Supporting patients with rare cancers

This week on Health Matters, Tarah Schwartz speaks with Colin Andrew, a Lachine Hospital patient whose routine health check uncovered colorectal cancer. Dr. Alexandre Lehmann discusses the fascinating work being conducted by the Cochlear Implant Research Program. Dr. Victoria Mandilaras explains how her research hopes to help patients with rare gynecological cancers. And, Denise Vourtzoumis from Pink in the City details their support of research into metastatic breast cancer. 

Cette semaine à Questions de santé, Tarah Schwartz discute avec Colin Andrew, un patient de l’Hôpital de Lachine qui a reçu un diagnostic de cancer colorectal à la suite d’un bilan de santé de routine. Le Dr Alexandre Lehmann présente le travail fascinant effectué dans le cadre du programme de recherche sur les implants cochléaires. La Dre Victoria Mandilaras explique sa recherche visant à aider les patientes atteintes de cancers gynécologiques rares. Et Denise Vourtzoumis de Pink in the City explique comment l’organisme appuie la recherche sur le cancer du sein métastatique.

Transcript

Tarah Schwartz: 0:00

Hi there. I'm Tarah Schwartz. Thank you so much for joining us. This is Health Matters on CJAD 800. On today's show for certain patients who are deaf or hearing-impaired, a cochlear implant can help. We'll tell you about a research program at the MUHC, which helps patients regain a sense of sound after receiving cochlear implants. Plus, we share an exciting announcement about a special donation helping research into a devastating type of breast cancer. But first, 15 years ago, Colin Andrews' life changed dramatically. What started as a routine health check uncovered colorectal cancer. Colin was treated at the Lachine Hospital under the care of Dr. Paul Normand. Colin is in great health now and is sharing his story in gratitude to the exceptional care he received at the Lachine hospital. He joins us now. Hello, Colin.

Colin Andrews: 0:51

Good morning.

Tarah Schwartz: 0:55

Now Colin, your cancer came as a big surprise to you? What were some of the symptoms that you were experiencing that led you to consult your doctor?

Colin Andrews: 1:06

Well, you know, it sounds untrue. But my symptoms were a tickle in the throat, if you can believe that.

Tarah Schwartz: 1:15

It's incredible. And that was just something that didn't go away?

Colin Andrews: 1:20

It lasted for so, so long that I went to see Dr. Normand and there you go. That just shows you the professionalism of the man. He not only looked at my throat, he gave me a thorough look-over and sent me for a colonoscopy. Then they discovered that I had a cancer.

Tarah Schwartz: 1:41

What was your reaction to receiving that kind of diagnosis? Especially because you went in with a tickle in your throat?

Colin Andrews: 1:48

I suppose no sense, no feeling really. But a bit numb would be the word and people deal with it in different ways don't they. But I was a bit numb, thought just let's wait for the next step and see if it goes good.

Tarah Schwartz: 2:05

So what were the next steps like? How did your treatment go?

Colin Andrews: 2:10

He tried to get rid of it, the nodule. We couldn't get rid of it. And he said that, I'll have one more go. And I'll send you to the surgeon if I can't get it, which is what happened. I saw the surgeon and she said I'm going on holiday next week, I'll be back and you'll be in. And that was it. I was in the following week and operated on.

Tarah Schwartz: 2:33

And so tell us a little bit more about what that experience was like. What was it like sort of getting the diagnosis, going into surgery, coming out the other side? What was that like for you?

Colin Andrews: 2:45

There's nothing you can do about it. Jumping up and down and screaming and hitting a button or whatever you're going to do it; it won't stop it. So you've just got to keep your fingers crossed and hope that the next process is lucky. And in my case, all the luck was on my side. Thanks to the health.

Tarah Schwartz: 3:09

Yeah, thanks to the health. Of course, we're speaking with Colin Andrews, and we're talking about his experience with colorectal cancer. Tell us a little bit about the care that you received at Lachine hospital which I know is going through a difficult period right now. It's going through some extraordinary renovations, which is obviously not easy for patients and staff there. A good outcome but a difficult process. What was it like to go through your care there?

Colin Andrews: 3:32

I mean, you can ask me any questions you like about the care but the answer is I was treated like royalty. Absolutely fantastic.

