The Morelander, Edition 33 2020-21

Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Moreland

EDITION 33|1 JUNE 2021

THE MORELANDER

THE DEATH OF JACK THE DANCER

M a r t i n A s h d o w n o n t h e r o l e o f i m m u n o t h e r a p y i n t r e a t i n g a n d c u r i n g c a n c e r Pages 3 and 4

Award of Excellence for Club Bulletin 2018-2019

Moreland Rotary acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the eastern Kulin Nations on whose unceded lands we conduct our business. Moreland Rotary respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past, present and emerging. Moreland Rotary also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

Cover photo: ABC Science (https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2014/06/03/4018002.htm) THE MORELANDER

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MARTIN ASHDOWN - THE DEATH OF JIMMY THE DANCER (CONTINUED)

Martin was a much anticipated special guest at our meeting last week.

Especially as he previously spoke to our club almost 4 years ago on the rising impact of immunotherapy on treatment of cancer. His insightful views opened our eyes into many aspects of cancer and cancer treatment then and we thought that it was time to invite him back to update us on his prediction of the death of Jimmy the Dancer Especially also because of Martins capacity to outline highly complex subjects into everyday language supported by readily understood examples to illustrate key points.

Martin Ashdown is a Research Fellow at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Melbourne. His interest is in the treatment of cancer using immunotherapy which he argues is vastly more effective than the very commonly used chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which he likens to carpet bombing, but which does not have the success rate for cure or remission as is often claimed.

Martin argued the case for a movement towards immunotherapy treatments which utilise the body’s immune system to fight cancer rather than chemicals citing expert opinion as well as evidence gained over the years from trials and treatments.

A small proportion of those with cancer appear to have tumour reduction without treatment and this raises questions about the potential role of the immune system leading to an exploration of immunotherapy. This was observed by American cancer researcher William Coley in 1903.

In addition to his research work Martin has worked in the investment and stockbroking industries, providing market and company specific research in biotechnology and bioscience. This is where club member Trevor Moyle first met Martin and developed a friendship, around 20 years ago. Trevor has kept in touch with Martin, especially on the ideas of potential investment support.

Market analysis has identified immunotherapy as the beginning of the end for cancer, with a $35bn potential per annum and likely prospects to become the treatment backbone in up to 60% of cancers over the next 10 years compared to less than 3% today. It is claimed that the current expansion in all ongoing approaches to utilise the immune system to seek and destroy cancer cells marks a watershed analogous to the impact of HIV drugs transforming life expectancy in HIV. Martin noted in his address that the US President’s Cancer Panel Annual Report 2007-2008 commented on the escalating burden of cancer, that malignancies remain impervious to treatment with limited declines in mortality and morbidity and increased incidence and mortality from several cancers. The toll of cancer had become simply an awful part of life.

Rapid Eradication of a Bulky Melanoma Mass with a Single Dose of Immunotherapy

Martin emphasised that cancers must be treated early because “...after the cancer has spread to neighbouring tissues and throughout the body, remedial attempts are usually hopeless.” according to Morris Fishbein M.D. (Editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association) in Scientific American, and he said this in 1927!!

TEXT: TREVOR MOYLE/MARTIN ASHDOWN | IMAGES: MARTIN ASHDOWN AND DAVID REDFEARN

THE MORELANDER

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MARTIN ASHDOWN - THE DEATH OF JIMMY THE DANCER (CONTINUED)

According to Laurence Baker, Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and chair of the US Southwest Oncology Group, “Cure is clearly the expectation of society,............my criticism is that we are not taking that seriously enough. We have a system that doesn’t even really try to meet that expectation.” Baker added that he is “ trying to get people to stop saying how successful the cancer research enterprise is. It is not true. It is just not true,” Michael Lotze, Assoc Director Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, commenting on the efficacy of chemotherapy, the most common treatment these days for cancer says that “...the misperception is that chemotherapy does very much for solid tumors. Single agent and multi- agent chemotherapy just do not work in many settings.” This is despite approximately US$32b being spent per annum globally on oncology drugs.

Gillan Mitchell, a medical oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne is quoted in The Age in 2008 as saying: “We often have to treat 100 women for advanced breast cancer... (with chemotherapy) hopefully to stop about five of them from dying from cancer.

According to Science in 2006, “An examination of the annual statistical data compiled by the American Cancer Society quickly reveals that the rate of mortality from cancer has changed very little over the past 50 years” and in another article in The Age in 2005 it is claimed that “.......and about 5 per cent of patients inexplicably went into remission. As Cook ( a researcher of the time) recalls: "That made me prick up my ears and think: who are these 5 per cent and how do you get to be one of them?“

THE MORELANDER

Martin mentioned several trials and treatments from 1975 to very recently where the rate of remission remained at around an intractable 7-9%. The examples he used involved breast cancer and melanomas. In short, he argued that there had been very little progress in the rate of successful outcomes from such historically widely used cancer treatment.

Immunotherapy

Martin introduced the concept of immunotherapy by making the statement that the immune system is NOT IGNORANT to the presence of cancer, and that there is already a pre-existing immune response in most/all patients.

The cancer cells use the normal control mechanisms of the immune system to avoid immune destruction. Certain drugs can be used to release the brake on the immune system.

This happens randomly now in a minority of treated “cured” patients and this observation has lead to the new Immunotherapy.

