Komen Research Summit reveals great progress, challenges in the fight against breast cancer
Duke and UNC breast cancer researchers now work together to improve therapies as well as work toward a cure.
At their Komen Research Summit on October 13th at Durham’s Washington Duke Inn, they shared news of their progress and challenges.
Pam Kohl took part in the summit meeting. She had been director of the local affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Then she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.
She retired from the organization and is now a patient advocate and strong supporter of furthering research. "Research is hope for us every single day. One of the things we know is that we are living longer," said Kohl.
Helping patients live longer is what led Duke and UNC researchers to start an informal interaction several years ago. Now it’s a formal collaboration sponsored by Komen and local contributions. Kohl said, "This has been a dream for several years to bring Duke and Carolina together."
Donald McDonnell, Ph.D. is a professor of molecular biology at the Duke Cancer Institute. He says the collaborative effort allows experts, "to bring their expertise to projects of importance in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer."
He says a big concern in breast cancer research is that people of African ancestry are not doing as well as those of European background. "Some of this is due to the fact that there is low participation in clinical trials among different groups," said McDonnell.
He says researchers need more diverse tissue samples to help advance knowledge about the disease.
On a positive note, McDonnell says new drugs have transformed treatment of "HER-2 Positive" patients. "And now immunotherapy, something we didn’t talk about until a couple of years ago, is having a significant impact in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.
He adds, "Some very positive data coming from these collaborative initiatives that suggest that a breast cancer vaccine is again considered to be a reality."
Pam Kohl loves hearing positive news for those fighting breast cancer. She said, "These are things that when you get Duke and Carolina together on the same court, we can make a real difference."