Tarah Schwartz: 3:46

And was that a surprise to you? Were you surprised at the kind of care you received? Not many people describe their medical experience as being treated like royalty.

Colin Andrews: 3:57

You're right down the line. It's all professional people, lovely people, isn't it? And the unfortunate part about the medical system is there's too many of us being sick. And in the hospitals, they don't have the resources to deal with you. And I mean, that's showing itself in today's world, isn't it with accusers and all that. But anything that they'd be doing when you're seriously ill was done.

Tarah Schwartz: 4:26

You've talked about feeling lucky, feeling grateful that your cancer was discovered early. Talk to us a little bit more about that gratitude because had you waited perhaps the situation would have been different. Had you not been proactive...

Colin Andrews: 4:41

If it wasn't for Dr. Normand, the way he treated me, and didn't just look at the tickle in the throat. If it hadn't been for Dr. Normand, I would have died. And the surgeons and everything in the process at Lachine hospital. Everything was done for my benefit.

Tarah Schwartz: 5:05

And how was life for you now, Colin?

Colin Andrews: 5:09

Top of the tip. Tip top. Yes. Fantastic.

Tarah Schwartz: 5:15

How long ago was this diagnosis? Give us a bit of context in terms of time? How long was it when you...

Colin Andrews: 5:21

I think it was 2013.

Tarah Schwartz: 5:26

So about a decade?

Colin Andrews: 5:28

Oh, yeah. Yeah, for sure.

Tarah Schwartz: 5:32

When you look back on it, what do you think about when you look back on that time? Does it feel really far away? Does it feel a little bit like a dream?

Colin Andrews: 5:40

When you look back on it and think about the process; it's frightening. Well, the last time I saw the surgeon after my operation for the final. And she said to me- go home, no chemo, no radiotherapy, go home. And she said, somebody out there is looking after you. And I said, well, maybe so. But they're not looking after me as much as the Lachine hospital did, that's for sure.

Tarah Schwartz: 6:16

And how did your family deal with sort of that that diagnosis and the process that you had to go through?

Colin Andrews: 6:26

I suppose it's a bit personal for them. I would have said, looking back, they handled it very, very well. But under the surface, you wouldn't be worried if someone was going through that, wouldn't you?

Tarah Schwartz: 6:41

Absolutely.

Colin Andrews: 6:42

But it was the same as me, really, I suppose. Fingers crossed and hope the next hurdle is jumped over.

Tarah Schwartz: 6:51

Colin Andrews is with us. And he's talking about his experience with colorectal cancer. So it's been 10 years Colin, have you changed anything about the way you live? Or the way you see life in light of your diagnosis and what you went through?

Colin Andrews: 7:06

You know, I lived a fairly active and healthy life before. And things don't discriminate. It's not always smoking and stuff that gives you the cancer, is it? I've changed my diet a little bit afterwards. But I still keep active and give myself the best chance with a healthy food and stuff. And hopefully, we don't recur.

Tarah Schwartz: 7:36

Do you have to go back and get regular checks to make sure that it doesn't or what is involved?

Colin Andrews: 7:41

I go back for a colonoscopy I think I had one every year for five years. And I've had a few since but they look after me.

Tarah Schwartz: 7:53

There's a lot of talk about colonoscopies now and about the benefits of getting them post-50 years old. What are your thoughts about that being something that more people get; if the health care system allowed it?

Colin Andrews: 8:08

If you're asking me, should people get it? For sure. Definitely. Look what it did for me.

Tarah Schwartz: 8:17

Look what it did for you, indeed. Now what message would you have for our listeners, as we say goodbye, Colin, about your health care experience in general?

Colin Andrews: 8:27

What would I say? If you really have a bad illness; you're looked after. That's what I'd say. The one way to give yourself good luck is eliminate the bad. And the way to eliminate the bad is go and have your checkups and be lucky to be in a hospital like I was at Lachine.

Tarah Schwartz: 8:52

It's a message that we deliver often on this show; that if you feel you have symptoms, if there's something that doesn't feel right, don't ignore them. Go get it checked out. It's the best thing that you can do for yourself. Colin Andrews, I want to thank you for taking the time to join us on Health Matters and sharing your story. We appreciate it.

Colin Andrews: 9:08

Thank you very much.

