAncer STratification: Understanding The Determinants Of Risk And Prognosis Of Molecular Subtypes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$472,984.00
Summary
Breast cancer is not one disease, but many different types with different causes, treatments and outcomes. The aim of this project is to use genetic, lifestyle/environmental, mammographic breast density, pathologic and clinical data froma very large number of studies from all over the world to develop ways of predicting which women are at risk of particuar types of breast cancer, and if breast cancer develops what the likely outcome will be.
Cancer is still a major cause of mortality in adults and children. Several lines of evidence suggest that some childhood cancers may arise due to factors, which interfere with the normal process of early development in embryonal tissues. The nature of the molecular factors which derail normal embryogenesis, their mechanism and timing, is vital information for efforts to generate novel pharmaceuticals. Moreover, factors which are necessary for tumour initiation, might be very good targets for a c ....Cancer is still a major cause of mortality in adults and children. Several lines of evidence suggest that some childhood cancers may arise due to factors, which interfere with the normal process of early development in embryonal tissues. The nature of the molecular factors which derail normal embryogenesis, their mechanism and timing, is vital information for efforts to generate novel pharmaceuticals. Moreover, factors which are necessary for tumour initiation, might be very good targets for a cancer prevention strategy. If entirely successful, our experiments will show that the MYCN oncoprotein is a key factor in the very earliest stages of neuroblastoma tumour formation, we will define the mechanism of the MYCN effect on the normal process of neural crest development, and, we will provide a basis for future cancer prevention strategies in children with this disease.Read moreRead less
Identification Of Novel Genes Predisposing To Male Breast Cancer, Their Prevalence And Associated Cancer Risks.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$210,284.00
Summary
Male breast cancer (MBC) is rare and understudied. Using the latest technology, this study will identify new genes which cause familial MBC to aid in the genetic counselling and risk assessment of an affected man and his family. The frequency of these novel genes, and all known breast cancer genes will be assessed in a second group of affected men as well as families with an increased female breast cancer risk. By better understanding the cause of MBC, we can improve its management.
Genetics And Genomics Of Breast And Ovarian Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$714,745.00
Summary
Our knowledge of the number and nature of the genes involved in breast and ovarian cancer is limited. To rapidly define the critical breast and ovarian cancer-causing genes my laboratory uses an integrative genomics approach whereby information from several genome-wide platforms are combined. A key initiative that will underpin much of our work is Lifepool, which is a unique cohort of 100,000 Victorian women attending BreastScreen that will support a range of research into breast cancer.