PA tackling the toughest cancerJay Johnston – Living with melanoma

Sometimes in life you often wonder what your future will hold. Where will you be in five to ten years and what will you be doing?

As a young fit male I didn’t really think about the answers to those questions, who does really? But now I know the answers to those questions – I am celebrating my life, every day, every minute, every second with my family and friends. I enjoy living for the here and now because I am living with cancer.

This is the story of Jay Johnston who was diagnosed with melanoma in his right eye at the age of 19, and spent the next ten years in and out of the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

But as Jay will tell you don’t feel sorry for him as his is a good story. His is a story of survival.

“I was a fit and healthy young man with my life in front of me when my battle with cancer started in 1999. When the doctors told me I had melanoma I was a little shocked but not too concerned as I didn’t know a lot about it,” said Jay.

“I was put on a course of radiation which treated the cancer then I just went back to living my life,” Jay said.

Over the next two years the melanoma continued to appear in Jay’s right eye in different spots. So the doctors decided to do a transplant of the sclera.

“The surgeons were able to save my eye so at this stage I was only thinking the return of the melanoma was just a speed bump in my future plans,” Jay said.

“I had radiotherapy, took the drugs

prescribed, got out and enjoyed

life… but never thought that it had

beaten me... NEVER. That, I think is

half the battle, never giving up.”

However over the next three months Jay started to get severe headaches and vomit-ing. The melanoma had spread and this time doctors would have to remove his left eye and the lymph nodes on the right side of his neck.

“This was the moment when I really took stock of my life. I questioned why me and started feeling sorry for myself. It was then in the lift between the top floor and the ground floor of the PA hospital after the doctor gave me the news, that changed the way I decided to live,” Jay said.

“That afternoon I went into surgery and had my eye and my melanoma removed.”

The next challenge for Jay came in 2005 when the doctors discovered the melanoma had returned in his adrenal glands.

This time was different. Doctors didn’t have a treatment plan. Radiation wouldn’t be effective, chemotherapy didn’t work on Jay’s type of melanoma and surgery was too risky. The only plan was to wait.

After three months of living with the unknown Jay decided he wanted to go through with the surgery to remove the glands.

The following three years saw Jay make regular visits to the PA hospital.

- 2007 Doctors discovered a lesion in the left rear of his brain; it was another melanoma. Radiation was given. - 2007 Doctors found the melanoma had eaten a hole in his scapula and the elbow bone. Radiation was given.

It’s now ten years on since Jay was first diagnosed with melanoma.

“At this stage there is no cure and very few options available for people diagnosed with melanoma which is why research into melanoma is so critical,” said Jay.

“As a cancer survivor I understand the importance of health research as an invest-ment into our own healthy future and that of generations to come.”

“You can’t put a price on someone’s life but you can put a small donation towards help-ing save a life.”

“This was the toughest period of my

battle with cancer - for there is not

enough information, medication or

treatment to deal with my type of

melanoma”, said Jay

issue 4, 2009In this issue Skin Cancer a Burning Health Issue | PA Skin Cancer Research | 25 Years of Successful Research

Celebrating 25 years of Research for Life

5Research benefits us all. And we can all take pride in our researchers’ breakthroughs

Queensland is the mela-noma capital of the world. Sun exposure is one of the greatest risk factors, yet Australian’s continue to dice with death by not protecting themselves and their children. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Australia and Melanoma skin cancer is the most dangerous type and is the leading cause of skin cancer death.

Skin cancer occurs when skin cells are damaged by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. Between 95 and 99% of skin cancers in Australia are caused by exposure to the sun.

Melanoma is the most dangerous because it has a much higher risk of spreading throughout the body if it is not diagnosed early and treated efficiently.

Melanoma does not discriminate

between the young or old, the fit,

the healthy or the sick and when it is

not diagnosed early the outcome for

anyone is more often fatal than not.

Skin Cancer - a burning health issue

Foundation Timeline 1984 - 2009 Please take a moment to join us in celebrating 25 years of successfully funded research. These are just some of the remarkable acheivements that have taken pleace since 1984 - we can all take pride in our researchers work.