Tarah Schwartz: 9:11

Next up on the show, helping patients living with hearing impairment regain a sense of sound. I'm Tarah Schwartz. Welcome back to Health Matters on CJAD 800. For certain patients who are deaf or living with a hearing impairment, a cochlear implant can help them regain a sense of sound. The MUHC is only the second hospital center in the province to have a cochlear implant clinic. But did you know there was also a cochlear implant research program? Dr. Alex Lehmann is a cognitive neuroscientist and the principal investigator of McGill's Cochlear Implant Research Program. Thank you so much for joining us, Dr. Lehmann.

Dr. Alexandre Lehmann: 9:51

Hi, Tarah, thank you for having me in the show.

Tarah Schwartz: 9:55

What inspired you to pursue this area of medicine? This idea of giving sound back to people who are hearing impaired?

Dr. Alexandre Lehmann: 10:05

For me, the starting point was really curiosity in music. How music can create very powerful emotions, a sense of well-being, connection and also how it can impact health. And so from this curiosity around music, I started exploring how we hear, and what happens when we hear less well -what are the consequences that people experience when they have hearing loss.

Tarah Schwartz: 10:33

And what are some of those consequences?

Dr. Alexandre Lehmann: 10:35

So isolation is one of the first that individual with hearing loss experience. They can have diminished socio-economic prospects, difficulty perceiving languages, following conversations. And we also see from the literature that there are other impacts; for example, the ability to perceive emotion in people's voices or in people's attitudes is diminished.

Tarah Schwartz: 11:05

That's so interesting. Now, help us understand what a cochlear implant is and how it works.

Dr. Alexandre Lehmann: 11:15

A cochlear implant is, I would say, the closest medical equivalent to performing a miracle in a way because we are able to make the deaf hear, either for the first time or hear again. It's very different from what most people know which are hearing aids, usually worn on the ears. Because the hearing aids amplify the sounds but the cochlear implant, truly what it is, it can be considered as a bionic device. It's an artificial process that is going to transmit sound information through electricity to someone who is profoundly deaf.

Tarah Schwartz: 11:54

And how long ago was a cochlear implant created?

Dr. Alexandre Lehmann: 11:54

If we go really way back in history, I mean, it sounds extraordinary. I feel like I've been hearing about it for a while. But where are the origins of the cochlear implant? How long ago? Alessandro Volta, the guy who invited invented electricity, experimented with placing wires with electricity inside the ear and realized that it created a sensation. But really the first experimentations were around the 1970s and 80s with surgeons actually placing wires on the acoustic nerves of patients during surgery, and realizing that they could transmit auditory information. And from there on, this has been refined to give birth to the modern cochlear implant, and it's called cochlear implant because essentially, there's a part that is implanted- that consists of a very, very tiny electrode that we surgically insert into the cochlea. And the cochlea is the auditory equivalent of the retina, if you will. And so we insert a very tiny electrode inside the cochlea and the cochlea is shaped like a spiral. And from there on, we can send a tiny electrical current that, again, is interpreted by the brain as sound.

Tarah Schwartz: 13:21

Wow, that is so fascinating. We're speaking with Dr. Alex Lehmann. We're talking about cochlear implants, what he described as a miracle. And it really sounds like that, when you talk about it. There must have been significant improvements to the implants over the last decades?

Dr. Alexandre Lehmann: 13:35

Yes, so the implants have improved in many ways. But the same way our cars have really improved, they also still rely on the very same principle. And it's true for cochlear implants. So we have smaller devices, more advanced processing that can remove background noise, that can help you focus on a given conversation if you're in a noisy environment, special programs for listening to music. But essentially, the technology is very much the same. Accordingly, with a lot of improvements. But one of the challenges that we face is that not everyone benefits equally. Some people will really be able to hear well and perform well. And some people won't and this is still a bit of a mystery for research.

Tarah Schwartz: 14:27

Who tends to be a good candidate for cochlear implants? Are there specific people that you mentioned that sometimes it's hard to know who will react well? Are there specific people that you tend to say this kind of person, this kind of hearing problem will benefit more?

