DNA Damage Induced By UVA And UVB In Squamous Cell Carcinoma Progression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$65,000.00
Summary
Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. This results from immigration of individuals with fair skin to Australia. Skin cancer is three times as common as all other cancers combined. Overall, the incidence of skin cancer continues to rise in Australia and it will be several years before the true effectiveness of preventative programs are known. In the meantime, 1000 Australians die each year from skin cancer. Modern sunscreens, even those with high SPF and labelled as bro ....Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. This results from immigration of individuals with fair skin to Australia. Skin cancer is three times as common as all other cancers combined. Overall, the incidence of skin cancer continues to rise in Australia and it will be several years before the true effectiveness of preventative programs are known. In the meantime, 1000 Australians die each year from skin cancer. Modern sunscreens, even those with high SPF and labelled as broad spectrum do not protect very well from UVA, though they are very effective UVB filters. Most sunscreens absorb or reflect only about 50% as much UVA as UVB. Thus sunscreen use alters the spectrum of UV received. This is an important issue, because if sunscreens are used to prolong sun exposure they will selectively increase the amount of UVA reaching the skin, and the sun contains a lot more UVA than UVB. There is only limited evidence to suggest they protect from skin cancer in humans whereas there is good evidence that they protect from precursor lesions. We have developed a new hypothesis, that UVB is primarily responsible for development of preneoplastic lesions (solar keratosis and dysplastic nevi) whereas UVA plays a relatively more important role in their progression to malignancy. This hypothesis would explain why sunscreens are more effective at preventing nevi and solar keratosis formation than they are at preventing melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Until the action spectrum defining the wavelengths responsible for skin cancer induction is known, the optimal methods for protection from skin cancer will be difficult if not impossible to design. That different wavelengths may be involved in different phases of skin cancer development in humans is a novel hypothesis: if it is correct it will have profound implications for both the design of sunscreens and our current public health programmes for skin cancer prevention.Read moreRead less
Clinical Trial Of Adjuvant Docetaxel And Doxorubicin For Node Positive Breast Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$185,135.00
Summary
This project is investigating the optimal use of docetaxel and doxorubicin in the treatment of women with breast cancer and involved lymph nodes (N+). Every year 3000 women in Australia, and over 400,000 worldwide are newly diagnosed with N+ breast cancer. Using available treatments more than 60% of these (5 per day in Australia, 4,500 each week worldwide) will die from breast cancer. The efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in early breast cancer is well established by the international overview c ....This project is investigating the optimal use of docetaxel and doxorubicin in the treatment of women with breast cancer and involved lymph nodes (N+). Every year 3000 women in Australia, and over 400,000 worldwide are newly diagnosed with N+ breast cancer. Using available treatments more than 60% of these (5 per day in Australia, 4,500 each week worldwide) will die from breast cancer. The efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in early breast cancer is well established by the international overview conducted by the Early Breast Cancer Trialist's Collaborative Group (EBCTCG). They have demonstrated the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy on reducing mortality and recurrence rates, but current regimens are far from optimal. Docetaxel (Taxotere), a new agent, has effectiveness and manageable side effects in the treatment of advanced breast cancer patients, and can plausibly improve outcomes for patients with early N+ breast cancer by optimal integration into current adjuvant chemotherapy regimens. This clinical trial is designed to compare whether it is advantageous to use docetaxel and-or doxorubicin in combination or sequentially with other currently available chemotherapy drugs.Read moreRead less