Today sadly, 1:2 families are touched by cancer, and it has overtaken heart disease as the greatest killer in this country. It is terrible to contemplate that every five minutes of every day, a new person will be shaken by a cancer diagnosis.
Cure Cancer Australia has an invaluable role to play in the work that is being done to stem the spread and morbidity of cancer. Wouldn’t it be sensational if in our lifetimes we could see cancer relegated to a ‘complaint’ that can be prevented, or treated painlessly and effectively? At Cure Cancer Australia, we believe these brave young researches who ask questions, and investigate the answers, hold the key to a brighter future.
For over 43 years Cure Cancer Australia has held an invaluable role which has been to fund young researchers at the beginning of their careers and to help them to have their fresh ideas championed. Researchers are the unsung heroes of our age because they are so dedicated to their work, often working long hours, in tough conditions for not very much money. It is their creativity, innovation and passion for new insight that can lead us to a cure. These talented professionals are currently able to only spend one third of their time working in the lab on research because the other two thirds must be dedicated to seeking acknowledgement of their ideas in publications and completing grant applications to secure more funding so that they can continue. Under those circumstances it is no wonder that many can’t stick it out and may travel overseas or indeed, leave science altogether. Cure Cancer Australia is a key facilitator to getting researchers started and allowing them to go on and receive funding from other avenues. We like to say, ‘the cure starts here’!
Cure Cancer Australia with the support of Cancer Australia, fund one year research grants of $100,000. Cure Cancer is also working with other leading Cancer research charities such as Cancer Council NSW, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Leukaemia Foundation and Prostate Cancer Foundation to fund the first year of a number of three year grants. This wonderful collaboration allows those organizations to fund another group of researchers and in this year alone, this initiative has facilitated $6 million worth of cancer research funding.
These brilliant researchers want to be career scientists, and if given a start often go on to lead other young investigators and head research institutes in their own right.
Dr Carolyn Mountford was one such person who after receiving a couple of grants from Cure Cancer Australia was able to experiment with her concept that Magnetic Resonance Imaging could be used to identify cancer in cells in humans without the use of invasive surgery. Her idea proved to be correct, and this revolutionised cancer detection mechanisms and helped to improve patient care for thousands of people. This is an example of how donations made to Cure Cancer Australia go into helping the whole cancer sector.
In talking to the researchers, it is fascinating to learn from them that many enter the field of cancer research because their lives have been personally touched by cancer. Many of them have a person, or people in mind when they enter the lab each day in search of the next breakthrough. This further heightens their passion.
One of Cure Cancer’s grant recipients in 2010, Gough Au, heard that his father had been diagnosed with lung cancer at a time when he was 2 years into his PhD. When asked if he has that as a motivation, he says:
‘ it gives you a purpose. It is also a lot more removed than that- why do I do it? It makes sense. It’s the sense of contribution. It is who I am as a person. I want to make a difference. I have seen what patients go through, there is a personal element to it’.
Cure Cancer Australia is currently eighteen months into its three year Strategic Plan. This plan sees the Foundation growing from a $2.8 million turnover, funding 12 researchers, to a $7 million turnover funding 30 researchers in 2012. This website pays tribute to the many partnerships and relationships that we value and benefit from. Without those people, we would not be in such a strong, vital position supporting cancer research in our own unique way.
Towards the end of 2010 we launched a new brand in order that we can be more clearly visible in the sector. Our new tag line, ‘the cure starts here’ really helps to clarify what we see as our role, and we are very proud of that.
The future for Cure Cancer Australia is an exciting one, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who support us. The staff, volunteers, board and committee members, our donors and Can Too’ers- you are the heart beat of this organization, you continue to inspire me and I love working alongside you on our goal to see
‘a world without cancer, nothing less’ .
Leanne Warner CEO