Dr. Alexandre Lehmann: 14:42

Certainly, there's a variety of hearing problems that we call sensory neural hearing loss. Meaning mostly, that the chain of transmission of sound inside the ear is broken. Whereas here is what they do is amplify the sound, if the chain is broken, you can amplify it all you want, it's never going to reach the brain. People who suffer from this specific type of hearing loss, they are good candidates for cochlear implants. And another thing that we notice is that the less time you wait to implant someone who is deaf, the better the outcomes will be. And this is because in a way, the longer the brain adapts to not receiving sound, the more it is going to rewire itself in a way that is then detrimental to surgical implementation of a cochlear implant.

Tarah Schwartz: 15:44

So fascinating. We're speaking with Dr. Alex Lehmann, who is a specialist in cochlear implants. You mentioned just earlier that there are some things that are still a mystery for your research. Let's talk about the role that the cochlear implant research program at the MUHC. What it plays and what you're focusing on what you hope to discover?

Dr. Alexandre Lehmann: 16:05

Right, thank you. The goal of the Cochlear Implant Research Program is really to focus on the patients' difficulties and challenges and identify how we can improve not just the process of getting an implant, but also the intensive rehabilitation that goes with it. And this is something I haven't mentioned. But you know, it's like getting an expensive car without your driver's license. Learning to hear for the first time through what we call electric hearing, or learning to hear again, for someone who was born hearing and then became deaf is a very complex process that requires months of rehabilitation. And so we look into this area- how we can optimize the rehabilitation? How we can tailor the rehabilitation? And also- this is still a very active topic of investigation in the field- how can we predict if someone is going to benefit from an implant? And how can we design personalized treatments so that we maximize the benefit?

Tarah Schwartz: 17:17

Donations to the MUHC Foundation helped launch McGill's Cochlear Implant Research Program? How does philanthropy help you?

Dr. Alexandre Lehmann: 17:24

Philanthropy has been very instrumental here in establishing the program. And in making sure that there's a sustainable line of funding that can fund the salaries of a researcher, research associate, research coordination, and also gather important data on patients. Throughout the years, we've been able to apply to federal and provincial granting agencies, which can subsidize projects. But the core infrastructure of a program is usually not eligible for this type of funding. So this is where philanthropy is really filling a critical gap in providing the core infrastructure for a program to operate.

Tarah Schwartz: 18:11

I think it's always wonderful for people to hear how their donations can make a difference. And you certainly helped to shape that. One final question for you. Dr. Lehmann, before we let you go. You mentioned at the very beginning of this interview that it was music that inspired you to get into this line of medicine. Are you a musician?

Dr. Alexandre Lehmann: 18:29

I'm a music lover, I would say. One way of closing the circle is that we're looking right now into how we can improve music perception for cochlear implant recipients, and also how we can use music to create a more effective rehabilitation, especially in children.

Tarah Schwartz: 18:51

I love it. Dr. Alexandre Lehmann, you're wonderful. I really enjoyed hearing about the research you're doing, and the passion you have for cochlear implants and for helping people here. It was wonderful. Thank you so much for your time today.

Dr. Alexandre Lehmann: 19:04

Thank you for having us. And please do reach out, any of the listeners, if you want to know more.

Tarah Schwartz: 19:10

Thank you so much. Coming up, a researcher getting a helping hand for her work into rare cancers impacting women. I'm Tarah Schwartz and this is Health Matters. There are a number of rare cancers and rare illnesses that, when combined, impact a large number of patients. And while these illnesses are rare, there are still dedicated researchers who are committed to finding better treatments and hopefully one day cures. Dr. Victoria Mandilaras is a medical oncologist and researcher who focuses on rare gynecological cancers. She joins me now. Thanks so much for being here. Dr. Mandilaras.

Dr. Victoria Mandilaras: 19:44

Thanks for having me, Tarah.

Tarah Schwartz: 19:47

Can you give us a few examples of what are considered rare gynecological cancers?

Dr. Victoria Mandilaras: 19:53

Yeah, typically speaking, we talk about gynecological cancers in broad terms. For instance, ovarian or uterine. But when we look at them in more detail, we tend to categorize them for the purpose of treatment and treatment algorithms into different subtypes. So, we have the most common, for instance, with ovarian cancer being high grade serious, but we get all kinds of different cancers that are mixed into that two, such as clear cell cancer, which is quite rare. And we don't really know all that much about.