Thanks to research, treatment and diag-nosis of melanoma since the 1980’s has significantly increased the survival rate of sufferers. Now, the relative 5 year survival rates for melanoma are 90% for Australian males and 95% for Australian females.

Thanks to medical research driving diagnos-tics and treatments, survival rates for cancer are the highest they have ever been.

However, because of the Australian sun, lifestyle and lack of awareness melanoma is the most rapidly increasing major cancer in Australia. If left undiagnosed melanoma can turn into a very aggressive cancer and spread rapidly throughout the body. At this stage there is no cure and very few options available for people in the late stages of melanoma.

Past research into melanoma:

Queensland has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world

Melanoma is the fourth most common cancer in Australia with 9524 new cases diagnosed each year.

1 in 16 of us will be diagnosed with melanoma in our lifetime

Over 1270 Australians die from melanoma each year

Male death rates from melanoma have increased by 3.3% between 1993 and 2003. Female death rates from melanoma have increased by 9.1% between 1993 and 2003

It is a chilling statistic that the incidence and death rate of melanoma is growing, which is why research into melanoma is so critical.

Australian melanoma statistics:

Foundation Established. Australia’s first successful liver transplant

Split liver transplant – ‘the Brisbane Technique’ – pioneered

1986 19871984Artificial cornea R&D com-menced. New methods developed for preserving donor organs

19941989Foundation commences funding cervical cancer vaccine research by Prof. Ian Frazer. World’s first donor liver liver transplant

Foundation commences funding Rhuma-toid Arthritus research by Prof. Ranjeny Thomas

Diamantina Insitute for Cancer, Immunology & Metabolic Medicine opens at the PA

Successful conclusion of cervical cancer vaccine tri-als - 100% efficacy against HPV virus

Australia’s first ever heart, lung and liver transplantation

2002 20032003Prof. Alan Mackay - Sims named Queenslander of the Year in recogni-tion of his groundbreaking world first stem cell transplant

World first clinical trial for new and successful approaches to melanoma treatment

2003 2005

Major advances in prostate cancer di-agnosis and treatment by Prof Colleen Nelson and team

Test developed for children at risk of Type I Diabetes.

World-leading research commenced into Multiple Sclerosis genetics by Prof Matt Brown, in 2009 new genes discovered that increase risk of MS

2008 2008 - 20092008 - 2009

Foundation Timeline 1984 - 2009 Please take a moment to join us in celebrating 25 years of successfully funded research. These are just some of the remarkable acheivements that have taken pleace since 1984 - we can all take pride in our researchers work.

Today on the Princess Alexandra Hospital Cam-pus a team of researchers headed up by Associate Professor Brian Gabrielli are leading the way in the fight against melanoma. The team from the Diamantina Institute are investigating the mechanisms of cancer cells in order to gain a deeper understand-ing of why a cell will turn cancerous in the first instance and how they can interrupt the cycle before it develops further.

A normal healthy adult will produce about a hundred cancerous cells every day, but why is it then that we don’t all get cancer? There are a number of checkpoints in place that prevent cancerous cells from

taking hold. When cells replicate, they are scrutinised and must meet rigorous specifications before they are declared “defect free”. If not, they are destroyed. Associate Professor Brian Gabrielli, head of the Cell Cycle Group, is working to understand how the checkpoints become disrupted in cancerous cells of the skin. In normal healthy cells, UV radiation will cause damage to the cell and the check-point will find the defect, resulting in the cells stopping to repair the damage, or if the damage is too great, destroying the cells. However, in skin cancers the cells continue to proliferate without repairing the damage. This is because the genes for the check-points are often mutated in cancer and therefore do not work properly, especially in melanoma.

PA skin cancer research

Ass. Prof. Brian Gabrielli (Left) and the Cell Cycle Group, The University of Queensland, Diamantina Institute

This enables defective cells to pass through the checkpoints and keep growing, forming a cancerous lesion, like melanoma.

“Targeting these defective

checkpoints will allow us to deliver

a lethal insult to the tumour, with

little toxicity to healthy tissues that

have intact checkpoints.“

Says Ass. Prof. Gabrielli. The team can then identify when a cell turns cancerous. This will lead to the development of specific treatments to attack cancerous lesions and therefore killing and stopping the spread of melanoma.

