BACR 2016

Maired Mackenzie speaks with ecancertv at the 2016 BACR and ECMC Joint Meeting about how her breast cancer diagnosis led to her involvement with Independent Cancer Patients' Voice, and the possible impacts of chemoprevenative strategies discussed at the meeting. She describes her roles, a patient representative and access committee member for aspirin chemoprevention and Breast Cancer Now, respectively, and her impressions of the conference overall.

Prof Coleman speaks with ecancertv at the 2016 BACR and ECMC Joint Meeting about bone-targeted agents that have links to reducing breast cancer incidence. He describes results from trials of bisphosphonate and denosumab, a well tolerated antibody which inhibits RANK ligand pathways. Prof Coleman also relates the ongoing IBIS III study of bisphosphonates to reduce recurrence and relapse of breast cancer, and considers the future of chemoprevention in health care.

Prof Mithen speaks with ecancertv at the 2016 BACR and ECMC Joint Meeting about how high intake of cruciferous vegetables can slow the progression of prostate cancer. By observing the progression of prostate cancer in men consuming no vegetable blend, or one of three different soups, he hopes to determine what active molecules or pathways offer chemoprevention. Prof Mithen also summarises his background and the research that led him his current work.

Dr Din speaks with ecancertv at the 2016 BACR and ECMC Joint Meeting about her research into the metabolic processes of aspirin in cancer cells Using organoid models, she reports on the mechanisms by which aspirin inhibits mTOR signalling and protein regulation. Dr Din describes the additional impacts of diet, exercise and genetic susceptibility on tumour metabolism, and the population-level outcomes that wider adoption of chemoprevention could contribute towards.

Maggie Wilcox speaks with ecancertv at the 2016 BACR and ECMC Joint Meeting about Independent Cancer Patients' Voice, a patient advocacy group who aim to educate and improve the outcomes of patients through involvement in research and special events. She outlines the engagement sessions offered by ICPV, and the benefits of open dialogue between pathologists, patients and healthcare providers. She does note the barriers to access still facing patients, such as relying on academic members to source the editorials written with and about the group.

Prof Sir Burn speaks with ecancertv at the 2016 BACR and ECMC Joint Meeting about the mechanism by which aspirin can prevent colorectal cancer. He describes the CaPP studies for the intervention and prevention of colorectal cancers, using patients with an identified genetic predisposition towards certain types of cancer as a pre-diagnosed population, and how this can benefit wider health care. With the example of aspirin, Prof Sir Burn describes ongoing studies of different dosage to determine its minimum level for cancer prevention, especially for high-risk subgroups.

Dr Khanim speaks with ecancertv at the 2016 BACR and ECMC Joint Meeting about drug repurposing topics discussed at the conference, from ongoing trials to patient advocacy. She also describes her work with the ECMC UK therapeutic cancer prevention network, a professional group whose focus lies in advocacy and research towards the licencing of chemopreventative medicine.

Prof Pollack speaks with ecancertv at the 2016 BACR and ECMC Joint Meeting about the repurposing of metformin to treat cancer. Metformin is a widely used treatment for type II diabetes, but has also been reported to slow tumour cell proliferation through the inhibition of the mTOR pathway. Prof Pollack describes the clinical and regulatory background of repurposing metformin and other drugs for new avenues of research.

Dr Stark speaks with ecancertv at the 2016 BACR and ECMC Joint Meeting about the mechanism by which aspirin can prevent colorectal cancer. Having isolated the NFkB pathway, which is inhibited by aspirin via upregulation of COMMD1, Dr Stark describes how apoptosis in colorectal tumour tissues could inspire further cancer treatments.

Prof Cuzick speaks with ecancertv at the 2016 BACR and ECMC Joint Meeting about the future of cancer prevention. With the example of tamoxifen in breast cancer, he describes the need for research and advocacy in chemoprevention to advance current understandings of aspirin, metformin and as-yet-unidentified factors that could reduce the likelihood of cancer in populations.

Dr Censi speaks with ecancertv at the 2016 BACR and ECMC Joint Meeting about the hurdles facing adoption of chemopreventative strategies. He highlights the lack of monetary and emotional investment in prevention compared to diagnosis and treatment of cancers, and the uncertainty surrounding clinical data due to the lengthy timeline of studies. Dr Cesni also considers the regulatory issues of off-brand prescription and repurposing of drugs, compared to the widespread public acceptance of food supplements, and the incorporation of preventative behaviours into screening and counselling.

Prof Patrono speaks with ecancertv at the 2016 BACR and ECMC Joint Meeting about the action of COX1 in preventing colorectal cancer. Platelet activation, stimulated by COX1, results in angiogenesis which supports tumoural development. Prof Patrono also describes how platelets may form a physical barrier around tumours, and how aspirin can directly obstruct a serine residue essential for platelet function.

Dr Bonanni speaks with ecancertv at the 2016 BACR and ECMC Joint Meeting about "window of opportunity" trials which gauge pre-surgical patient responses to treatments against breast cancer. He describes the range of medicines and dietary compounds which have shown chemopreventive activity, and how surrogate biomarkers can be brought to broader clincal application.