UEA PROSTATE CANCER TESTS Help revolutionise aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis.
ÂŁ3m
UEA Prostate Cancer Tests fundraising target
PROSTATE CANCER: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH UEA’s revolutionary Prostate Cancer Tests need your backing. Generous supporter Geoff Walker explains why.
hen it comes to prostate cancer, I say enough’s enough. My father died from this brutal disease six weeks after his 70th birthday. His younger brother, my uncle, had it too. A TRAUMATIC DIAGNOSIS Nevertheless, in 2002 aged just 58, my own prostate cancer came as a shock. I had a PSA test and six biopsies, which in those days were taken without anaesthetic. Uncomfortable doesn’t begin to describe it, but the worst part was the uncertainty and anxiety. I didn’t know what I was up against quickly enough.
EXCITING NEW BREAKTHROUGHS I was astonished to discover that half of all men over 60 probably have prostate cancer. But it will develop to become life-threatening in just 10%, meaning the majority of men could avoid the invasive procedures I went through. Through Professor Cooper, I learned that UEA scientists are developing two groundbreaking new tests to identify prostate cancers. With generous support to bring them to market, the PUR Test u
I opted for a radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy. A year later, my cancer was gone.
I S I M PLY DIDN’T
To give something back, I joined my local prostate cancer support group. It was there I met Professor Colin Cooper, who leads UEA’s fascinating research.
WA S UP AG A INST
K N OW WH AT I Q U I CKLY ENO U G H.
www.uea.ac.uk/difference
02
Geoff is determined to help men facing the same ordeal as him.
u and Tiger Test could give doctors the right information to save thousands of men from unnecessary treatment and its side-effects.
With the UEA PUR Test, my doctor could have predicted my risk of cancer without the need for a biopsy, taking away my anxiety. The test can even be done from home. If I had needed a subsequent biopsy, my consultant could have used UEA’s Tiger Test to tell me what sort of cancer I had and what treatment I actually needed – or if I could have avoided invasive treatments and their side-effects altogether. That would have meant so much to me and my family. JOIN ME IN SUPPORT I fundraised for the project with the help of the Masonic Charitable Foundation and Norfolk Freemasons, an organisation I’ve proudly been part of for many years. It was a cause near to all of our hearts – everyone knew someone who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. In 12 months, we raised £292,000 for the Tiger Test’s first phase and funded the purchase of an Affymetrix Microarray scanner to analyse biopsy samples. We can all make a remarkable difference when we join together. Please, support Professor Cooper and his team. Make the UEA Prostate Cancer Tests a reality. 03
www.uea.ac.uk/difference
YO UR D O NAT IO NS WILL M A KE AN ENO RM O U S D IFFER ENCE I N M EN’S LIV ES.
THE CHALLENGE WE FACE Helen Walker is Prostate Pathway Nurse Specialist at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, and Geoff’s daughter. During her training, Helen Walker was also part of UEA’s prostate cancer research team.
Prostate cancer is one of the biggest causes of mortality in men. Here in the UK, it now causes more deaths than breast cancer and 1 in 8 men will get the disease in their lifetime. Globally, prostate cancer is now the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer with 1.3 million cases reported in 2018. “I was inspired to train as a nurse at UEA after watching my father’s ordeal with prostate cancer. Today, I’m doing all I can to provide the very best care for men with the disease. “When I got the opportunity to be part of UEA’s research at our hospital, I helped collect samples, support patients and record their data. I could immediately see what a difference these new Prostate Cancer Tests would make for the men in our care. “Fewer men left impotent and incontinent. Faster treatment for men who truly need intervention. And a reduced strain on our already-stretched hospitals and medical staff. “We urgently need these tests. Please, do all you can to support this groundbreaking research.” www.uea.ac.uk/difference
04
HELP MEN GET THE RIGHT TREATMENT Professor Colin Cooper explains why there is an urgent need to rethink the way we diagnose and treat prostate cancer. The new Prostate Cancer Tests we are developing at UEA could be revolutionary. Our breakthroughs are unparalleled amongst other organisations and could benefit millions globally. “Right now, we simply aren’t treating men well enough. Unnecessary treatments carry serious consequences. “Our tests could help the majority of men with non-harmful prostate cancer avoid invasive treatments and lifelong sideeffects. The goal is that only men with aggressive, life-threatening cancer would receive the most radical treatments. “Doctors currently use a blood test called the PSA test alongside biopsies to diagnose prostate cancer. But today’s tests don’t reliably say which cancers are harmful and which are not, which is why men often have no choice but to undergo treatment – just in case. “To start a revolution for prostate cancer, we must first prove our work in a clinical setting. I very much hope we can count on your support to reach our goal.”
