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Cancer research charities such as Cork-based Breakthrough Cancer Research say that projects to find new treatments have been severely restricted by the impact of coronavirus restrictions.
He says that due to the pandemic, he desperately needs more funds to make up for lost time.
Anne Herlihy lives in Charleville in North Cork. In September 2014, Anne was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer and given months to live. Six years later, he is still celebrating life and is clear about why he has come so far.
“Basically one word: research,” explained Anne. “Without research, there is no way I am alive, there is no way I am on this earth.
Ahead of Cancer Week in Ireland next week, researchers and clinicians such as consulting oncologist and clinical trial principal investigator Dr Dearbhaile Collins are requesting more funding to help make up for lost research time.
“We are finding out more about cancer than we ever knew before, through research and our work in the labs,” said Dr. Collins. “Research is the only way we can find new treatments, so that we can improve the quality of life for patients. We are buying them more time. But, with the disruption of Covid-19, we have to make up that time.
“We call on the public to once again support the medical profession, but this time, instead of donating food and cosmetics, we are seeking support for our patients. There is no vaccine for Covid yet, but new treatments are being developed for cancer – all the time and increased funding can help reach patients sooner. We have to lower the statistic of a patient dying from cancer every hour of every day, “he said.
“New treatment options have never been more important. In addition to being particularly vulnerable to the virus and experiencing months of isolation, treatments for cancer patients were interrupted, screening programs were delayed, and many people avoided investigating new symptoms during the confinement, as they were either too scared to go to their GP or did not want to overload the healthcare system. This has led to a delay in the diagnosis of cancer, which means that some people now have more advanced cancer and therefore therefore more difficult to treat.
“Research and clinical trials for new and better cancer treatments were also suspended for months. That could be months too late for one of our patients … and cost him years of life. We want to help Breakthrough Cancer Research raise money to fund new treatments that will buy more time for our patients and save more lives, now and in the future. Never again have you needed public support in the form of fundraising and donations. Every second counts. We don’t want to waste more time or more people “.
One person in Ireland dies every hour from cancer, a figure that Breakthrough Cancer Research says will tragically rise as cancer screenings, treatments and research have lost months to Covid-19.
According to research recently published in The Lancet Oncology Journal, disruption of cancer diagnostic services (referrals and routine screening) combined with people avoiding healthcare settings due to the Covid-19 pandemic could result in an increase in preventable deaths from the four leading cancers in England by 2025.
Breakthrough Cancer Research’s work leads to a direct and indirect investment of around € 3 million in cancer research each year. But the coronavirus has caused a huge disruption to its fundraising channel.
Orla Dolan is Executive Director of Breakthrough Cancer Research. She said that while the charity has some funding to continue current research projects, it is concerned for the future.
“My big fear,” he said, “is that, in the next few months, before the end of this year or the beginning of next, all these promising ideas will hit our doorstep looking for money and we will. I have to just say that we don’t have the funds. “
Breakthrough Cancer Research said it had to suspend some of its research and even clinical trials on chemotherapy-resistant cancers in recent months due to temporary restrictions on university laboratories and hospitals, as well as financial constraints due to the widespread cancellation of collections. Of funds. events.
Orla Dolan said: “As funders of cancer research, we are always looking for ways to shorten the time it takes to deliver effective new treatments to waiting patients. It has been a difficult few months: trials were suspended, experiments had to be scrapped and our dedicated funded researchers were excluded from their labs. Like all charities, we have also seen a significant drop in funding, which has halted important research projects that were scheduled to start. We need to make up time with urgency we have lost, and with public support, we have even increased the pace. The need is, and will be, greater than ever and we are desperate to continue our work with scientists, researchers and clinicians across Ireland and around the world to develop new treatments for cancer patients who need them. “
Over the past 20 years, Breakthrough has helped bring eight novel treatments into clinical trials, and the organization has another five in the works. Her goal is to give cancer patients a better future, and soon.
Video of the Revolutionary Cancer Research Appeal:
Breakthrough is asking the public for support. She says the donations will be used to buy lab time for cancer scientists.
Anne Herlihy said she looks forward to the day when public donations fund the research that will ultimately end cancer, and she will be able to watch her grandchildren grow up.
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