Follow-up Of A Randomised Trial Of Tamoxifen Or Placebo For Breast Cancer Prevention In High Risk Women.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$893,483.00
Summary
Each year over 10,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in Australia and over 2500 women die. Tamoxifen, a non-toxic tablet used to control the growth of breast cancer, has safely been taken by more then a million women long term . This project measures tamoxifen's role in preventing breast cancer in high risk women compared to placebo, in a randomised double blind clinical trial. The trial has the potential to benefit many millions of women worldwide. The study, IBIS I (International Bre ....Each year over 10,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in Australia and over 2500 women die. Tamoxifen, a non-toxic tablet used to control the growth of breast cancer, has safely been taken by more then a million women long term . This project measures tamoxifen's role in preventing breast cancer in high risk women compared to placebo, in a randomised double blind clinical trial. The trial has the potential to benefit many millions of women worldwide. The study, IBIS I (International Breast Cancer Intervention Study), is conducted in Australia by the Australian New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group (ANZ BCTG), and internationally by Cancer Research UK (CRUK). On the trial women have regular, annual mammography, 6 monthly clinical checks and take a tablet each day called TAMPLAC, which is either tamoxifen or placebo. The accrual phase has been funded by the NHMRC and the target number of women on the trial was reached ahead of schedule - 7154 internationally including 2674 from Australia. By April 2006 all women will have completed the treatment phase. Funding is now being sought, in Australia, for continued follow-up and investigations of additional risk factors (breast density and types of tumors which occur-have occurred on IBIS I). The ANZ BCTG and all the women involved in IBIS I have demonstrated remarkable commitment. It is now vitally important that the essential follow-up is completed to facilitate analysis of the data, including the post-treatment phase, as well as related risk factors and types of tumors which develop. The only other large randomised trial testing tamoxifen (NSABP P-1) ceased and was unblinded in 1998, with an average follow-up of less than 4 years, the trial had to re-commence follow-up to determine longer term tamoxifen effects. The IBIS 1 study remains the only large, blinded trial in the world, and completion of it's follow-up and analysis is of very high international importance.Read moreRead less
Genome-wide SNP Analysis Of Fibroblasts Juxtaposed Or Distant From Epithelial Breast And Ovarian Tumours
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,763.00
Summary
In the past it was believed that the driving factor in the process of cancer devlopment was the cancer tissue itself. More recently however, it has become clear that the process is far more complex and that many aspects of human biology can profoundly influence both an individuals presiposition to cancer and the severity of disease. Many laboratories, including our own, have shown that gene mutations frequently occur in cancer tissue but recent studies have suggested that the apparently normal t ....In the past it was believed that the driving factor in the process of cancer devlopment was the cancer tissue itself. More recently however, it has become clear that the process is far more complex and that many aspects of human biology can profoundly influence both an individuals presiposition to cancer and the severity of disease. Many laboratories, including our own, have shown that gene mutations frequently occur in cancer tissue but recent studies have suggested that the apparently normal tissue surrounding the cancer (often referred to stroma) may also contain mutations. This so called 'cancer associated stroma'(CAS) is also thought to harbour genetic mutations and some studies have shown that without these mutations the cancer cannot survive. At present we have only had glimpses of the genetic alterations that may occur in CAS and there is an urgent need to fully understand the interplay between CAS and frankly cancerous tissue. Our laboratory will utilise high density, genome-wide screening technologies to search for novel mutations in CAS from breast and ovarian cancers. A complete understanding of the role stroma plays in cancer development is likely to lead to novel ways of treating and preventing cancer. Consequently, the identification of the full repertoire of stroma-derived cancer promoting genes is emerging as one of the most important areas in cancer research. The identification of these genes could lead to the development of novel diagnostic markers for use in cancer detection, diagnosis and-or prognosis.Read moreRead less