05
www.uea.ac.uk/difference
PROFESSOR COLIN COOPER
Chair of Cancer Genetics World-leading expert Professor Colin Cooper leads the team behind UEA’s prostate cancer research. Notable achievements include identifying genes behind sarcomas that are today used for diagnosis worldwide, and he has also worked with breast cancer, bladder cancer and kidney cancer. Professor Cooper is joint lead of the Pan Prostate Cancer Group, sharing expertise between the UK, Finland, Germany, Denmark, France, Australia, USA, Canada and China. The groundbreaking discoveries of the professor and his team have been featured in Nature and other prestigious journals.
£3m
UEA Prostate Cancer Tests fundraising target
MY L A B H A S FO CUSED O N T H IS SING LE ISSU E FO R A DECA DE.
INTRODUCING THE UEA PROSTATE CANCER TESTS
The breakthroughs made here at UEA could revolutionise prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. 07
www.uea.ac.uk/difference
Powered by artificial intelligence and advanced maths, our new tests for prostate cancer will unlock the secrets of this deadly disease to save and improve the lives of millions of men.
PUR TEST
TIGER TEST
The Prostate Urine Risk (PUR) Test uses urine samples to detect aggressive prostate cancer years before treatment is needed.
The Tiger Test is a brand-new way to analyse prostate biopsy samples. It can accurately predict the most life-threatening, aggressive prostate cancers – nicknamed ‘tiger’ cancers.
The test, which is non-invasive and can be performed at home, will reduce the number of men who need initial biopsies at the point of diagnosis, and give certainty to those on active surveillance. The PUR Test could be ready for use by patients within two years of achieving our fundraising target.
With it, doctors will be able to recommend the best treatment for prostate cancer and help many men avoid invasive procedures and their lifelong side-effects. Fully funded, the Tiger Test could be available to patients within three years.
www.uea.ac.uk/difference
08
THE PUR TEST A non-invasive urine test that can more accurately diagnose aggressive prostate cancer.
T
he new Prostate Urine Risk (PUR) Test, developed at UEA, can predict aggressive prostate cancers up to five years earlier than standard clinical methods.
Based on a mathematical combination of 35 different genes, the PUR Test is entirely non-invasive and can be applied to urine samples collected at home. Urine carries valuable biomarkers straight from the heart of the prostate gland. The team here at UEA found that by analysing these samples, they could reveal vital information about whether a cancer is aggressive or low risk. The most common tests used today include blood tests such as the PSA test, physical examinations, MRI scans and biopsies. But doctors struggle to predict which tumours will become aggressive. A raised PSA score indicates the need for an uncomfortable biopsy to confirm diagnosis. Yet 3 in 4 men are told, following the results, that they did not actually have prostate cancer. And a low PSA score is by no means an all-clear, with 1 in 7 men who don’t have a raised PSA later found to have the disease. The PUR Test changes everything. Men won’t have to regularly return to their clinic to provide a urine sample. 09
www.uea.ac.uk/difference
Many will avoid the need to endure uncomfortable rectal examinations. Others will have their anxiety alleviated. If a cancer is diagnosed as low risk, men are often put on ‘active surveillance’ to safely monitor their cancer until treatment is required. Currently, this requires biopsies on a regular basis. Because the PUR Test predicts which patients will require treatment up to five years sooner than standard clinical methods, a negative result could mean men only need further check-ups every two to three years. It’s clear the PUR Test has the potential to radically transform the way we diagnose and treat prostate cancer. Your support could help make this revolutionary new test a clinical reality.