The benefits

The Weekly Cancer Mortality is in the USA 13,500, Australia 750 and globally 125,000. “.....a 1 percent reduction in (US) cancer mortality would be worth $500 billion.” write Kevin M. Murphy and Robert H. Topel of the University of Chicago and the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Conclusion and outlook

Martin indicated how the use of Immunotherapy, together with other complementary treatments, was having a major positive impact on the treatment of cancers. Much is being learnt giving considerable confidence for the future of Cancer treatment.

TEXT: TREVOR MOYLE/MARTIN ASHDOWN | IMAGES: MARTIN ASHDOWN AND DAVID REDFEARN

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About Rotary District Governor's Newsletter "Bruce's Bulletin" is the monthly newsletter of District Governor Bruce Anderson. There is a lot of information about the many Rotary projects and events across our District.

Simply click here to read the latest edition Members of Rotary are part of a diverse group of community and professional leaders working to address community and international service needs and to promote peace and understanding throughout the world.

Rotary districts are a way of grouping a number of clubs in a particular geographic area. The area covered quite often crosses state and even international boundaries.

Rotary District 9790 encompasses the northern Rotary clubs receive a charter suburbs of Melbourne and from the worldwide organisation - stretches north and north east of Rotary International.

Victoria to the Murray River and up into parts of NSW. A Rotarian belongs to a particular Rotary Club often near his/her For more information about home or work or sometimes Rotary District 9790, click here because of the club meeting time.

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Rotary Leadership 2020-21

Rotary International: President: Holger Knaack (Susanne) , Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenberg-Mölln (Germany) District Governor: Bruce Anderson (Marilyn), Rotary Club of Strathmore Assistant Governor Group 2: Emma Davis, Rotary Club of Moreland Rotary Club of Moreland President: David Redfearn (Deanna)

Club Service Roles 2020-21 President President Elect Secretary Treasurer Club Service Community Service Vocational Services International Service and Assistant Bulletin Editor Membership and Rotary Foundation Local Environment Youth and Assistant Secretary Club Administration Bulletin Editor Australian Rotary Health Public Relations Club History Valued members Honorary Members

David Redfearn OAM Emma Davis Rosemary Freeman John Hoffmann Brian Bennett David Redfearn OAM Brian Bennett Trevor Moyle Trevor Moyle Jo Connellan Silvana De Pretto Nino Galgano David Redfearn OAM Rosemary Freeman Russell Stuckey Nino Galgano Richard McCarthy, Elly Gardner, Lee Garwood. Emma Davis The Hon. Kelvin Thomson, Helen Bailey, John Awler

District 9790 /Multi District Roles 2020-21

Assistant Governor, Group 2 District Community Service Chair and Australian Rotary Health District Legal Officer District Bulletin Editor and Peter Toomey Community Police Award Shine On Awards

Emma Davis Rosemary Freeman Nino Galgano David Redfearn OAM Brian Bennett

WHEN AND WHERE WE MEET: Moreland Rotary Club meets most Wednesdays at 7.30 for a 7.40 am start.

We meet at the Sorrento Bar, 801 Sydney Road, Brunswick, 3056 HOW TO GET A COPY OF THE MORELANDER: If you would like to receive our bulletin via email each week, email our editor at: dredfearn@vtown.com.au WHERE TO SEND FORMAL CORRESPONDENCE: Attention: The Secretary, Moreland Rotary Club, PO Box 219, Coburg, Victoria, 3058

Chartered 14 August 1996 - Sponsor Club Coburg Rotary Club | Incorporated 13 August 2019 Designed using Canva - www.canva.com

THE MORELANDER

Images by David Redfearn and logos from rotary.org unless otherwise specified.

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Upcoming events and meetings A standing invitation exists for all readers of The Morelander to attend Moreland Rotary Club meetings and some of our other events. Please let us know if you intend to join us by ringing David Redfearn on 0448 852 747 or emailing on dredfearn@vtown.com.au (click on email address).

Upcoming speakers/events 2 June: Jemma Stefanou and Elly Gardner, Backyard Gardens (via Zoom) Chair: Trevor Moyle 9 June: Monthly Board meeting Chair: President David Redfearn 16 June: Cr Annanliva Carli-Hanna, Mayor of Moreland Chair: Russell Stuckey 23 June: TBA Chair: Brian Bennett Our Guest Speakers Moreland Rotary Club invites speakers to our club both from our local community and further afield. They come from a wide range of backgrounds and are invited because they hopefully inform and stimulate our members and guests. We feel that this is of value in fostering a deeper understanding of our diverse community and even providing guidance as to the types of activites and projects our club may engage in.

However the opinions expressed by our speakers do not necessarily reflect any official viewpoint of Moreland Rotary nor those of individual club members. Irrespective of this we always offer a warm Rotary welcome to all of our speakers.

click here @RotaryMoreland THE MORELANDER

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During the pandemic we have been meeting via Zoom on Wednesday mornings from 7.30-8.30 am and we have had some great guest speakers.

You now may be able to join us in person at our usual venue which is listed on page 6. Numbers are presently restricted so an RSVP is essential. You can still join us on Zoom though and the link is below.

Why not join us one morning? Simply ring David on 0448 852 747 the day before to RSVP and then go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3068589175 just before the meeting to join in.