It is a chilling statistic that the incidence and death rate of melanoma is growing, which is why research into melanoma is so critical.

1998Prof Michael Roberts de-velops a safer and more effective aspirin

2002 20022001New PA Hospital Opens. Prof Mar-jory Green discovers a protein that may prevent transplant rejection.

World’s first single liver transplant performed on a baby just 24 hrs old. Diamantina Insitute opens.

World’s first clinical trial on spinal cord regeneration by nasal cell transplant.

Australia’s first keyhole spinal tumour removal revolutio-nises spinal surgury

World first clinical trial for new and successful approaches to melanoma treatment

2005Foundation commences funding world-first skin cancer trial by Sandro Porceddu

Prof. Ian Frazer named Australian of the Year

The research profile of the PA reached-new heights with the release of the Cervical Cancer Vaccine

2005 20062006

Foundation-funded researchers Dr Devinder Gill and Prof Nigel McMillan discover two Leukaemia growth factors.

Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland established at the PA Campus

Development commences on the Translational Research Institute building.

2008 2009 2009

Foundation Timeline 1984 - 2009 Please take a moment to join us in celebrating 25 years of successfully funded research. These are just some of the remarkable acheivements that have taken pleace since 1984 - we can all take pride in our researchers work.

PA toasts Queensland Hotels

One of the events on our annual charity calendar is the infamous Great Brisbane Duck Race. Over 17,000 rubber ducks flocked to the Brisbane River in September to compete in the 100m dash up stream.

Hundreds of competitors and spectators lined the shores of South Bank Parklands to cheer on their duck and have a quacking good time.

The first numbered duck to cross the finish line was # 8179 and won its owner, Louise from Wynnum, a brand new Sci-Fleet Toyota Yaris.

The Inaugural Corporate Duck Race was another great success on our calendar this year. Twenty Brisbane businesses entered the race and the objective was simply to be the first duck to cross the finish line and win the naming rights to next years race.

However the rules were different for the corporate race – there were none!

The eventual winner was Results Web Design from Bulimba. Their duck was attached to the top of surf craft with a remote control.

Thanks to all of our loyal supporters, the generosity of the Brisbane community and the wonderful sponsors, the PA Research Foundation rose over $70,000 from the duck race with all proceeds going towards cancer research on the PA Hospital Campus.

The Great Brisbane Duck Race and the Corporate Duck Race will be back next year bigger and better as we continue to raise funds towards finding a cure for cancer.

So get quacking!

PA race a quacker

17,000 sponsored rubber ducks

flocked to the shores of the

Brisbane river to compete in

the Great Race

B105’s Camilla & CH9’s Melissa

Quackers & prize vehicle

Corporate Duck Race contestants

September was a month to raise your glass and make a “shout” for good health as the Queensland hotel industry raised more than $210,000 for medical research.

More than 250 hotels and bottle shops across the state rallied together to raise funds for the PA Research Foundation and Mater Foundation to support health research.

Since QHA Hotel Care began six years ago they have raised over ONE MILLION DOLLARS. Every cent donated by the hotels, bottle shops and their patrons has

gone directly to the cause - to improve the health of the community throughout QLD.

By working together with the community we can make a world of difference to those affected by cancer and other diseases.

So in 2010 we hope to raise a glass with you in support of QHA Hotel Care and better health for all!

A special thanks to Queensland Hotels Association and all participating hotels and bottle shops across Queensland.

PA special edition anniversary wine To celebrate 25 years of research for life Gold Creek Wines have produced two special blends of white and red commemorative wines for the Foundation.

If you are looking for that last minute Christmas gift or would just like to celebrate to good health you can go online to order a case of special edition 2008 McLaren Vale Semillon Sauvignon Blanc or 2003 Yea Valley Shiraz. Just visit www.pafoundation.org.au and go to the support us link and click on merchandise for your order form.

A case of wine is $150 and $40 of each case goes directly to research at the PA Hospital. FREE delivery in the Brisbane metropolitan area.

