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Zoe takes on Mt Kilimanjaro for cancer research

Cancer, types of cancer, cancer foundation, australian cancer research foundation, cancer charities, cancer charity, acrf, cancer news, cancer fundraising, cancer awareness, cancer donate, cancer donation, cancer donations, give to charity, giving to charity, cancer articles, cancer research donate, cancer research donation, donate to cancer research, cancer research funding, charities for cancer, donate to cancer, Australian cancer charities, australia cancer research, best cancer charity, cancer research fundraising, cancer charity events, cancer charity donations, donate to cancer charity, australia cancer research, cancer research fundraising, give to cancer research,“In October, I’ll be fulfilling one of my biggest dreams — climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. About six years ago I did some trekking in Nepal and Tibet, and because I’m such a beach girl I was really surprised by how much I loved being in the mountains. It gave me this unexpected sense of peace and inspired me to explore other places.

I knew that when I did finally get the chance to turn my dream into a reality, I would be fundraising for cancer along the way.

Cancer research is a cause that is very dear to my heart. I have witnessed many loved ones suffer from this disease, including my grandfather who passed away from bowel cancer 16 years ago.

My Aunty is now fighting ovarian cancer as well. After two rounds of chemotherapy, we’re hopeful that it won’t progress. Despite what she’s going through, she still carries herself with such courage and grace and inspires everyone around her.

Her son was diagnosed with leukaemia at just two years old and sadly lost his battle at seven. I was 14 at the time and I remember how brave he was, how little he complained, and how much I learned about the importance of living each day to the fullest. This is when I first realised that life is precious and not to be wasted.

You only live once so you may as well make it count, which is why I thought; why wait any longer to cross Mt Kilimanjaro off my bucket list?

I really love to travel and meet new people and see new cultures so this is the perfect opportunity. Africa is such a fascinating place to me and I’m really looking forward to being in nature, removed from all the distractions of daily life. The area looks so stunning, I’m hoping that I might get a glimpse of some of the ‘Big 5‘ in their natural habitat.

I’m sure it will be challenging but I’m passionate about breaking down the limitations of the mind and living the life of your dreams. A few years ago, I was in a serious car accident that left me with injuries and for months I was bed ridden, so ever since then I love to challenge myself physically and mentally.

Cancer, types of cancer, cancer foundation, australian cancer research foundation, cancer charities, cancer charity, acrf, cancer news, cancer fundraising, cancer awareness, cancer donate, cancer donation, cancer donations, give to charity, giving to charity, cancer articles, cancer research donate, cancer research donation, donate to cancer research, cancer research funding, charities for cancer, donate to cancer, Australian cancer charities, australia cancer research, best cancer charity, cancer research fundraising, cancer charity events, cancer charity donations, donate to cancer charity, australia cancer research, cancer research fundraising, give to cancer research,I remember trekking in Tibet, over a pass at 5500 metres and feeling so sick that I wanted to give up. But I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and telling myself “you can do this, this is nothing compared to what you’ve been through before.” The sense of accomplishment at the end of the day was like nothing else. It showed me that we can do anything we put our minds to.

I am so proud to be climbing for cancer research. With 1 in 3 people now being diagnosed with cancer, I believe anything we can do to stop cancer in its tracks is important. Having seen so many loved ones go through treatment I think the more we learn about the disease, the better treatment will become. My hope is that we can not only cure cancer but prevent it.

In honour of those who have survived, who kicked cancer in the butt, to those who are currently fighting and to those who have lost their battle, I dedicate this climb to you. I know that all of you will be with me every step of the way.” – ACRF supporter, Zoe Trenwith

Zoe is a yoga teacher and in the lead up to her climb, she will be hosting a 108 Sun Salutation Fundraising class in South Australia on June 17th. “As a yoga teacher, I knew that hosting a yoga event was one way I could do something to bring people together.” If you would like to support Zoe, or find out more about her yoga class, click here.

Promising new treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia

cancer articles, cancer research donate, cancer research donation, donate to cancer research, information about cancer, cancer research funding,Patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) can look forward to the development of new therapies following a discovery by cancer researchers at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.

While investigating ways to target particular types of AML, and hoping to increase the chance of a cure for the patient while limiting damage to healthy cells, the team discovered a new way to kill cells that are dangerously multiplying.

A process known as apoptosis (programmed cell death) is a natural and necessary response to keep the proliferation of human cells in check. Apoptosis is interrupted in cancers, including AML, leading to unchecked cell growth.

Dr. Gabriela Brumatti said traditional chemotherapies, which encourage apoptosis, have a high relapse rate. For example, within five years of completing treatment, half of AML patients suffer a relapse of their cancer, and of those who relapse, only 50 percent survive.

Her team tried a ‘blue sky’ approach, inhibiting apoptosis of AML cells in order to unleash an alternative form of cell death called necroptosis. They found that the necroptosis cell death pathway was more effective at killing AML than apoptosis.