£800k PUR Test fundraising target
PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3
DIAGNOSTIC L AB Thanks to our generous supporters, a NanoString nCounter machine to analyse gene patterns in patient samples has been purchased for our diagnostic lab. The next phase of the PUR Test is underway.
FU
Y L L
FU
N
D
ED
CLINICAL RESEARCH To prove the PUR Test in clinical research, the team will gather patient data, rapidly evaluate the process and develop a version of the test that is ready for use by medical staff.
DELIVER ACCREDITED TEST The final phase is to develop a commercially accredited clinical test, alongside specialist companies, which can be used in hospitals worldwide.
www.uea.ac.uk/difference
10
THE TIGER TEST A new biopsy test to identify aggressive ‘tiger’ cancers – so that men can get the most effective treatments.
D
istinguishing between aggressive and harmless disease is the most important challenge in managing prostate cancer and making decisions on appropriate treatments. It’s estimated that just 10% of men with prostate cancer have a harmful ‘tiger’ cancer. They are the ones who urgently require radical surgery – an operation that could save their life, but also lead to impotence and incontinence. The other 90% have a harmless ‘pussycat’ cancer. To date, doctors haven’t had the right tools to tell which of their patients have a dangerous prostate cancer. Many men endure intrusive treatments that carry lasting consequences, only to be told later that their cancer was benign. The Tiger Test is a new way to analyse prostate biopsy samples already taken as part of the clinical pathway. Thanks to artificial intelligence and advanced mathematics, Professor Cooper’s team have made a revolutionary discovery. The team harnessed 12% of UEA’s computing power for more than a year to analyse four of the largest prostate cancer datasets in the world.
11
www.uea.ac.uk/difference
£2.2m Tiger Test fundraising target
The team have discovered a new classification of prostate cancer, termed DESNT, that carries the worst clinical outcomes for patients. The Tiger Test can identify the 10% of patients with highly aggressive prostate cancers so that doctors can limit radical surgery and radiotherapy to the men who actually need it, and spare those men whose cancer is completely harmless from lifelong side-effects. The breakthrough at the heart of the Tiger Test stands to completely change the way that doctors treat prostate cancer, save valuable hospital resources and improve the lives of thousands of men and their families. We must work with prostate cancer patients to develop a clinically standardised version of the test. Please, give your support to the Tiger Test.
PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3
SCREENING L AB The first phase of the Tiger Test is already complete. Thanks to generous donations, the screening laboratory has been set up and the team can perform diagnostic genome testing. Clinical trials can begin.
FU
Y L L
FU
N
D
CLINICAL TRIALS In partnership with hospitals in the UK and around the world, the team will work with real patients so appropriate treatment can be provided. These trials will prove the Tiger Test in a research setting.
PA
R
T
FU
N
D
ED
ED
COMMERCIAL TEST The team will partner with specialist companies to develop a commercial test that doctors worldwide can use to diagnose aggressive prostate cancers and transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of men.
www.uea.ac.uk/difference
12
Thanks to the work happening here, Norwich is the UK’s 4th most cited city for science research.
THE HOME OF UEA’S PROSTATE CANCER RESEARCH The discoveries behind the PUR Test and Tiger Test were only made possible thanks to the unique range of advanced facilities at Norwich Research Park. One of the largest Life Sciences clusters in Europe, with over 3,000 scientists and clinicians UEA’s prostate cancer research team at the Norwich Medical School is made up of lab-based scientists, data analysts and NHS doctors Based at The Bob Champion Research and Education Building, a world-leading cancer hub supported by The Bob Champion Cancer Trust and many other generous donors Partnership with Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where 850 men with prostate cancer are diagnosed and treated each year Support for either the PUR Test or Tiger Test benefits both, thanks to shared facilities and staff. Our independence also allows us to reinvest returns into future cancer research at the University. www.uea.ac.uk/difference
14
MOVEMBER AND UEA: A SHARED VISION Dr Mark Buzza, Global Director of Biomedical Research at Movember, reveals why they are supporting the PUR Test.
15
What convinced you to support this project?
together and hopefully bring it into widespread clinical use.
The PUR Test developed by Professor Cooper and his team has enormous potential to transform the management and treatment of prostate cancer. Developing more accurate tests will help clinicians to better understand which men are likely to need urgent treatment, and who can safely stay on active surveillance and avoid potential side effects. This is one of Movember’s key strategic priorities within our prostate cancer biomedical research portfolio.
