research

SOME STATISTICS

Statistics are listed along with the source that we used. All statistics shown on this website pertain strictly to the United States unless otherwise specified:

* In 2008 almost 49,000 Americans, including 1,990 men, were reportedly diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (American Cancer Society; HOWEVER, this estimate excludes those who initially present with stage IV breast cancer. If those are added, the number could be as high as 73,000 to 86.000. (Silent Voices,a Living Beyond Breast Cancer publication).

* In developed countries, including the US, at least 30 % of women with early stage breast cancer will eventually develop metastatic breast cancer. (2008 Global Survey by Pfizer Oncology) NOTE: Some reporting puts this number at 40%. Both statistics exclude those initially presenting with metastatic breast cancer.

* In 2008, 40,930 Americans, including 450 men, died of metastatic breast cancer. (American Cancer Society – 2008 Statistics) Worldwide, roughly 465,000 die annually of the disease (2008 Global Survey by Pfizer Oncology).

* There has been no reduction in the number of annual deaths from breast cancer since the late 1980s (Cancer World article by Marc Beishon).

* Five-year survival is generally said to be 27% and 10-year survival roughly 10% (Silent Voices, an LBBC publication).

* 2-3% are considered "cured" of the disease. Most of these individuals fall into one of two categories: 1) young people who responded well to their initial BC mets treatment and never again recurred, and 2) persons diagnosed with a single, isolated lesion that was surgically removed and who never again recurred (Journal of Clinical Oncology - 2002).

* The number of Americans living with metastatic breast cancer is not known. The numbers are neither collected nor maintained.

* Breast cancer is the most common kind of cancer in women, and the leading cause of cancer death for women worldwide, with nearly half a million deaths every year.

METASTATIC BREAST CANCER RESEARCH:

METASTASIS RESEARCH RECEIVES ONLY ABOUT 1% OF THE $5 BILLION ANNUAL NATIONAL CANCER FUND. Metastatic breast cancer research receives even less. For those of us who are living with metastatic breast cancer, this is devastating news -- the more so because metastatic researchers tell us that if a comprehensive, collaborative, fully-funded metastatic breast cancer research program were established, it might be possible to transition our disease from a terminal illness to a controlled, chronic condition within as few as ten years.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on statistics and the lack of funding, please see Clifton Leaf’s Fortune Magazine cover article Why We Are Losing the War on Cancer [and How to Win It] at http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2004/03/22/365076/index.htm. Although written in 2004, little has changed as you will note from the follow-up article written by James Beishon entitled Clifton Leaf; asking the difficult questions. That article can be found at http://www.cancerworld.org/CancerWorld/getStaticModFile.aspx?id=2121. Clifton Leaf is a long-time advocate of more honesty in cancer reporting, more funding for metastatic cancer and increased collaboration and the sharing of information amongst researchers. He has won numerous awards for his efforts. Watch for his new book coming out soon!

METASTASIS RESEARCH DOES NOT RECEIVE NEARLY ENOUGH FROM THE BREAST CANCER COMMUNITY. The breast cancer community raises a considerable amount of money every year, but these funds are primarily focused elsewhere. The majority go toward education, early detection and the prevention of recurrence. While no one disputes the importance of these efforts, METAvivor believes it is long past time for a fair share of these funds to be devoted specifically toward metastatic breast cancer research. When asked, most of these organizations justify their use of funds by saying that metastasis patients benefit from this research because drugs found in this manner are used to slow metastatic progression. However, oncologists tell us that any assistance these drugs offer is normally measured in months, not years, and that often the only benefit is an improved quality of life for the time remaining with no extension of life whatsoever. METAvivor promotes giving all those with stage IV breast cancer the kind of life that metastasis researchers say they can provide us … namely, a disease that is a true chronic disease … a disease we can live with into old age with a decent quality of life.

WHAT WE ARE DOING: METAvivor is determined to do its part to bring this about. To that end we have initiated a fundraising program whereby we will award grants to qualified metastasis researchers, whose work shows true promise. Our awards will be limited to projects that have the ultimate goal of transitioning our disease from a terminal illness to a controlled, chronic condition.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: We are working hard to raise money on our own, but we need your help to raise the kind of money necessary to support a comprehensive research effort. You can donate outright, you can help with a fundraiser, you can offer items for our silent auctions, or you can offer suggestions. We welcome any and all ideas and assistance!

2009 RESEARCH GRANT
We have selected and announced our 2009 grant recipient in advance of the award because we want our donors to know precisely how their money well be used.

DAN WELCH, PhD – OUR 2010 GRANT RECIPIENT: Our first grant recipient will be Dr. Dan Welch, Professor of Pathology at the University of Alabama, Birmingham; Senior Scientist - Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for Metabolic Bone Disease, Cell Adhesion and Matrix Research Center, Gene Therapy Center. A few of his many other credits include: Editor-in-Chief: Clinical and Experimental Metastasis; Senior Deputy Editor for Reviews at Cancer Research; Editorial Board for Cancer Metastasis-Biology and Treatment and Cancer and Metastasis Reviews; and Past President (2006-2008) and Secretary/Treasurer (1998-2006) of the Metastasis Research Society. Dr. Welch is one of the few metastasis researchers, who has specialized in metastatic cancer since the beginning of his career. For more information on Dr. Welch please see the following links: http://www4.nfcr.org/ResearchPrograms/ NFCRResearchDiscoveryCenters/CenterforMetastasisResearch/tabid/217/Default.aspx and http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=55201 .

OUR 2009 RESEARCH PROJECT -- KISS1 METASTASIS SUPPRESSOR GENE IN BREAST CANCER: Dr. Welch believes the key to rendering our disease a chronic disease is through the re-activation of cancer suppression genes that have been “turned off” in people, whose cancer has metastasized. Dr. Welch’s team has discovered several of these genes, including KISS1. The KISS1 metastasis suppressor gene is applicable to breast, ovarian, pancreatic and melanoma cancers. In persons with metastatic cancer, the gene is inactive, allowing floating cancer cells to form tumors at sites around the body. Dr. Welch has found that the floating cancer cells expressing KISS1 are dormant. In a dormant state, the cells do not pose the same risk as the cancer cells that reproduce. Further experimentation will determine whether turning KISS1 back on can actually halt already existing metastases.

The research has shown so much promise that the National Institute of Health (NIH) just awarded Dr. Welch a significant grant to further pursue his KISS1 research for melanoma. The METAvivor grant will support a value added KISS1 study for metastatic breast cancer. We are extremely pleased to be in on the ground floor of this exciting research.

PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THIS VERY WORTHWHILE PROJECT.

METAvivor Research and Support Inc., is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. All contributions are tax deductible under section 170 of the Code.

RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS: METAvivor strives to raise public awareness through media coverage, our website, displaying the metastatic breast cancer ribbon pin, speaking engagements, and other venues. This is a new area of interest. Stay tuned for more extensive information on this very important activity.