The University of Newcastle is to receive close to $6 million in funding for breast cancer research.

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) last week awarded $4.7 million to the University for breast cancer trials.

Today the National Breast Cancer Foundation awarded $5 million to five organisations, including the University, for research into early detection of breast cancer using genetics and nanotechnology (the science of very small particles).

The funding will go to Professor John Forbes and his team to further their research. A Professor of Surgical Oncology at the University and Calvary Mater Newcastle, Professor Forbes coordinates the Australian New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group and works in collaboration with the Hunter Medical Research Institute's (HMRI) Cancer Research Program.

Professor Forbes said the NHMRC funding would allow his team to continue their world-leading research into the control and prevention of breast cancer.

"The NHMRC funding is for three trials," he said. "The first will investigate whether endocrine therapy - treatment which adds, blocks or removes hormones - can prevent the recurrence of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The second and third trials will investigate optimal combinations of breast cancer treatments for premenopausal women.

"The funding from the National Breast Cancer Foundation is for a team, including Professor Rodney Scott and myself at the University of Newcastle, and researchers from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane led by Professor Matt Trau from the University of Queensland.

"We will develop a blood test that indicates whether or not breast cancer has returned in a woman previously treated for the disease. This test could allow a woman to receive preventative treatment sooner."

Professor Forbes was last year named as one of the top 10 'hottest' researchers in the world, with his inclusion on the Thomson Scientific 'Hottest Researcher' list for 2005 - 2006, for citations of his papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Millions of dollars for breast cancer research

Thursday 4 October 2007

The University of Newcastle is to receive close to $6 million in funding for breast cancer research.

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) last week awarded $4.7 million to the University for breast cancer trials.

Today the National Breast Cancer Foundation awarded $5 million to five organisations, including the University, for research into early detection of breast cancer using genetics and nanotechnology (the science of very small particles).

The funding will go to Professor John Forbes and his team to further their research. A Professor of Surgical Oncology at the University and Calvary Mater Newcastle, Professor Forbes coordinates the Australian New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group and works in collaboration with the Hunter Medical Research Institute's (HMRI) Cancer Research Program.

Professor Forbes said the NHMRC funding would allow his team to continue their world-leading research into the control and prevention of breast cancer.

"The NHMRC funding is for three trials," he said. "The first will investigate whether endocrine therapy - treatment which adds, blocks or removes hormones - can prevent the recurrence of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The second and third trials will investigate optimal combinations of breast cancer treatments for premenopausal women.

"The funding from the National Breast Cancer Foundation is for a team, including Professor Rodney Scott and myself at the University of Newcastle, and researchers from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane led by Professor Matt Trau from the University of Queensland.

"We will develop a blood test that indicates whether or not breast cancer has returned in a woman previously treated for the disease. This test could allow a woman to receive preventative treatment sooner."

Professor Forbes was last year named as one of the top 10 'hottest' researchers in the world, with his inclusion on the Thomson Scientific 'Hottest Researcher' list for 2005 - 2006, for citations of his papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals.