Lions Prostate Cancer Research & Treatment Project
Lions & Mater Research news articles
Lions Clubs Australia dig deep to make a difference for prostate cancer patients
All donations that are made to Mater Foundation are used to fund equipment for Mater Research to further research into a cure of Prostate Cancer.
Associate Professor Kristen Radford started in Mater Research in 2001 and played a key role in the first trial of blood dendritic cell vaccines in prostate cancer that was completed in 2009.
Her research focuses on creating an ‘anti-tumour vaccine’ which would enable the body’s immune system to kill cancer cells and eliminate them from the body.
Harnessing the power of the immune system to improve the visibility of cancer Professor John Hooper and his team work closely with Mater clinicians, in mulli-disciplinary teams, to identify key areas of need of the clinical cool-face.
lmmunotherapy can work on many different types of cancer and offers the possibility for long-term cancer treatment. Because immunotherapy can ‘train’ the immune system to remember cancer cells, this may result in Ionger-lasting remissions.
Cancer is treated in many different ways, but a promising new wave of treatments and research is happening right now.
Cancer immunotherapies harness the power of the immune system to fight cancer. They unleash the immune system’s ability to recognize and eliminate cancer cells, wherever they are in the body.
Mater currently has a broad range of research projects in immunotherapy, and nine clinical trials in cancers including ovarian, kidney. lung and other solid tumours.
Teaching the immune system to fight cancers
Prostate cancer has been of the forefront of Mater’s immunotherapy
research.
Dr Roger Watson – Director of Urology – Prostate Cancer discussion video (please click on above video).
In November 2020, following a longstanding partnership with Mater, Lions Clubs of Australia generously donated $450,000 to Mater Foundation to purchase the BK3000—a new targeted ultrasound system designed for enhanced precision within prostate cancer biopsy and diagnosis.
Dr Roger Watson, Director of Urology and Urogynaecology at Mater said survival rates for prostate cancer have seen a dramatic improvement in the past decades highlighting why early diagnosis and intervention is so important.
“Prostate cancer survival rates are now are now significantly improved from 30 years ago , however the disease still affects 10% of men in Australia and claims eight lives each day,” Dr Watson explained.
“Positive outcomes for those with prostate cancer really depends on early diagnosis and the disease being localised to the prostate. The diagnostic procedure of biopsy alone cannot accurately map all locations of cancer within the prostate which is why combination imaging particularly with ultrasound has become vital in assessing the exact location and extent of the cancer”.
“With ultrasound machines like this one, as clinicians, we are able to be incredibly specific and accurate in our diagnosis which in turn enables greater treatment options for patients.”
Having supported Mater for more than 20 years, Lions Clubs of Australia initially supported the Queensland Cord Blood Bank (QCBB) at Mater Research and most recently, the Mater Prostate Cancer Research laboratory (MMRI) and now Mater Research.
Thank you, Lions Clubs Australia, for your generosity and helping improve the outcomes for prostate cancer patients through your advocacy and support.
Lions Prostate Cancer Research & Treatment Project
P O Box 42, Holland Park Qld 4121
Project Chairman – Lion Patrick O’Donoghue
email address prostatedist201@gmail.com
Host Lions Club: Lions Club of Brisbane Holland Park Inc
Lions Prostate Cancer Research & Treatment Project 