Tarah Schwartz: 20:27

Now, when you talk about rare, can you contextualize that for us? What does rare mean in terms of numbers?

Dr. Victoria Mandilaras: 20:34

What it means in terms of numbers is that it is below a certain threshold within the population. So there's different definitions by different bodies out there. But typically speaking, it's an incidence that's less than 0.1% in the population.

Tarah Schwartz: 20:52

Wow, that is incredible, less than 0.1%.

Dr. Victoria Mandilaras: 20:56

Yes. So when we look at the actual populations of people with cancer, those numbers go up. So the incidence that I mentioned, for instance, with a rare type of ovarian cancer, like clear cells, about 10% of all ovarian cancers. When we're talking about the actual cancer itself, those numbers do go up within the people in the population affected by the cancer.

Tarah Schwartz: 21:21

Now, tell us about your area of focus specifically. What are you looking into?

Dr. Victoria Mandilaras: 21:28

What my research is looking at doing is creating a database where we record all of the cancers that we consider to be rare within the gynecologic cancer world in a database. And that way we can follow the patients in terms of the patient characteristics, the treatments they receive and how they do. But also looking at them in more depth. For instance, studying the DNA of these cancers, and what makes them so special. Because what happens typically, is that these cancers, because they're not very common, don't get included in huge large-scale studies. And so we don't really get to follow how these patients do in a longitudinal way, and have a better idea of how to treat them and manage them.

Tarah Schwartz: 22:13

And do you feel that more research is being performed on rare cancers now than it was a 10 or 20 years ago? Are they getting more attention now?

Dr. Victoria Mandilaras: 22:23

I think with better diagnostics; we're starting to recognize them more. So for those reasons, I think we're starting to include them more in research studies. However, because a lot of these cancers tend to be aggressive. A lot of the larger studies that are sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, for instance, often don't include patients with these types of cancers. Part of my research is to be able to collect enough data, in order to be able to have the numbers to be able to put forth studies that include these patients. Not only within the McGill health care system where I work, but also across Quebec, and hopefully Canada as well.

Tarah Schwartz: 23:13

I guess that that's how you get certain people's and company's attentions, isn't it? By sort of showing them the numbers in a way and I guess that's why you have to be really focused on that; as well as, taking care of your patients? Because in the end, they're connected.

Dr. Victoria Mandilaras: 23:27

Definitely. So if we're able to start with a small study with a few patients, and expand from there. Then we can show what we call proof of principle to larger studies, and get the funding that we need. Either to go on with a study within our own institution or to collaborate with other bigger entities to be able to expand on that research.

Tarah Schwartz: 23:52

We're speaking with Dr. Victoria Mandilaras and we're talking about rare gynecological cancers. Now, we've spoken about women's cancer, specifically on the show before a few times. And often women describe their symptoms almost as non-symptoms that they just don't have any until, in some cases, it's too late. What message do you offer to women about what they need to know about gynecological cancers and how we need to be mindful of our bodies?

Dr. Victoria Mandilaras: 24:18

It's true that a lot of the symptoms that women with these cancers experience are often things that we can attribute to very common issues like constipation for instance; bloating, and that's why the diagnoses are missed. But if these issues persist, my message would be to women to really be advocates for themselves and insist with their family doctors, or any physician that they're seeing, that they really be taken seriously and investigated further. But not only that, I think it's important to know your own family history. Many of these cancers tend to be hereditary and there is a history of cancer in the family, whether it be breast or ovarian. So I think it's important to ask family members, to know your family history of cancer just as much as you know your own history of medical conditions, or your medication list. For instance, these are important pieces of knowledge to have when it comes to your own health.

Tarah Schwartz: 25:20

That's good advice. I'm sure that any diagnosis is incredibly difficult, but I wonder if it's even more so when you're diagnosed with something that's so incredibly were rare when you talk about how small those numbers are. How do you find that patients deal with being diagnosed with these kinds of rare cancers? And how do you deal with that as a doctor?

Dr. Victoria Mandilaras: 25:41

It's very difficult because like we've said before, there isn't a whole lot of data on the optimal management of these cancers. In terms of the treatment algorithms, a lot of times we don't really have a lot of information to guide us. And we're doing things that are based on expert opinion, rather than big trials that have shown results. It's difficult because number one, the patients are faced with a disease where we don't have a lot of data to guide us. And we do things based on how we've done them in the past. And it's also difficult, because there's not a whole lot of support for patients with these rare tumors. Like there would be for cancers that are much more common, like breast cancer, for instance.

