Our annual Gala Celebration is coming up soon! Please plan to join us November 9th at the Pines Manor. Make your reservations here: https://fifthdistrictahepa-crf.org/annual-evening-of-celebration/ . A short program will announce new grants and introduce the grantees. Dancing and celebration will fill the evening!
MATCHING DONATIONS: If your employer offers a matching program for donations by their employees, please let us know. We can provide you any information and documentation to qualify and process the match by your employer to your donation!
UPDATE: Our monthly newsletter has been sharing with you the research that our grantees have been doing with the support of the Fifth District AHEPA Cancer Research Foundation. Let’s look at additional research our grantees are doing.
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have made significant strides in understanding pancreatic cancer by analyzing liver biopsies. Their study, published in Nature Medicine, suggests that examining these small tissue samples can help predict whether pancreatic cancer will spread to the liver or other organs. This information could enable doctors to tailor treatments, such as immunotherapies, before the cancer has a chance to metastasize, which is crucial since only about 10% of pancreatic cancer patients survive beyond two years after diagnosis.
The team, led by Dr. David Lyden and Dr. Linda Bojmar, analyzed liver biopsies from 49 patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer and compared them to samples from 19 patients with non-cancerous conditions. They discovered that patients who did not experience cancer spread had liver tissues resembling those of healthy individuals. In contrast, patients who developed liver metastases within six months had livers filled with neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which are linked to future metastases. This early detection of NETs could potentially allow for timely interventions, such as chemotherapy or surgery.
The findings highlight the importance of identifying patients at high risk for aggressive cancer spread. By understanding the cellular and molecular changes in the liver, doctors may be able to implement preventive measures earlier in the treatment process. The researchers are also exploring whether drugs that break down NETs could help prevent liver metastases, offering hope for improved outcomes in pancreatic cancer treatment.
If you are interested in our descriptions of research being done by our grantees, please browse our past newsletters at https://fifthdistrictahepa-crf.org/news/ .
SPECIAL RAFFLE: Finally, do you like playing video games on an old school, genuine video arcade? Do you want to dazzle your friends and guests? For only $20, you can buy a raffle ticket for a beautiful, authentic full sized video arcade. See the details here: https://fifthdistrictahepa-crf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Archade-Raffle-Flyer-2024-revised-1.pdf . Proceeds will benefit the Foundation.
See you at our Gala Celebration on November 9!