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Great Day Out In West Wales
July 4, 2012
Recently, Helen Jeffreys, the Cancer Research Wales (CRW) Legacy Officer and myself, had the pleasure of attending the AGM of the The West Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group, which was held in Carmarthen. It was a joy to see first hand how this dedicated group of men and women provide support and help raise the awareness of prostate cancer in West Wales and beyond. The initial diagnosis of cancer can be very frightening to people, especially to men who have a tendency to keep issues, thoughts and apprehensions to themselves. The work of the group helps to strip away all such fears and through its network of members and social events, provides fellow sufferers with a real sense of comradeship and the feeling that they are not alone.
On arriving we were made very welcome and treated to a first class buffet lunch. It made the old saying “there are no such things as strangers, just friends we haven’t met before” ring very true. Following the journey, we had time to relax and mingle and listen to a very interesting talk on some of the important clinical considerations of prostate cancer treatment, given by Dr Delia Putney an oncologist based in Swansea. Later I had the opportunity to communicate the research that CRW currently undertakes in seeking to understand the mechanisms of prostate cancer and how this can directly lead to improved treatment and outcomes for patients. Helen also shared the vital work of the CRW fundraising team and told of the events that will take place locally in West Wales this summer. This includes the annual Pink-a Blue Walk at the Mumbles, which this year will be held on July 15th. This annual event is specifically organised to raise funds for prostate and breast cancer research in Wales.
The subject of my particular talk was the role of the immune system in prostate cancer. Immuno-therapies are quickly gaining acceptance as a viable treatment option for advanced and treatment resistant prostate cancer. CRW scientists working closely with clinicians have discovered that radiotherapy treatment can actually stimulate the activity of key immune cells in prostate cancer patients at specific times in their treatment pathway. This important research reveals unique windows of opportunity that may be exploited by immuno-therapies in order to generate greater anti-tumour responses when administered.
It was also a privilege to present to the group the very latest discoveries made by those working at the CRW laboratories in the grounds of Velindre Cancer Centre. These include discovering the secrets of how exosomes are released from prostate cancer cells. Exosomes are essentially small molecular weapons which are generated and released by prostate cancer cells in order to dampen the activity of the immune system and prevent eradication of the tumour. The scientists have now devised strategies to prevent exosome release and in doing so can significantly limit the aggressive features of prostate cancer in preclinical models.
I was able to stress the importance of translational research and how the Wales Cancer Bank, of which CRW is major stakeholder, contains over 400 different prostate tumours kindly donated by patients in Wales. Some of whom may have very well been in the room! The tumours are currently in the process of being characterised with respect to their underlying molecular defects. Once completed this information will be linked anonymously to treatment response and patient outcome providing critical insights into how the unique molecular make-up of individual tumours can influence the response to various therapies. This will allow clinicians to make better informed treatment decisions in the future.
At the end of the afternoon Helen and myself were totally bowled over by the kind generosity of the West Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group, who to our complete surprise had decided beforehand to make a donation of £1000 (see photo). This will go directly to the ongoing CRW prostate cancer research programme. It is only through donations like this, made by the people of Wales, that we are able to conduct such groundbreaking research. Sadly, we did not get the opportunity to meet Phil Burr the chairman of WWPCSG, who had unfortunately been ill for several days prior to the event. Phil works tirelessly in preparing a quarterly newsletter that is highly informative and keeps members abreast of the latest developments in the rapidly shifting landscape of prostate cancer treatment and care. This no holds barred newsletter is an essential medium by which people, some of whom may have no other avenue, are informed about the symptoms of prostate cancer, treatment options and the questions they should not be afraid to ask. We look forward to meeting Phil at the CRW Open Day next February, if not before.