How does this funding fit into your wider plans? Movember is very proud to have supported Professor Cooper’s work as part of our first global collaboration project, which brought together over 200 clinicians and researchers in 14 countries across the globe. Working this way allows scientists to collaborate and integrate their findings rather than compete for funding.
Have you had the chance to visit UEA?
What are your hopes for this project in the coming years?
Movember has enjoyed a long-standing and extremely productive relationship with UEA. I was delighted to visit in November and meet with Professor Cooper and his team. We toured the UEA laboratories and discussed how we can continue to develop the Prostate Urine Risk Test
I hope that new tests such as PUR will empower men. Our ultimate goal is that, in the near future, every man diagnosed with prostate cancer will have access to a simple non-invasive test that predicts how aggressive his prostate cancer is and whether he is likely to need active treatment or not.
www.uea.ac.uk/difference
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS Movember is one of many generous trusts, foundations and individuals giving to the UEA Prostate Cancer Tests. We would like to offer our sincere thanks for everything that all of our supporters have made possible so far – but there is more to be raised and much work still to be done.
www.uea.ac.uk/difference
16
THE PROGRESS SO FAR
Together, we have achieved so much. But there is still a long way to go to reach the £3 million fundraising target.
World-class prostate cancer research at UEA began thanks to the Andy Ripley Memorial Fund, founded in honour of the England and British Lions rugby player, and UEA alumnus, after he sadly passed away with prostate cancer at the age of 62. Since then, philanthropy has been directly responsible for each and every achievement in UEA’s prostate cancer research. Our wide range of supporters brought Professor Cooper to the University to head up a specialist centre of excellence in the field. Great strides have been made. The work happening at UEA is capturing the imagination of generous individuals around the world. Their extraordinary gifts have enabled the team to purchase 17
www.uea.ac.uk/difference
the Affymetrix Microarray and NanoString nCounter machines that will sit at the heart of our research laboratories. We will begin proving the tests in a clinical setting over the next year. MORE SUPPORT IS NEEDED Everything is in place to deliver the PUR Test and Tiger Test – the only exception is the funding to complete the projects. Any setback would mean more men will face invasive biopsies for diagnosis, unnecessary surgeries and the stress of uncertainty over their future, not to mention the waste of valuable health resources. Please don’t wait any longer. Get in touch with the UEA Development Office to discuss making your gift.
HELP DIAGNOSE AGGRESSIVE PROSTATE CANCER Your urgent support is crucial to keep up the pace and ensure doctors worldwide can start using the PUR Test and Tiger Test as quickly as possible. Get in touch to start the conversation overleaf u FIND OUT MORE The work of Professor Cooper and his team has been met with considerable excitement in the scientific community. The Development Office would be delighted to share more information with you on the science behind the tests. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? When you become part of our thriving philanthropic community, we make sure you’re always kept up to date about the impact of your gift. You’ll receive updates from Professor Cooper and his team about the progress of their work, and invitations to UEA events. We look forward to welcoming you.
Will you make a gift to help us complete our groundbreaking research? 02
www.uea.ac.uk/difference
18
MAKING A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE AT UEA The UEA Prostate Cancer Tests are part of The Difference Campaign, UEA’s fundraising campaign to create pioneering change in the world. We are using the power of philanthropy to fund and further the University’s groundbreaking work – adding global reach and significance. Together with our donors, we are tackling the world’s greatest challenges and transforming lives.
MAKE A GIFT TODAY If you would like to support the UEA Prostate Cancer Tests, please contact the Development Office: Telephone: +44 (0)1603 592 945 Email: giving@uea.ac.uk Development Office University of East Anglia Norwich Research Park Norwich NR4 7TJ Donate online at: www.uea.ac.uk/difference
This publication is printed on FSC certified paper. The contents of this publication are protected by copyright belonging to the University of East Anglia and may not be reproduced without permission. Cover image: UEA’s groundbreaking prostate cancer research is led by Professor Colin Cooper, Chair of Cancer Genetics. UEA is an exempt charity: HMRC reference number XN423