Tag: cancer research

Relay For Life

On June 6, 2017

In Cancer Research, Philanthropy, Philip Burroughs

I am a heavy proponent of the American Cancer Society and all that the organization does. One of its largest fundraising efforts is the Relay For Life. For those that do not know, the Relay For Life is an annual fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. Although the event is held by the American Cancer Society, the relay has gone global. According to the ACS’ official website for the relay, over 5,200 communities in 27 countries contribute their time and efforts to the relay. The relay itself can last anywhere from 6-24 hours, and each team participating in the event is instructed to have at least one member on the designated track at all times, in order to symbolize the never ending battle that cancer patients must face daily.

Throughout its 31 year history, the Relay For Life has had 3.5 million members, and has managed to accrue a whopping $5 billion.

How Did it All Start?

In 1985, Dr. Gordon Klatt, in an effort to help the American Cancer Society raise money, walked and ran for 24 hours straight on a track in Washington. After all was said and done, Klatt, through the contributions of spectators and friends, had raised $27,000 for the ACS. Little did Dr. Klatt know that he would be starting a worldwide phenomenon. The first official Relay For Life was held the following year at the Stadium Bowl and went on to raise $33,000.

The Relay For Life is incredibly important to me, and millions of other people the world over. Cancer is a terrible disease, and no person should have to go through what cancer patients do. While a full-blown cure has not yet been discovered, and we have no clue if or when we will find one, we must not give up hope. By contributing to the Relay For Life, or any cancer research fundraising event, you are helping our collective society find a cure.

If you are interested in participating in the Relay For Life or even interested in donating, visit the American Cancer Society’s official website and find the next event near you!

Detecting Cancer More Efficiently

By Philip Burroughs

On April 6, 2017

In Cancer Research, Philanthropy, Philip Burroughs

Cancer is never easy. It can be a difficult illness to deal with, and the fact that there is no known cure makes the road even more challenging. And as scientists work day and night to develop a long-lasting cure, others are working on an equally important aspect of cancer: detection. And a group of researchers and scientists seem to have made a significant development in early detection of cancer.

According to a report from Digital Trends, researchers from UCLA and USC have developed a program that can not only detect if a patient has cancer, but where that cancer is located. Aptly titled the CancerLocator, the program can detect and track cancer by analyzing a sample of the patient’s blood.

With so much attention focused on battling cancer (and rightfully so), diagnosis can easily be overlooked. But it is just as important to detect the disease. The earlier it can be detected, the better the chances of survival. And while CancerLocator’s ability to detect cancer is impressive, its potential to offer more effective treatments is even more groundbreaking.

How Does it Work?

By saying that CancerLocator works by analyzing blood is a gross oversimplification. In reality, there is so much more to the process. CancerLocator measures the amount of methyl groups located in cells after they die, which signal whether or not they are cancerous. And since cells have different gene expressions, CancerLocator can use this information to detect the cancer’s location. In the same Digital Trends article, Project Researcher Wenyuan Li explains the technical aspects of the process, stating, “Using the large amount of DNA methylation profiles of various tumor types in the public database, we can identify the DNA methylation signatures that differentiate multiple cancer types as well as normal plasma.”

According to the official press release from UCLA, CancerLocator had an accuracy rate of 80 percent, far better than various other methods.

Could CancerLocator change the future of cancer research? Only time will tell, but I am incredibly eager for what the future holds.

Diabetes Could Lead to Cancer

By Philip Burroughs

On February 3, 2017

In Cancer Research, Philanthropy, Philip Burroughs

For anyone living with diabetes, whether it be type 1 or 2, you know how much of a serious affliction it is. Although the disease can be highly monitored, typically preventing any severe damage, diabetes is not something to be taken lightly. And if a new study is anything to go by, the metabolic disease could be even more dangerous than previously thought.

A study conducted by the International Prevention Research Institute (IPRI), based in Lyon, France, revealed that diabetes could actually lead to cancer. The study, which involved over 1 million patients from Italy and Belgium, found that 50 percent of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes the previous year. The findings were presented at the European Cancer Congress in Amsterdam.

Those who had already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes had a deterioration in the disease which was linked to to a seven-fold increased risk of being diagnosed with cancer.

According to experts, it is possible that the treatment for diabetes is what increases the chances of pancreatic cancer. This is an intriguing development mainly due to the fact that, while diabetes is very common in the UK (3.5 million cases), pancreatic cancer is not. In fact, there are only approximately 10,000 cases diagnosed annually.

Researchers conducting the study say that more must be done to develop earlier tests for pancreatic cancer in order to discover the disease before it can get out of hand.

The IPRI’s Alice Koechlin gave her insight into the situation, stating, “Doctors and their diabetic patients should be aware that the onset of diabetes or rapidly deteriorating diabetes could be the first sign of hidden pancreatic cancer, and steps should be taken to investigate it.” Chief Executive of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, Maggie Blanks, expressed her excitement over the discovery. “The association between pancreatic cancer and type 2 diabetes has been an area of interest to researchers for several years, so it’s great to see studies generating new and potentially very valuable information which could alert clinicians to the need for further investigation in certain patients,” she said.

As an advocate for various cancer research organizations, I am incredibly excited to see advancements in any field related to cancer. With these recent developments, we can understand these terrible afflictions even more and hopefully, someday, eradicate them completely.