Australian swimmer reveals her unexpected health diagnosis prior to a charitable fundraising occasion
In the sun-kissed waters off Adelaide's Henley Beach, about 100 participants took part in an open water swim organised by Kim Wellington, a champion Masters swimmer, to raise funds for life-saving cancer research. The event, part of the nationwide Daffodil Day Dips, encouraged participants to wear bright yellow, the colour of hope, and embrace their inner silliness.
Kim Wellington, who was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in the weeks before the event, emphasised the importance of continuing to hold events like these to support cancer research. She organised two swims this year for Daffodil Day on August 21, with participants encouraged to wear bright yellow.
The money raised through the Cancer Council, which managed the event, will primarily be used for research. The research will focus on understanding risk factors, improving diagnosis, public health prevention, and conducting clinical trials of new drugs, including medicines with fewer side effects.
Peter Diamond, the general manager of support and research at the Cancer Council, spoke about the progress being made towards cures for certain forms of cancer. He mentioned that new technologies are being implemented, many of which were once considered science fiction. He also emphasised that while knowledge, treatments, and research are rapidly improving, more work is needed to be done and funded.
Current advancements in cancer research, particularly for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), are highlighting breakthroughs in immunotherapy, precision medicine, artificial intelligence (AI), and targeted therapies. Immunotherapy innovations, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, are central this year, offering highly targeted approaches that may become relevant for hard-to-treat cancers like TNBC.
AI technologies are increasingly used to improve diagnostics, treatment personalization, and research by analysing complex medical data such as imaging, pathology, and genomics to identify cancer patterns invisible to humans. This technology accelerates discovery of treatment targets critical for aggressive types like TNBC.
Novel vaccine approaches, including personalized and potentially "universal" cancer vaccines using mRNA and lipid nanoparticles, have demonstrated the ability to prime the immune system against tumors strongly. These strategies hold promise for broadly enhancing immune attack across various cancers, potentially including TNBC.
The participants of the Henley Beach swim raised almost $7000 for the cause. With about 8000 people signed up for Daffodil Day Dips this year, it seems that the spirit of hope and determination is strong in the fight against cancer.
[1] Immunotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer [2] Artificial Intelligence in Cancer Diagnostics and Treatment [4] Cancer Vaccines: Progress and Challenges [5] Targeted Therapies for Breast Cancer
- Kim Wellington, a champion Masters swimmer who was recently diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, emphasized the importance of supporting cancer research through events like the Daffodil Day Dips.
- Research funded by the money raised through the Cancer Council will focus on understanding risk factors, improving diagnosis, and conducting clinical trials of new drugs, including potentially fewer-side-effect medicines and immunotherapy treatments for triple negative breast cancer.
- Peter Diamond, the general manager of support and research at the Cancer Council, highlighted the progress being made in the field of cancer research, including the use of new technologies, such as AI, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies.
- AI technologies are now being utilized to improve diagnostics, treatment personalization, and research in cancer, by analyzing complex medical data like imaging, pathology, and genomics to identify cancer patterns.
- Novel vaccine approaches, including personalized and potentially "universal" cancer vaccines, have shown the potential for prime the immune system against tumors, offering hope for various cancers like triple negative breast cancer.
- With the Henley Beach swim alone raising almost $7000 and around 8000 people signed up for Daffodil Day Dips this year, the spirit of hope and determination remains strong in the fight against cancer.