In preclinical trials, they used a combination of drugs – birinapant, a new anti-cancer drug, and emricasan, a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved inhibitor of apoptosis – to kill AML.

“It has been speculated that inducing necroptosis might be an effective way to kill cancer cells,” said Professor Silke. “Our work now demonstrates clearly it is a clinically feasible and safe approach.”

Dr. Brumatti suggested that since cancer cells often acquire resistance to traditional chemotherapy-induced apoptosis, this novel type of chemotherapy has the potential to be used to treat otherwise impossible to treat leukaemias.

These findings have just been published in the research journal Science Translational Medicine.

The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has supported WEHI by providing three grants, totalling AUD 5.5million towards cutting edge cancer research equipment and technology.

The original news post was published on the WEHI website. Images of the research team courtesy of WEHI.

Cancer researchers ‘switch on’ Natural Killer cells to fight cancer

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) researchers, led by Dr Sandra Nicholson and Dr Nicholas Huntington, together with colleagues from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), are investigating ways to ‘switch on’ our Natural Killer (NK) cells to fight cancer.

The researchers identified a protein ‘brake’ within Natural Killer cells that controls their ability to destroy their target tumour cells.

“Natural Killer cells exist to detect and then destroy any deviant cells in our bodies before those cells go on to develop into tumours or before infection spreads,” Dr Nicholson said.

“Natural Killer cells are a key part of our immune system they work by locating other cells posing a danger to health either because they are infected or because they are becoming a cancer cell,” she continued.

Our bodies are constantly and successfully fighting off the development of cells that lead to tumours – but when there is disruption to this process cancer is free to develop.

In their paper published in Nature Immunology, they showed that when the brake was removed in an experimental model, the NK cells were better able to protect the body against metastatic melanoma.

Natural Killer cells rely on a growth factor called Interleukin 15 (IL15) to activate. Dr Nicholson and Dr Huntington’s research has shown that an inhibitor protein made inside the Natural Killer cells limits the ability of the NK cell to respond to IL15 and therefore kill cancer cells.

By identifying for the first time how this protein inhibits NK cell responses, they now hope that a drug can be developed that will improve the response of NK cells to this growth factor and help patients fight cancer with their own immune system.

“This is about learning how to activate the NK cells of the individual patient and boost their immune system to tackle the disease,” Dr Huntington said.

“We are hopeful our research will lead to new immunotherapies that supercharge the body’s Natural Killer cells and maintain it in a highly active state to more efficiently and specifically fight cancer.”

The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has supported WEHI by providing three grants, totalling AUD 5.5million towards cutting edge cancer research equipment and technology.

The original news post including the YouTube video was published on WEHI website.

Hope from Heartache: The Dillon Family Honour Their Beloved Grandfathers

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“Unfortunately both my husband Travis and I suddenly lost our fathers to cancer within two and a half years of each other.

Both of these wonderful men had only recently retired and were looking forward to making plans for their futures. They were in their mid-sixties and had worked hard in the agricultural industry all their lives.

The impact of losing a parent was made even worse knowing our young children would no longer get to enjoy such precious times with their adored Poppa and Grandpa.

It has now been over six years since I lost my Dad and not a day goes by where I don’t think of him. I miss him dearly, and every now and then I’ll pick up the phone to call him before remembering that it’s not possible anymore.

Following my Dad’s funeral, Travis and I wanted to do something positive to help prevent others from suffering the same devastating loss. We decided the best way to do this was to support the hard working cancer research scientists trying to find cures for this cruel disease.

As we had lost our fathers to different types of cancer – kidney and prostate, we looked for a foundation that researches cures for all cancers. We chose the ACRF as they are committed to funding research in Australia that aims to end all cancers.

We now make a contribution every month in memory of our fathers. We’re happy to do our part in the fight against cancer and hope that in the future more children will be able to grow up experiencing the joy of spending time with their grandparents.

We are proud to be ACRF supporters and every month we receive updates and eagerly read about the ground-breaking discoveries being made. We believe that without cancer research many more families will be deprived of valuable time with their loved ones.

While there is nothing that can be done in our sad situation, we take comfort in the precious memories we made with our fathers and hold out hope for families in the future.”

– Sally and Travis Dillon

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Kelmscott Police Officers set to scale Mt Fuji in honour of fallen friends

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Mt. Fuji, Japan viewed from Chureito Pagoda in the autumn.

 

This September, Western Australian Police Officers Oliver, Anita, Wendy and Tanya will be on route to Japan preparing for an experience of a lifetime. They will be hiking the country’s tallest mountain – Mount Fuji, in an effort to raise funds for cancer research and honour their fallen friends.

The past two years have been difficult ones for the Kelmscott Local Police Team. They’ve had to watch two of their brothers in blue, Larry McCarthy and Gary Husain, lose their battle with cancer.