2525 Years of PA Funded Research A special message of “THANKS” from our researchers to you ...

“The money raised by the PA Research Foundation is invaluable in providing seed money for developing research projects to a level sufficient to compete for government grants. It also provides an invaluable source of funds for trainee scientists and clinicians to develop their research independence. Thank You for your past support and your continuing support in the future.” Thank you - Ass. Prof. Nicholas Saunders

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the donors to PA Research Foundation for their kind gifts to support medical research at the PA Hospital. In particular, research money has significantly contributed to improving the nutritional status of patients with malnutrition at PA. As a result of research supported by you, we have implemented a snack trolley to improve the food intake of patients with malnutrition whilst in hospital. Thank you - Dr Maree Ferguson

Research is an uphill struggle to solve tough problems. Through your support you show that the community values the work we do, and that makes the struggle worthwhile. Thank you - Prof. Ian Frazer

"As a researcher, the main limitation to our work is often the financial shortfall. I am extremely appreciative of the com-munity support given to the PA Research Foundation, which allows us to get more work done. Also, more available support attracts top quality researchers to Brisbane, which ultimately leads to greater recogni-tion of our work, and positive outcomes for the community." Dr Bennett Franjic

The PA Foundation Grant allowed me as a PhD student to extend my research project, affording me access to assays previously out of reach due to financial considerations. This additional funding was integral to my diabetes and obesity research and I would like to sincerely thank the PA Research Foundation for their generous support. Thanks - Dr Liza Phillips

“Medical research is critical for the future health of our society. Your continuing generosity is a practical demonstration of your encouragement and support for our research effort to improve treatments for melanoma. It is the small steps we take with your assistance that are making a difference. We are sincerely grateful for your continuing support of our work.” Thank you all - Ass. Prof Brian Gabrielli

Cancer research is making great progress, in part through the availability of exciting and powerful new technologies. However these don’t come cheaply, and as always money is very tight. Your donations to the PA Research Foundation make a valuable contribution to cancer research on the PA campus. This was really brought home to me a couple of years ago now when the foundation was able to pledge $100,000 to support our bid for a new cancer genomics facility. This bid was successful and we were awarded $3.2 million by the Australian Cancer Research Foundation! I’m sure that this enthusiastic and tangible support from our partners contributed substantially to the success of our application. So thanks to all donors – past present and future – from me. Thank you - Prof. Tom Gonda

"I would like to express my thanks to all of those who have made it possible for us to achieve what we have. The seed funding given by the PA Research Foundation has been critical to devel-oping methodology, the developing of clinician scientists researchers, acquiring national NHMRC and ARC grants and being able to improve care for patients in a range of areas, including critical care, liver disease, aged care, skin cancer, dia-betes, neonatal outcomes and in their use of medicines and alternative therapies. As examples of successful outcomes, much of our work is now applied in routine clinical practice in Australia and overseas, a number of pharmaceutical products have re-engineered as a consequence of our publications and the National Government has implemented better medication management systems for patients in nursing homes and in the community based, in part, on our findings." Many Thanks - Prof. Michael Roberts

I am deeply appreciative of the generous support received from the PA Research Foundation and its many supporters and donors. With the assistance of the PA Research Foundation, we are making progress in our efforts to find new treat-ments for people with lung diseases such as asthma and emphysema. Thank you - Prof. John Upham

“It is humbling as a researcher to know that there are folk out there in the local community who support the work of the Foundation via their donations and in turn support us. The Foundations assistance in our research is vital to our success to develop new treatments and therapies for cancer. Have a merry Christmas all- Prof. Nigel McMillan

I would like personally to thank all the many donors who contribute to the PA Research Foundation. Your funds have made a huge difference to our research in autoimmune disease - Thank you - Prof. Ranjeny

The funds raised by the PA Foundation over the past 25 years—from the support of people like you and businesses like yours—have delivered benefits that cannot be measured in dollar terms alone.

Millions of dollars have been raised. Many achievements have been made. Millions of lives have been changed the world over.

On behalf of our researchers, and the many people who benefit from their progress, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and your belief in medical research.

