The letters “C-A-N-C-E-R” by themselves mean nothing, however when they are connected together they form one of the most frightening words that an individual will hear.

That is the word Stewart White heard five years ago (2004), then aged 45, from his doctor after a routine check up discovered he had prostate cancer.

Stewart was your typical Aussie male. He worked for years in the construction industry. Enjoyed a beer or two with his mates, liked to have a good time and hadn’t been to see a doctor in ten years as he never had any health problems.

“For me there were no symptoms, I was only going in for a general physical,” said Stewart.

After a simple blood test revealed a high PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen), Stewart was sent to have scans and tests on his prostate and undergo a biopsy which Stewart describes as “hard going and pain-ful but only short-lived.”

The results revealed Stewart had an aggres-sive and fast growing cancer in his prostate. “I remember receiving the news from the doctor at home and then sitting down on the couch with my partner in disbelief. I called

my brother who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer 5 years earlier and had undergone surgery to remove his prostate and the cancer. He was shocked when I told him but his words gave me hope as he said the “good news is that it’s operable and there is life after the fact,” said Stewart.

Treatments available are limited and all have serious side effects. Stewart was given several options regarding treatment: (a) Do nothing (b) Surgery or (c) Radiation.

Six weeks after being diagnosed Stewart underwent a radical prostatectomy in which the surgeon removed the entire prostate, a relatively major operation.

“Prior to having prostate cancer I knew very little about the disease. I didn’t really pay attention to it as it’s something that is never going to happen to you,” said Stewart.

“There was no known history of the disease in our family and now my brother and I have had it. We both lead very different lives - he was fit and healthy, watched what he ate and drank and I was the opposite so it goes to show that prostate cancer doesn’t discriminate.”

The road to recovery has been a long one for Stewart and not without its challenges.

“Surgery does change you a bit. You are not quite the same person as you used to be. You can’t do the same routine as you used to do - I feel a little limited in some areas,” says Stewart.

After having survived prostate cancer Stewart is now a staunch advocate of men getting regular checks up.

“There is this perception that the doctor is going to do the old rubber glove test but that is not the case. It’s just a blood test, and it’s a blood test that could save your life.

“In the future it would be great if men didn’t have to have a radical prostatectomy and the only way this can happen is if we con-tinue to support the research done at the PA Hospital.

“Research is so important because it will give us more options and choices when it comes to treatment and hopefully they will find ways to better address the side effects after surgery.”

“If I had gone to the doctor five years earlier when my brother was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I may not have had to have my entire prostate removed and I would have a lot more function than what I have today,” said Stewart.

issue 3, 2009In this issue PA Prostate Cancer Research | Genetic Breakthrough into MS Research | Great Brisbane Duck Race

Foundation Timeline ... (this issue 2006 - April 2009)

Cervical cancer vaccine released. Prof Ian Frazer named Australian of the Year.

Prof Matthew Brown and team iden-tify two genes linked with inflammatory arthritis.

Clinical trials commence on rheumatoid arthritis vaccine developed by Prof Ranjeny Thomas and team.

2006 2007 2007

Dr Sarah Olson

Research Group: Brain tumour research Group QBI

What made you decide to work in this field? Brain tumours particularly the more aggressive tumours have notoriously had a very poor prognosis. Progress however is being made and it is apparent that aggres-sive treatment can make a big difference to patients. Not all require treatment but others have a very malignant course for patients. It is vital that the correct decisions are made for patients.

What is the goal of your research? To improve the outcomes of individuals with brain tumours. We are currently looking at prognostic markers in highly malignant brain tumours and trying to work out why some respond very well to therapy but others don’t. If we can work out why we may be able to better combat the problem.

How has funding from the Foundation helped your research project? I was awarded a grant to fund research into pituitary tumours. That research won several awards for our department and forged links in the research field with other departments that we have

Issue 3 Quiz!

