Breast Cancer Foundation NZ
News & updates
Our latest news, press releases, blog posts, Pink Ribbon Bulletins & Pink Ribbon Press.
Press release
07 September 2018
Kiwi women die twice as fast; health system turns its back
Kiwis are dying of advanced breast cancer (ABC) twice as fast as people in comparable countries – and it’s not just about the lack of new drugs.
Blog
17 August 2018
How does a clinical trial benefit me?
Every licensed drug in the world has been through a clinical trial - from ibuprofen to morphine. But why do drugs need to go through such a stringent testing process and what benefit does a clinical trial have for a breast cancer patient?
Press release
25 July 2018
New Breast Cancer Projects Announced $720,489 in Funding Released to Support Innovative Research
• Preventing metastasis through vaccine: to prevent recurrence of HER2+ breast cancer
• Assessing a Triple Negative biomarker and its inhibition: to improve survival
• Developing and testing an Inhibitor: to prevent metastasis in Triple Negative breast cancer
• Defining the utility of a protein in a cohort: as an independent prognostic indicator for aggressive disease
Press release
18 July 2018
Clinical trial targets worst side-effects of breast cancer chemo
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ has committed $250,000 to a new clinical trial that will test the ability of a cheap, widely available drug to prevent two of chemotherapy’s most unpleasant side-effects: delayed nausea and vomiting.
Blog
03 July 2018
The Future of Breast Cancer Treatment: Personalised Medicine
How amazing would it be if your breast cancer treatment was tailored to you? It’s actually already started - from genetic screening to immunotherapy. The field of personalised medicine is growing and it’s very promising.
News
25 June 2018
Action needed on Maori and PI breast cancer vulnerabilities
A large NZ study has confirmed the need for immediate action to improve survival for Maori and Pacific Island people with breast cancer, and the importance of mammograms in finding cancer early
News
09 June 2018
Here’s the evidence – time to play fair, Breast Cancer Foundation tells Pharmac
In light of new clinical trial results, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ is urging Pharmac to consider giving life-extending drug Perjeta to patients who’ve been missing out due to an earlier decision that the Foundation labelled unfair.
Blog
15 May 2018
The faces behind the research
Ever wondered what it’s like to work in breast cancer research?
Get to know two inspiring scientists.
Blog
04 May 2018
Immunotherapy’s exciting role in Breast Cancer
Our immune system plays an important role in how our body deals with cancer. Hopefully, this can be manipulated for the future treatment and prevention of breast cancer.
Press release
06 April 2018
New fellowships seek to shed more light on breast cancer risk and new medicines
A young researcher at the University of Auckland, Dr Barbara Lipert, hopes to learn why breast cancers develop resistance to a new drug, while in Otago, Dr Vanessa Lattimore is using cutting-edge genetic information to clarify the risk of breast cancer faced by Kiwi families.
Blog
08 February 2018
Infusions, tablets or oranges: when it comes to cancer, what’s vital about vitamin C?
Professor Margreet Vissers is a New Zealand researcher who is exploring the role of vitamin C in cancer, thanks to BCFNZ grant funding and your generous donations.
Blog
31 January 2018
Artificial intelligence to add breathing space into health sector
Artificial intelligence (AI) could shake up the breast cancer care scene for the better, according to a study from the Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
News
08 December 2017
New study vindicates controversial “12 months Herceptin” for breast cancer
A new study released overnight has finally settled the question of whether Kiwis with HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer should receive nine weeks or 12 months of the drug Herceptin.
Blog
17 November 2017
Can Tai Chi help manage breast cancer treatment side effects?
Dr Lizhou Liu, prominent researcher at the University of Otago and recipient of our own Belinda Scott Fellowship, is exploring this idea through her study, ANITA.
Blog
17 November 2017
Christmas carols do cancer patients a world of good
Jazz legend, Ella Fitzgerald, once said “The only thing better than singing is more singing.” For cancer patients, this could be just what the doctor ordered.
News
31 October 2017
Breast cancer experts share knowledge at free public seminar
The effectiveness of vitamin C in cancer treatment, benefits of self-hypnosis and the prospect of personalised medicine will be among topics discussed at a free public seminar as part of the NZ Breast Cancer Symposium on Sunday November 12th.
Blog
27 October 2017
Negative body image a barrier to recovery after breast cancer
A Canadian study has found that breast cancer survivors who feel ashamed of their “new normal” body are less likely to get enough exercise – a major risk factor in breast cancer returning, or developing in the first place.
Press release
21 September 2017
BCFNZ Research Round-Up: Hope for the future
Better together: how you’re helping us fund better, faster (and maybe even cheaper) breast cancer research.
Blog
11 August 2017
Revealed: your best weapon against the return of breast cancer
Stopping breast cancer returning (and spreading) could save your life. Earlier this year, a research team at the Odette Cancer Center in Toronto, Canada, discovered that the key may have been hiding in plain sight.
Press release
11 August 2017
A simpler way to check for the spread of breast cancer
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ is funding a pilot – a joint venture between surgeons at Nelson and Auckland Hospitals – of an easier way to find cancer in the lymph nodes.
Blog
09 August 2017
Plant power, an innovative gel and a way to protect your hair from chemo
Breast cancer research is a dynamic area - from a vaccine for breast cancer to fine-tuned treatments and technologies which can improve your breast cancer experience.
Blog
30 May 2017
The Great Soy Debate
The humble soybean is one of the most controversial foods on the planet. Accused one minute for causing breast growth in boys and men, celebrated as a healthy alternative for those with lactose intolerance, the next. For breast cancer patients, the question is whether soy cures breast cancer, or causes it.
Blog
16 May 2017
A blood test to detect breast cancer is on the horizon
What does oil have to do with cancer? According to Dharmica Mistry, Chief Scientist of biotech start up Breast Cancer Associated Lipids (BCAL) Diagnostics, the answer could be everything.
Blog
22 March 2017
Vaccine to fight stage four breast cancer
Imagine if no one died from breast cancer… if we stopped it in its tracks, so it couldn’t spread and kill.