Thank you to the many individuals, families and businesses who have supported our vital work in the past. We look forward to working with you further in the future, as we continue to foster research for life. Thank you - The PA Research Foundation Team

“A gift to The PA Research Foundation is not just about a financial contribution. Donations that support medical research at the PA hospital means you are actually supporting and encouraging the doctors, nurses, scientists and other health professionals who dedicate their careers to finding better treatments for patients. A gift to the PA Research Foundation means that you understand that the treatments we benefit from today exist simply because others like you in the past were prepared to support medical research without expecting anything personally in return. I’d like to thank you personally for supporting our work, and I’d like to thank you on behalf of our children and community for helping translate scientific discovery into better treatments for them.” Thank you - Dr Ingrid Hickman

Research benefits us all. And we can all take pride in our researchers’ breakthroughs

Donation Form – Yes, I would like to support health research!

first name surname contact number email address

street suburb state post code

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If you wish to make a donation, please fill out and detach the below form and return it postage free to: PA Research Foundation Reply Paid 77401, Woolloongabba QLD 4102, or fax it to (07) 3240 7303. For enquiries, to donate by phone or to organise scheduled donations, please call (07) 3240 2359. For futher information on the PA Research Foundation or to make an online donation, go to www.pafoundation.org.au.

Name: Prof. Leanne Aitken Research Group: Critical Care Nursing

What made you decide to work in this field? I have practised as a critical care nurse for the last 25 years. As I continued to look for challenges a full time researcher appeared as a great opportunity to help improve the care of patients provided by all critical care nurses.

Issue 4 Quiz!

1 How many cancer cells does a normal healthy adult produce a day? a] 100 b] 10,0000 c] 100,000 d] 1,000 000

2 In which year was the PA Research Foundation established? a] 1974 b] 1994 c] 2004 d] 1984

3 Which state has the highest incidence of skin cancer? a] South Australia b] NSW c] Queensland d] Northern Territory

4 How many rubber ducks competed in this years Great Brisbane Duck Race? a] 8450 b] 17000 c] 12500 d] 7800

Tell us about your research “We are inves-tigating ways to improve the care we provide within ICU to help patients recover more quickly and more completely, both in the short term and in the longer term when they are transferred out of ICU to a ward and ultimately discharged home.”

How does funding from the PA Research Foundation help your research project? My New Investigator Grant helped identify a number of challenges in the care we provide to trauma ICU patients. Feedback from patients helped identify that there is room for improve-ment in how we provide sedation and analgesia management and the effect this has on patient’s recovery after leaving ICU. This aspect of care is the focus of the work that I will be undertaking in Philadelphia in early 2010 as part of my Fulbright Scholarship.

What are you most proud of? Being able to help critical care nursing grow as a speciality. Seeing the only Australian critical care nursing text published, which I edited with 2 colleagues, was a great dem-onstration of our growth in this part of the world.

cheque or money order payable to the pa foundation visa monthly credit card donation

heart disease

$20 $50 $75 $100 $150

diabetes bequestsprostate cancer free will servicemelanoma other regular giving please do not send me further information

i am interested in research into please send me information on

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Intro: the people behind the research

PA smiddy fun run 09

Over 250 PA staff, running groups and locals hit the pavement in a 5km race around the hospital in memory of PA colleague and friend Adam Smiddy.

The fun run now in its fourth year has been growing in numbers and popularity and has become somewhat of a tradition attracting hundreds of competitve runners each year.

5 Which area of research did the funds from the Smiddy Fun Run go to? a] prostate cancer b] diabetes c] heart disease d] skin cancer

The winning male raced home in 16.36 min-utes and the first female crossed the finish line in 18.36 minutes!

This year the run raised over $6500 for the PA Research Foundation to go towards a the purchase of a Vivascope Imager for skin cancer researchers on the campus.

A special thank you to the Smiddy Fun Run committee and all of those who participated in the run and raised funds for the cause.

mastercard

What is the goal and significance of your research? More than 80,000 adults are admitted to ICU in Australia and Nz each year. Although more than 90% of these patients survive to go home, up to half experience ongoing physical and psychological compromise for months or years afterwards. I consider it our responsibility as critical care clinicians to not only help people survive, but also to find the best care possible to ensure patients have optimal health to be able to continue to live life to the fullest extent possible.

Research benefits us all. And we can all take pride in our researchers’ breakthroughs