Those furry upper lips in Pelham are making a difference.
Movember funds have directly led to a prostate cancer research breakthrough, showing the significant impact Movember donations are having on the lives of men.
The Movember Foundation reports that the findings from this funded research project will have considerable implications for men around the world navigating through their prostate cancer treatment journey.
This research, lead by Professor Robert Bristow of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, has discovered that men have a genetic “fingerprint” within their cancer cells that will basically tell them whether or not the cells have escaped the prostate gland.
This means that patients who have aggressive prostate cancer have a unique genetic fingerprint, and knowing this will now allow doctors to build a more tailored treatment plan for men with prostate cancer, and intensify therapy for those who need it. This personalised medicine approach will improve cure rates in patients with aggressive prostate cancer but also allow doctors to not over treat patients who do not have aggressive prostate cancer.
Canadian researchers will work with other countries to validate the test over the next two to three years in a larger, more diverse group of patients to ensure it will successfully work in hospitals worldwide. If validated, this new test for prostate cancer can be turned around in three days and will inform doctors which patients will need more or less invasive treatments.
This research proves the considerable impact that Movember funds are having, the results of which are benefiting hundreds of thousands of men and their families around the world
For more information, or where to donate, visit www.movember.com.
