 |
November 1, 2009
THE PINK VIRUS PROJECT: PROGRESS REPORT
It’s time to establish the first tradition at the Breast Health & Healing Foundation – that of reporting to the public the outcomes of research funded by your donations. For this inauguration I offer below a précis of the Breast Cancer Summit for the Pink Virus Project, the first major event of the foundation, an initiative whose mission is to answer the question, Is a virus involved in human breast cancer? The Breast Cancer Summit for The Pink Virus Project was held in Washington, D.C. on October 9, 2009.
Précis:
The morning session began in Senate Hearing Room 385 in the Russell Building on Capitol Hill with presentations by three scientists who have been researching the mammary tumor virus for decades. Members of the audience included other research scientists, representatives from breast cancer foundations, patient advocates, university administrators, hospital administrators, breast cancer survivors, staff of Members of Congress and the media.
Professor Paul Levine of George Washington University discussed his work on the epidemiology [factors that influence the health and disease in populations] of the mammary tumor virus, especially in relation to inflammatory breast cancer in the United States and Tunisia. Dr. Levine reported evidence of the mammary tumor virus in 75% of women with inflammatory breast cancer.
Professor Beatriz Pogo of Mt. Sinai School of Medicine summarized research on the mammary tumor virus she has conducted in her laboratory in New York City over the past thirty years. Dr. Pogo described finding “foot prints” of the mammary tumor virus in 36% of the breast cancer samples she tested, but not in the normal breast tissue surrounding the cancer cells – evidence suggesting the mammary tumor virus plays a role in the transformation of normal breast cells into cancer cells. Dr. Pogo also found the mammary tumor virus in malignant pleural fluid and malignant ascitic fluid of women with metastatic breast cancer.
Dr. Polly Etkind of Montefiore Medical Center presented her research, very similar to Dr. Pogo’s, in which she also found “foot prints” of the mammary tumor virus in 37% of patients with breast cancer. Dr. Etkind reported that she also found similar traces of the mammary tumor virus in women with both breast cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Dr. Fatah Kanshanchi, a retrovirologist from George Washington University and a scientific investigator with years of experience conducting studies funded by the National Cancer Institute, moderated a question and answer period following the scientific presentations; he also offered final comments at the end of the morning session. Dr. Kanshanchi concluded that the data presented by the scientists appeared solid and well done and suggested that the scientists “were on to something.” Dr. Kanshanchi emphasized the need for additional research into the possible link between the mammary tumor virus and human breast cancer.
The afternoon session at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C. consisted of round table discussions aimed at crafting a strategic plan for carrying out The Pink Virus Project whose goal is to answer the question, Is a virus involved in human breast cancer?
The round table discussions, facilitated by Alan Engelstad and Jennifer Latrobe of Creative Connections, allowed cross-pollination of ideas between the scientists, administrators, healthcare providers, representatives of universities and breast cancer foundations, breast cancer advocates, breast cancer survivors and other stakeholders in the spirit of “friendly consulting.”
Three major components of the Strategic Plan for The Pink Virus Project were identified during the afternoon session:
- Awareness, Advocacy and Funding for The Pink Virus Project
- Strategic Planning for the Scientific Research for The Pink Virus Project
- Organizational Structure for The Pink Virus Project
Breast Cancer Summit: Results
- To address the need for organizational structure, four working groups were formed:
- Advocacy and Fund-raising Working Group
- Virology Working Group (basic science research)
- Antibody Working Group (to Test for mammary tumor virus)
- Epidemiology Working Group (to expand the population studies within the United States and multiple sites in Africa)
NOTE: The working groups will share their results with each other over the next several weeks. The first draft of the Strategic Plan for The Pink Virus Project will be compiled in November and then presented at a second summit meeting to be held shortly thereafter.
- The Inflammatory Breast Cancer Foundation officially joined The Pink Virus Project as an institutional collaborator. The participation of the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Foundation in The Pink Virus Project follows from the fact that the most compelling research data now suggest that the mammary tumor virus plays a role in the majority of inflammatory breast cancer.
- Representatives from the National Council for Research on Women, the National Breast Cancer Coalition, and the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation attended the Summit and will report back to their respective organizations to share important information about the potential viral link to human breast cancer. The Breast Health & Healing Foundation will be in touch with these organizations as we move forward with The Pink Virus Project.
- The eleven Members of Congress (and their staff) with whom meetings were conducted the day before the Breast Cancer Summit were contacted following the Summit and each was given a Précis of the scientific presentations from the morning session. A briefing for Congressional Members and staff will be scheduled this month as a way to raise the level of awareness for this research on Capitol Hill.
Next Steps:
- A video of the Scientific Session of the Breast Cancer Summit will be posted on the Breast Health & Healing website and on You Tube.
- The Epidemiology Working Group will identify a population in the United States that could provide further research data for the viral link to human breast cancer. Breast Health & Healing will be meeting with universities who might be interested in participating in this part of the strategic plan.
- A permanent installation of the online virtual quilt, The Theresa Quilt, whose proceeds go directly to fund research on the mammary tumor virus, will be created and displayed in New York City. This installation addresses the need to power up awareness, advocacy and funding for The Pink Virus Project.
- An online media expert has been hired to expand the Theresa Quilt into the global market and to enlarge the footprint of The Pink Virus Project in cyberspace.
- The Breast Health & Healing Foundation has been invited, and will attend the AORTC meetings in Tanzania this year and in Egypt next year. This is an important step in taking The Pink Virus Project into the international arena.
- The four working groups will report back with their “pieces” of the strategic plan by the end of November. A collaborative meeting of the working groups will be held in December to further refine the strategic plan. Our goal is to have a final draft of the Strategic Plan by January 2010.
- Once the four working groups have synthesized the strategic plan for The Pink Virus Project a Summit for Scientists will be held at which translational research experts will be asked to provide their critique and feedback regarding the plan.
- The final draft of the strategic plan, once endorsed by all participants by February 2010, will be submitted for funding to multiple institutions and government agencies.
Regards,
Kathleen T. Ruddy, MD
Click here to return to top of the page |
|