1 What centre based at the PA is one of only two of its kind in the southern hemisphere? a] Aust & NZ MS Consortium b] Queensland Brain Institute c] National Prostate Cancer Centre d] All of the above

2 In which year did Prof. Matthew Brown identify two genes linked to nflammatory arthritis? a] 2004 b] 2009 c] 1198 d] 2007

3 Which researcher and his/her team are developing a vaccine for rheumatoid arthritis? a] Prof Matthew Brown b] Prof Ranjeny Thomas c] Dr Devinder Gill d] Prof Ian Frazer

4 Which areas of research do the funds raised from the Great Brisbane Duck Race go towards? a] Diabetes b] Cancer c] MS d] Heart Disease

5 One in how many men in Australia will be diagnosed with prostate cancer? a] 1 in every 4000 men b] 1 In every 12 men c] 1 in every 20,000 men d] 1 in every 9 men

significantly benefited from with further research.

What is on your research wish list? More funding for the registrars I supervise for research and a lab on premises at PAH!

What do you like to do when you’re not at work? Spend time with my three and two year old who best like to kayak with me and camp.

What are you most proud of? My family would of course be first. Juggling my hus-band’s career (an obstetric physician) and mine with small children would have to be my biggest achievement!

I am very proud of our dedicated brain tumour clinic. It is the largest in the country and I believe offers best care to patients. It involves many disciplines and has been very successful. There are several clinical trials running at that clinic.

I am very pleased to have deep brain stimulation approved at PAH for Parkinsons patients as we believe that will make a lot of difference to people’s lives. Getting that working has been a big achievement.

I very much enjoy looking after our regis-trars and seeing them do well, develop into surgeons and become consultants!

TH

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S: 1

– C

, 2

– D

, 3

– B

, 4

– B

, 5

– D

Intro: the people behind the research

Donation Form – Yes, I would like to support health research!If you wish to make a donation, please fill out and detach the below form and return it postage free to: PA Research Foundation Reply Paid 77401, Woolloongabba QLD 4102, or fax it to (07) 3240 7303. For enquiries, to donate by phone or to organise scheduled donations, please call (07) 3240 2359. For further information on the PA Research Foundation or to make an online donation, go to www.pafoundation.org.au.

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PSA test saved my life

Celebrating 25 Years of Research for Life

PA Prostate Cancer Research

Foundation-funded researchers Dr Devinder Gill and Prof Nigel McMillan discover two Leukaemia growth factors.

Major advances in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment by Prof Colleen Nelson and team.

Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland established at the PA Campus

Test developed for children at risk of Type I Diabetes.

Development commences on the Translational Research Institute building.

World-leading research commenced into Mul-tiple Sclerosis genetics by Prof Matt Brown and team.

20082008 20092008 20092008

Investigating molecular mechanisms that underlie prostate cancer

progression

Identifying and characterising cancer causing genes

Developing new targeted treatments for advanced prostate cancer

Developing improved diagnostic and screening tools

Identifying new ways to detect the presence of prostate cancer and

reliably differentiate between slow growing and aggressive forms of the

disease

Develop new drug therapies that target the molecular mechanisms that

allow prostate cancers to resist current treatments

Identifying accurate bio-markers that will assist in predicting treatment

response.

Evaluating current treatment approaches - their outcomes and their

costs

The PA is home to the Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland. One of only two such dedicated research centres in the southern hemisphere.

The new centre will help to facilitate pros-tate cancer research locally and nationally and establish a major hub for the discovery of new bio-markers and therapeutic targets and drive their development into the clinic.

The centre is directed by QuT Professors Colleen Nelson and Judith Clements and PA Hospital Professor David Nicol who make up part of the transdisciplinary research group working on many levels to tackle prostate cancer.

Their research will advance prostate cancer detection and treatment to address all types and stages of the disease.

New genes discovered by Australian and New Zealand researchers may hold the key to new treatments for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Queensland scientists are part of a research consortium that have discovered two genetic variants which increase the risk of developing MS and reveal links to other autoimmune diseases.

