Getting personal with cancer treatment.
In 2001, Professor Ross Mckinnon’s wife Wendy developed aggressive breast cancer. Her treatment was arduous, leaving her with significant side effects. Sadly, Wendy passed away a year later, leaving Professor Mckinnon with a burning ambition to improve cancer treatments for the better. Today, Professor Mckinnon and his team are funded by Cancer Council to do just that. At the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer (FCIC) they are working to identify new cancer treatment strategies and optimise existing treatments.
His research is already having a huge impact on people’s lives. Ryan Hodges was 32 years old when he received two pieces of life changing news – he was expecting his first child and he was living with stage 4, inoperable lung cancer. “I had never smoked a day in my life and cycled almost daily so being diagnosed with lung cancer was a massive shock. My CT scan showed that I had a 3.5 inch tumour in the lower right lobe of my right lung.” said Ryan. At FCIC, Ryan received treatment therapy that was targeted to specific changes in his tumour. “When we started the targeted therapy my breathing improved within a couple of days. Five months later I went back in and had another CT scan and my cancer had reduced by over 90%. It was the targeted therapy that gave us a significant amount of time - that is such a precious thing,” said Ryan.
This new and exciting work, funded by Cancer Council, has allowed Ryan to return to work and savour every precious moment he can with his wife and young son. “Good cancer research needs momentum and momentum needs a continuity of funding” explained Professor Mckinnon. Every day, Cancer Council support families affected by cancer when they need it most; speak out on behalf of the community on cancer issues; empower people to reduce their cancer risk; and find new ways to better detect and treat cancer.
“I don’t know how we would achieve what we do without funding from Cancer Council.” - Professor Ross Mckinnon, Cancer Council funded researcher With your help, we’re getting closer to a cancer free future every minute, every hour, every day.