Cancer ride backs research breakthroughs

THE Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute’s major fundraising event of the year, the Ballarat Cycle Classic, is on this weekend.

Senior cancer researcher Dr Aparna Jayachandran said all funds raised will support their work to find out more about hard-to-treat cancers, including aggressive cancers of the breast, brain, ovaries, kidneys, and colon.

“We do not have good treatment options, so we need to find effective, new treatments for these patients, and our brilliant scientists are putting all their efforts together to find those, and impact the outcome for patients,” she said.

“We’re looking for a better quality of life and a long lifespan for patients with these hard-to-treat cancers. Survival rates are very poor, and we’d like to change that.”

Dr Jayachandran said their main aim in the lab is to identify new proteins that play a role in cancer immunology and can be key in new treatment options.

She was recruited in 2020 to head the breast cancer research program and is passionate about addressing triple-negative breast cancer.

“I’m trying to identify proteins that are unique to this cancer, and one thing about it is that it affects younger women of child-bearing age.

“If they do not respond to chemotherapy, we currently don’t have any other options for these patients, and we don’t have biomarkers or indicators in the clinic that tell that clinician how aggressive these cancers can become,” she said.

“I’m happy to report we have a very exciting lead, and this new protein is called PAPP-A; pregnancy associated plasma protein A, which is usually found in the blood of pregnant women.

“It is also very high in triple-negative breast cancer patients, so we’re trying to find out what it’s doing in those patients and why it’s making the cancers very aggressive.”

Dr Jayachandran said the funding of scientists at FECRI, and cutting-edge technology, relies on community support, and encourages everyone to take part in the Ballarat Cycle Classic this Saturday, 18 and Sunday, 18 February.

The program includes road rides, gravel grinds, adventure and fun family rides, a gravity enduro jam, and a pet-friendly lake walk. Head to ballaratcycleclassic.com.au to register.