Centre Of Research Excellence In Precision Public Health Approaches To Breast Cancer Screening, Early Detection And Mortality Reduction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,500,000.00
Summary
The ultimate aim of the CRE is to make it possible to further reduce mortality from breast cancer, and in a more effective way, by identifying women at vastly different levels of risk at younger ages, determining which screening modalities are likely to be more effective, and helping radiologists to better detect cancers. Given that digital mammography is the contemporary standard, and the incidence of breast cancer is increasing across the world, this CRE has global relevance.
Discovering New Biomarkers In Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$122,714.00
Summary
Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer death with increasing rates and a high mortality. The project will develop new methods to predict liver cancer risk and outcomes using circulating samples rather than invasive biopsies. Our data shows that tissue and cells shed specific blebs into the circulation and these can contain unique information about the tissue of origin. We propose a series of experiments to show that these circulating samples are able to predict risk and outcomes with liver
Development Of A Serum Based Test For Aggressive Prostate Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$144,950.00
Summary
Prostate cancer is relatively slow growing, taking decades to reach clinical significance. A critical phase in the progression of prostate cancer is the transformation from latent (or dormant) to aggressive tumours; hence the saying that many men die with prostate cancer, rather than of prostate cancer. We aim to develop a test utilising inhibin-activin proteins as surrogate markers of aggressive disease based on our previous studies of a significant correlation between the expression of inhibin ....Prostate cancer is relatively slow growing, taking decades to reach clinical significance. A critical phase in the progression of prostate cancer is the transformation from latent (or dormant) to aggressive tumours; hence the saying that many men die with prostate cancer, rather than of prostate cancer. We aim to develop a test utilising inhibin-activin proteins as surrogate markers of aggressive disease based on our previous studies of a significant correlation between the expression of inhibins in tissues from men with high grade prostate cancer. This study aims to validate the correlation using serum rather than a tissue based assay.Read moreRead less
Using Chromosome Rearrangements As Tumour-specific Markers For Disease Monitoring In Lung Cancer Using Droplet Digital PCR
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,081,335.00
Summary
There are no useful markers apart from CT scans to determine the effectiveness of therapy in patients with lung cancer. We plan to assess highly sensitive methods that can examine the blood to determine whether DNA from the patient’s tumour is present. This will allow more responsive modulation of therapy to enable better management of the cancer.
Molecular Classification Of Carcinoma Of Unknown Primary
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$418,250.00
Summary
Carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) is the fourth largest cause of cancer death. The condition has a particularly poor outlook, with a median survival of less than one year. Current methods for diagnosis of CUP include histopathology and sophisticated imaging. These are successful in approximately 40% of cases. Frequently the reason for the poor outcome in this disease is that the 60% of patients with CUP for whom no diagnosis is made do not benefit from chemotherapy specifically designed for a p ....Carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) is the fourth largest cause of cancer death. The condition has a particularly poor outlook, with a median survival of less than one year. Current methods for diagnosis of CUP include histopathology and sophisticated imaging. These are successful in approximately 40% of cases. Frequently the reason for the poor outcome in this disease is that the 60% of patients with CUP for whom no diagnosis is made do not benefit from chemotherapy specifically designed for a particular tumour origin. These patients receive a less effective, generic, chemotherapy. The aim of this project is to use microarrays to identify the gene expression profile in many known tumours to create a molecular fingerprint of the various tumour types. By comparing the fingerprint from a CUP with the database we should be able to identify the true tumour type in CUP, and allow patients to benefit from more specific chemotherapy.Read moreRead less
DNA Binding Ligands For Auger Therapy And Receptor Imaging
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$589,532.00
Summary
Our aim is to develop new technologies for very specific cancer radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging. The system involves the use of a protein linked to a radioactive DNA binding drug. The radioactivity we use has a very small range -a few millionths of a millimetre- allowing us to selectively kill cancer cells with minimal harm to healthy tissue. For diagnosis we use smaller amounts of radiation to obtain a clear image of the areas and extent of disease, which facilitates appropriate treatment.
Cancer And Low-dose Radiation - Possible Effects Of CT Scans In Childhood
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$476,650.00
Summary
Despite 100 years of research there is uncertainty about effects of low dose radiation from background and medical X-rays. We will measure the incidence of cancer in Australians exposed to CT scans (medical X-rays) as children between 1985 and 2005. Our results, from follow-up to 2009, will show whether there is a small but signicantly increased risk of cancer and guide further improvement in radiation safety standards if these prove to be necessary.
Development Of A Blood-based Screening Test For Colorectal Neoplasia; Biomarker Expression In Circulating Tumor Cells And Tumor-derived Microvesicles
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$513,938.00
Summary
A blood-based test for bowel cancer and the premalignant lesion (i.e. adenomas) has potential to improve several aspects of screening for bowel cancer – improved capacity to detect lesions in well people who do not suspect their presence, avoidance of faecal sampling and fewer false-positive results. There is no reliable simple screening test for adenomas. This study aims at developing a practical blood test based on a device that filters and enriches cells from blood that carry these markers