Tarah Schwartz: 26:31

I'm wondering, Dr. Mandilaras, why you are drawn to these kinds of rare cancers? Instead of working in a field maybe that has like more patients and more opportunity to do research, you're sort of swimming uphill like the salmon. You're tackling the kinds of cancers that don't get a lot of attention. I wonder why you're drawn to that?

Dr. Victoria Mandilaras: 26:51

I think if you ask people who know me well, they'll tell you that I've always been the sort of person who roots for the underdog. I really feel that these patients deserve the attention and the quality of care that any other patient with cancer needs. There needs to be somebody who advocates for them. And in addition to that, it's such a vast area for research. There's so much to be done. There's so much work that can be done. And so it's a really interesting field for me intellectually speaking, because there's all these knowledge gaps that are there just to be filled.

Tarah Schwartz: 27:28

I love that rooting for the underdog always know Dr. Mandilaras, you received recently a $50,000 donation to support your research. How does it donation like that help you further your work?

Dr. Victoria Mandilaras: 27:41

When it comes to rare cancers, it's so important, because the funding opportunities are just not out there, unfortunately. And so if we do get these private donations, they act as seed funding for the project where we can start to collect information. Like I said before, have something to show for it, and then go on and apply for bigger grants through different avenues. Either through government grants or through private industry, and expand on the project. So that seed funding is so essential to get things moving off the ground.

Tarah Schwartz: 28:17

Dr. Victoria Mandilaras, I want to thank you so much for joining us on the show. I think what you do is super important, and it's really heartwarming and comforting to know that someone like you is out there rooting for the underdog and doing this kind of research. So thank you for your time today.

Dr. Victoria Mandilaras: 28:31

Thank you, Tarah, and thanks for bringing attention to this very important matter.

Tarah Schwartz: 28:37

Absolutely. Next up, a well-known organization made a significant contribution to help further research into a devastating type of breast cancer. I'm Tarah Schwartz, you're listening to Health Matters. You may have heard of Pink in the City, they have held multiple events and galas and in the process have raised tens of thousands of dollars in support of breast cancer patients at the MUHC. At the end of 2022, Pink in the City presented the MUHC Foundation with an incredible$203,000 in support of research into metastatic breast cancer. This incredible donation was raised from a number of events including the Raise Craze annual head shaving event and their fundraising gala. Denise Vourtzoumis is the President of Pink in the City and she joins us now. Hello, Denise.

Denise Vourtzoumis: 29:22

Hi, Tarah.

Tarah Schwartz: 29:24

Pink in the City has such an incredible history. Tell us a little bit about how it all began. Remind us of this wonderful story?

Denise Vourtzoumis: 29:32

Well, Tarah, it really started as a one-time event. And from that one fundraising activity, it evolved into really a network of support for breast cancer survivors and multiple fundraising initiatives from then on. Really we're so proud to have established such a huge network of support from survivors, volunteers, partners and sponsors, just working together to increase survivorship and make it really better for all those fighting.

Tarah Schwartz: 30:10

And how long ago was that very first head shaving event?

Denise Vourtzoumis: 30:14

It was in 2006.

Tarah Schwartz: 30:17

And why do you continue this work year after year? What keeps you sort of motivated and passionate about what you're doing?

Denise Vourtzoumis: 30:27

It's really, really important that we continue to donate our time and energy. Just to educate and support and care for the network of survivors and those diagnosed. Because really, that's what drives us to do what we do every single day. Us and every other charity and fundraiser. When things are being planned, it's always with an end in mind that creating partnerships like that with the community is really vital to funding research again; as I said, education, screening, treatment programs. Ultimately, that's what saves lives and increases survivorship. So I think it's really important for all of us in the community to encourage this type of partnerships to create many more success stories in the future. Everyone has been touched one way or the other, by this devastating disease and other types of cancers. So with this in mind, we really want to strive every year to increase our donations, and do whatever we can to continue the success of what we do.