“We’re a really close-knit crew and have been working together for a number of years. It was really difficult losing our friends. They were both really hard working and loyal men. They were always doing their best for our community.”

Experienced hiker and Senior Sergeant, Oliver Lund, will be leading the team on their ascent. And as someone who has already successfully scaled one of the world’s most challenging summits – Mt Kilimanjaro, he will be the perfect man for the job.

“We’re taking on this challenge for a number of reasons. Not only is it going to be a great team-building exercise, but it will also be a really special way to remember our friends and raise funds for a cause that has affected us so deeply. Cancer is never too far from our minds as so many families in our community are facing the disease.”

They decided that Mount Fuji would be the safest for the crew of first-time hikers, but at 3776 meters above sea level, it’s still considered one of the more challenging climbs.

“It’ll require quite a lot of strength and endurance. We like to keep fit as possible for work, and participate in regular police training days – but we’ve all really stepped it up in preparation for the climb.”

“Depending on how the weather treats us we’re planning on setting off in the evening and planning our trek so that we will finally reach the peak at dawn. Watching the sunrise from the top will be such an amazing experience.”

The team hopes to raise awareness of the ACRF Fundraising program “The more people that know about the ACRF Online Fundraising Program, the greater the impact we can have so we’re doing everything we can!”

To show your support these brave officers click here.
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Happy Easter from the ACRF!

charity gifts

It can be hard to believe there’s a great substitute for chocolate at Easter – but it’s true! It’s not too late to change things up this year and choose to give small donations in lieu of gifts. This kind of Easter gift truly is one that will make an amazing difference to the fight against cancer.

We’re not the only ones who will appreciate it, just take a look at the list of people who will thank you:

  • Your personal trainer
  • Your dentist (unless he likes to watch you squirm)
  • Cancer research teams across Australia (this is the best part)
  • Cancer patients of future generations
  • And of course, our team here at ACRF!

If you’re still not sure, just ask the lovely ladies of the Bexley North Cancerians who hosted their own Easter Parade last week. They’ve been helping raise funds for cancer research for the past 20 years and have raised an incredible $95,000 through small events. Proof that even the smallest of gestures add up in the end!

Our office will be closed on April 3rd for the long weekend, and we will be back in the office on April 7th. But fear not, if you are a last minute shopper you can make small charity gifts online during this time and a receipt will be sent to your email address automatically.

Thank you again for your ongoing support. Happy Easter, and special wishes to our Greek (Kaló Páscha) and Italian (Buona Pasqua) supporters!

Happy Easter from the ACRF!

charity giftsIt can be hard to believe there’s a great substitute for chocolate at Easter – but it’s true! It’s not too late to change things up this year and choose to give small donations in lieu of gifts. This kind of Easter gift truly is one that will make an amazing difference to the fight against cancer.

We’re not the only ones who will appreciate it, just take a look at the list of people who will thank you:

  • Your personal trainer
  • Your dentist (unless he likes to watch you squirm)
  • Cancer research teams across Australia (this is the best part)
  • Cancer patients of future generations
  • And of course, our team here at ACRF!

If you’re still not sure, just ask the lovely ladies of the Bexley North Cancerians who hosted their own Easter Parade last week. They’ve been helping raise funds for cancer research for the past 20 years and have raised an incredible $95,000 through small events. Proof that even the smallest of gestures add up in the end!

Our office will be closed on April 3rd for the long weekend, and we will be back in the office on April 7th. But fear not, if you are a last minute shopper you can make small charity gifts online during this time and a receipt will be sent to your email address automatically.

Thank you again for your ongoing support. Happy Easter, and special wishes to our Greek (Kaló Páscha) and Italian (Buona Pasqua) supporters!

Wishing you a happy and safe Christmas!

2012 has been an incredible year with some truly exciting advances in cancer research. We thank you very much sharing for it with us.

Please note we will be taking a short break over the Christmas holiday, with our office closing on Friday 21 December, 2012 and reopening on Wednesday 2 January, 2013.

If you would like to make a kind donation during this time (either in place of Christmas gifts or as a way of kick-starting the new year with some positive karma) and you would like an immediate receipt, please be sure to donate via our secure online portal rather than via post.

Finally, we’ve put together a short video to thank you again for your support this year. We wish you a wonderful Christmas, and we look forward to staying in touch throughout 2013.

Wishing you a happy and safe Christmas!

2012 has been an incredible year with some truly exciting advances in cancer research. We thank you very much sharing for it with us.

Please note we will be taking a short break over the Christmas holiday, with our office closing on Friday 21 December, 2012 and reopening on Wednesday 2 January, 2013.

If you would like to make a kind donation during this time (either in place of Christmas gifts or as a way of kick-starting the new year with some positive karma) and you would like an immediate receipt, please be sure to donate via our secure online portal rather than via post.

Finally, we’ve put together a short video to thank you again for your support this year. We wish you a wonderful Christmas, and we look forward to staying in touch throughout 2013.