MS is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune response attacks its own central nervous system. MS affects some 2.5 million people worldwide and almost 20,000 in Australia. It is a devastating disease as it occurs at the prime of life and mostly in young caucasian women.

There is no known cure for MS. Available treatments attempt to return function after an attack, prevent new attacks, and prevent disability but not prevent MS from occurring in the first instance.

However recent research from the Australian & New Zealand consortium has taken us one step closer to unravelling the genetic make up of MS. The team are investigating the genes that increase a person’s risk of developing MS. Integral to the study is Professor Matthew Brown from The university of Queensland’s Diamantina Institute based at the PA. Prof. Brown said a gene identified by the group could lead to simple preventative treatments for MS.

“One of the two genes is most likely a gene which control metabolism of vitamin D. Previous research has already shown that levels of vitamin D influence the risk of people contracting MS. For example, people have a higher risk the further they live from the equator. This instantly sug-gests that a possible preventative treatment for MS is vitamin D. This may lead to new types of therapeutics down the track.”

“I am very optimistic that this

advance in our understanding

of the genes involved in MS

will eventually lead to more

effective treatments”, said Prof.

Brown.

“It is the first such large scale human genetics project done completely in Australasia and so is a real milestone for the Australian scientific community,” Prof. Brown said.

Thanks to the support of our generous donors, Prof. Brown has been a success-ful recipient of foundation grant funding. Future funding will assist the research team in taking their next step to pinpoint the exact genetic mutations and the func-tional differences that are responsible for the disease.

PA researchers help unlock genetic keys to MS

The

Great

Brisbane

Duck Race

26 September 2009

You could be this year’s Lucky Duck by adopting a duck in the race that quacks the nation!

On Saturday 26 September thousands of rubber ducks will flock to the Brisbane River in front of the Wheel of Brisbane at South Bank to battle it out in a race to fight cancer and to WIN one lucky owner a brand new car - a Sci-Fleet Toyota Yaris!*

How to adopt your duck!

Duck online to: pafoundation.org.au Call duck headquarters at 3240 2359

*SCI-FLEET TOYOTA YARIS 3 DOOR HATCH BACK, MANuAL, NON-METALLIC, VALuED AT $15,990

Sponsors:

Presenting sponsor:

The first numbered duck to cross the finish line of the 100 metre course will WIN their owner a Sci-Fleet Toyota Yaris.

So don’t be a sitting duck, get behind this great cause to help our researchers find their next breakthrough in cancer research at the PA Hospital.

Prof. Matthew Brown, The university of Queensland,

Diamantina Institute

“We are committed to working with

many research leaders in this field,

locally, nationally and internationally to

come up with global solutions to

fight prostate cancer”.

QUT’s Prof. Nelson

Prostate cancer is a malignant tumour of the prostate gland - a walnut-sized reproductive gland surrounding the male urethra just be-low the bladder.

Prostate cancer can grow slowly in some men with little adverse health conditions, or it can progress rapidly and escape from the prostate gland with significant and poten-tially fatal side effects.

Prostate cancer is as big a threat for men as breast cancer is for women. It is the most common type of cancer in Australian men, and the second highest cause of cancer death, after lung cancer.

The incidence of prostate cancer increases dramatically after the age of fifty and as our population ages the impact of the disease on our society is set to increase considerably from its already high level of burden.

In Australia over 14,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed each year

1 in 9 men will develop prostate cancer Over 3000 men die from prostate

cancer each year Prostate cancer accounts for 12.9% of

all cancer deaths The incidence of prostate cancer has

risen by over 2/3rds in the last decade

Prostate Cancer ...

Professor Colleen Nelson, Executive Director

Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre-Queensland

Source - Australian Government Institute of Health and Welfare, “Australia’s Health 2008”. National Health and Medical Research Council. Australian Cancer Network