Improving detection of a cancer on the rise - 2004-05-04 at 10:02
Skin cancer study among 66 new research grants announced today by the Canadian Cancer Society
TORONTO, May 4 /CNW/ - Improving the detection of skin cancer - an often serious disease that is becoming increasingly common in Canada - is the goal of one of 66 new research projects announced by the Canadian Cancer Society today.
With a three-year, $208,000 grant from the Canadian Cancer Society, Dr. Haishan Zeng (pronounced "Hazan Zung") is going to be testing a promising new device he has developed that may be able to diagnose skin cancer without the need for painful biopsies or surgery. Dr. Zeng, a biophysicist at the BC Cancer Agency, in collaboration with Dr. Harvey Lui, Head of Dermatology at University of British Columbia, will be using the rapid Raman spectrometer on 1,500 patients to determine if it is as effective at diagnosing cancer as traditional, but more invasive diagnostic tests. The Raman spectrometer measures the degree to which biological tissues scatter light and has great potential for diagnosing and evaluating skin cancer.
"Diagnosing skin cancer through biopsy procedures can often be disfiguring and painful as well as costly to the medical system," says Dr. Zeng. "The rapid Raman spectrometer device allows us to obtain a tissue analysis in less than one second in a non-invasive way."
The incidence of malignant melanoma - the most serious form of skin cancer - is increasing and is now the eighth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada. In 2004, an estimated 4,200 Canadians will be diagnosed with alignant
melanoma and 850 will die from the disease. "The Raman spectrometer could be a very powerful tool for cancer diagnosis," says Dr. Zeng. "The quality of life for patients with suspected and proven skin cancer will be improved by minimizing unnecessary diagnostic surgical biopsies and making definitive skin cancer treatment at early curable stages." "It is clear that the management of skin cancer can be improved by techniques that provide accurate diagnosis without expensive and disfiguring surgery," says Dr. Barbara Whylie, CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society. "Funding research of this kind is a great example of the Society's commitment to using research to help improve the lives of Canadians."
The Canadian Cancer Society is the largest charitable funder of cancer research in Canada. The 66 new grants to leading researchers across the country brings its total investment in cancer research this year to $47 million.
The Canadian Cancer Society funds a broad spectrum of cancer research - including basic laboratory research, behavioural and prevention research and research that will directly impact clinical practices and treatment. Grants are funded for periods of up to five years and are selected after a rigorous national review process.
Among the other promising new Canadian Cancer Society-funded research grants:
Helping parents cope when their child has cancer
Dr. Anne Klassen University of British Columbia, Vancouver
$225,000 over three years
About 1,300 Canadian children develop cancer each year and although their chances of survival have improved dramatically over the past three decades, many childhood cancers require intensive treatment for several years. Dr. Klassen is leading a unique study on the parents of children with cancer and the factors affecting their psychological well-being. Research has shown both
high and low levels of distress in parents of children with cancer, but there have been no other large-scale population-based studies like this to examine why the difference occurs. Dr. Klassen hopes her findings will help families prevent and manage such stress during this difficult time.
A promising cancer-fighting virus
Dr. Donald Morris
Tom Baker Cancer Centre/Alberta Cancer Board, Calgary, $308,700
over three years
The reovirus, a common and relatively harmless virus, has shown promising cancer-fighting potential in recent studies. Most notably, it appears to specifically destroy cancer cells without harming the surrounding healthy
cells. Dr. Morris is investigating ways the reovirus could improve bone marrow transplantation treatment for blood cancer patients. He's hoping to use the reovirus to wipe-out cancer cells in bone marrow taken from patients before their chemotherapy treatment. Transplanting cancer-free marrow back into these patients will greatly improve their chances of remaining cancer free.
Targeting ovarian cancer
Dr. Mark Nachtigal
Dalhousie University, Halifax, $331,000 over three years
Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death among Canadian women. Because its exact cause is not known and early screening tests are not yet available, treatment for advanced ovarian cancers is not always effective. Dr. Nachtigal has identified certain proteins inside ovarian cells that may contribute to the development of cancer. He is now studying how these proteins stimulate ovarian cancers at the cellular level, which could help in the development of more effective anti-cancer drugs for this disease.
Examining the diet-colon cancer link
Dr. Peter O'Brien
University of Toronto, $373,000 over three years
Research suggests as much as one third of all cancers may be related to diet. A diet high in vegetables, fruit and fibre, but low in fat and sugar, is known to lower the risk of colon cancer. Dr. O'Brien is examining the relationship between thiamin, or vitamin B1, and colon cancer. Thiamin is
found in many fruits, vegetables and grains, but is lost gradually as food is refined and handled. At least 10 per cent of the population has been shown to be deficient in thiamin at some point in their lives. Dr. O'Brien and his team
will study how a diet lacking in vitamin B1 may cause changes in cells that could lead to colon cancer. His findings could lead to new tests for people at risk of colon cancer as well as new ways of preventing and treating the disease.
Understanding Insomnia and cancer
Dr. Josée Savard
Laval University, Québec City, $466,000 over three years
Research suggests insomnia affects up to half of all people undergoing cancer treatment, but few studies have fully investigated this problem. By examining more than 1,000 people with different kinds of cancer, Dr. Savard will identify how many of these patients experience insomnia as a result of cancer and what factors might be contributing to their sleeping difficulties. Her results could improve the quality of life of cancer patients by helping to identify earlier the people at risk and by ensuring action is taken to prevent or lessen their sleeping problems.
Improving lung cancer survival
Dr. Ming-Sound Tsao (pronounced "Taow")
University Health Network, Toronto, $750,000 over five years
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Canada. In patients who have had surgery for non-small cell lung cancer - the most common form of this disease - death usually occurs when the cancer returns in other parts of their body. Dr. Tsao is looking for new biological markers in the cancerous tissue that could predict which of these cancers are likely to recur after surgery. He will also investigate whether these marker genes are good targets for developing new treatments for lung cancer. If successful, Dr. Tsao's results could help doctors decide which patients should receive additional therapy after surgery to improve lung cancer survival rates.
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and to enhance the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more about cancer, visit our website at www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free, bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.
For further information: Maggie Fairs, Communications Manager,
(416) 934-5677, mfairs@cancer.ca; French media call: Sophie Welter,
(416) 934-5681