Tarah Schwartz: 31:41

We're speaking with Denise Vourtzoumis, and we're talking about money raised by Pink in the City for breast cancer research. This past year, Denise you had a lovely little girl as part of Raise Craze 2022 Dimitra. She cut her hair off raising money for breast cancer patients like her grandmother. It was such a lovely story, what was that like for you to see this little girl show up essentially?

Denise Vourtzoumis: 32:09

First of all, it's really wonderful to see young children, students, at such an early age, get involved and start to see the difference that they can make with a kind gesture. It was very emotional for me. At the same time, so proud to see this little girl be a role model for other little girls and other students to come together and do such a grand gesture on her part. Because she cut her hair and she thought and understood at that time that she's doing something is going to make a difference for someone else. For us, it's really something to celebrate. And for myself, such a valuable and memorable moment for all of us that were a part of it and a part of every shave that happens every year. It was very touching to see her come forward and get that done.

Tarah Schwartz: 33:17

It really was. Now if you tack on the donations from Raise Craze plus your incredible gala, Pink in the City raised $203,000 to support research into metastatic breast cancer, that must have been a very proud moment for you and for your team.

Denise Vourtzoumis: 33:32

It really was. It really supports and validates that in order to continue to offer contributions like this and financial support to the medical team; it really is important. We saw that the collaboration of the community, the partners, the sponsors, volunteers. Everyone, and of course not to forget our breast cancer survivors and those that are diagnosed, that everyone is an inspiration. It takes a lot of courage and perseverance to really get to where we need to go. Raising awareness is key. Funding is critical and it's very important to continue to support the programs and services for those diagnosed. So it was clear that with the support of our community, that's the only way that we can move forward and get closer to make the goal attainable year after year. And like Dr. Meterissian always says the community is the cure. We are the cure.

Tarah Schwartz: 34:46

I love that. You had the opportunity to present your check to Dr. Sarkis Meterissian and to Dr. Julia Burnier, who is working on breast cancer research. What was it like to make that presentation to the people who will be directly benefiting from the donation from Pink in the City?

Denise Vourtzoumis: 35:07

I think on behalf of the entire pink in the city team and that involves everyone that I that I keep mentioning our survivors, partners, sponsors, volunteers, everyone that has been able to make that impact. It was so incredible. It was a proud moment to for all of us to be there and to see all of us come together after such a fantastic and successful event to support one of the largest programs for metastatic breast cancer patients; that whole registry that has been established for metastatic breast cancer. For us to be able to be a part of this is incredible. One of the things that the research focuses on is the new technique called liquid biopsy. As patients receive this treatment and their disease continues, they'll have ways to monitor the disease. By being able to make this difference for patients, and to be a part of supporting the effort of this program directly to provide the most personalized and best care for patients. What more can we ask for? Like this treatment of metastatic breast cancer disease is always evolving. We are hoping that with the money that we've raised this year, we will be able to help Dr. Burnier's team and Dr. Meterissian's team and to better identify which treatments work and which treatments don't work. Or the changes that are noted in the blood samples of the patients. By being a part of this incredible initiative, they'll be able to monitor patients individually and understand their disease better and closely. And really, such an important step towards patient care.

Tarah Schwartz: 37:42

Denise Vourtzoumis is the president of Pink in the City and we're talking about their incredible year of fundraising for breast cancer research. What is next to Denise, you just wrapped up one year, how do you think ahead of what are we going to do for 2023?

Denise Vourtzoumis: 37:57

I think it's important to continue to raise awareness. And I think moving forward, we're definitely going to keep really close to the significance of this research program and show results and share findings. And definitely work on some podcasts and provide material and information that will help understand how the funds that were raised is helping the program and what we're seeing as a result and moving forward. Identify what else do we need to do and how can we help.

Tarah Schwartz: 38:42

Denise, thank you so much. Congratulations on a successful 2022 And we look forward to seeing what's going to happen in 2023. Thank you for taking the time to be on the show.

Denise Vourtzoumis: 38:51

Thank you so much, Tarah.

Tarah Schwartz: 38:53

I'm Tarah Schwartz. Thank you for tuning in. What would you like to hear about on the show write to me at healthmatters at MUHCFoundation.com I hope you'll join me again next Sunday. Thanks so much for listening to Health Matters and stay healthy.