If we can stop cancer metastasis, we can save lives.

This is the goal of Dr. Anthony Lucci at MD Anderson Cancer Center. 

Since I last wrote you, Dr. Lucci has made some incredible advances in his breast cancer metastasis research.  He has found that cancer cells can be identified in the blood and bone marrow of 25 percent of patients with early stage breast cancer.  More tragically, he has also found cancer cells in the bone marrow of 25 percent of breast cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy.

But there is hope.  Dr. Lucci’s lab is uncovering the reasons that some chemotherapies do not work against metastasis.  One reason: primary tumors and metastasized cells have different genetic make-ups.   Therefore, a therapy that works on the primary tumor might be not work against metastasis.  Another reason: standard chemotherapy regimens work by killing cells, both cancerous and healthy, as they are dividing.  However, Dr. Lucci has found that metastasized cells in the bone marrow lie dormant and divide slowly, thereby rendering many chemotherapies ineffective.

Thanks to philanthropy and your help, hope is on the horizon.  Dr. Lucci published the first report showing that a specific enzyme present in the primary tumor is the best predictor of whether cancer cells will metastasize to bone marrow.  This critical discovery allows researchers to develop therapies that target the enzyme to prevent metastasis.  Dr. Lucci’s laboratory has already confirmed that the enzyme inhibitor prevents metastasis in mouse models, and plans are underway to develop a clinical trial for use in humans.

Please consider supporting Dr. Lucci and his research. You are making a difference in the lives of millions of breast cancer patients and survivors.

MD Anderson’s initial goal of $1 million is 94% completed with $38,000 to go.  Which is fantastic.  To move to the next level, Dr. Lucci and his group are looking to raise another $1.5 million (for a total of $2.5 million) to accomplish his long-term research goals for breast metastases. 

Any help that we can give I know will be appreciated.

Thanks for your support!