Support My Ride to Conquer Cancer?

Welcome to my Personal Page! The Sunsuper Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) is a cycling journey throughout the scenic countryside of Western Australia that I'm embarking on to fight cancer. Thank you for considering sponsoring me in the Ride to Conquer Cancer. It will be a challenge in a number of ways, but with my bike, my helmet, and your generosity, we hope that continuing developments to cure cancer will arrive sooner than later.

My goal is to raise $15,000 if I can before the ride on October 20-21, 2012!

My major reasons to participate in the ride to conquer cancer come from a combination of my family and my work, each major passions in my life.

Driver 1. My wonderful Dad, who was a well known physician, died of widespread prostate cancer in 1997 - a life cut short, as although he was 77, he had much living to do, was as sharp as a tack and never really had an opportunity to see our kids grow up and mature into the special people that they are. Dad's treatment allowed him to have a fairly miraculous remission for well over 5 years before the disease recurred. Unfortunately, when the cancer came back in his hips despite radiotherapy he suffered miserable pain for years until he died. I certainly wouldn't wish that on anyone - and I am working every day in my laboratory in WAIMR to try and ensure that others are spared this pain.

I am excited about the advances from medical research into prostate cancer that have already developed new treatments not available for my Dad. There are better ways of diagnosing, better ways of treating and delaying recurrence and in many men the disease is cured with initial therapy. However, there are still many men who die of widespread disease, the complications of surgery can be a major life-changer and we still have to find a better diagnostic tool to give earlier indications of the disease. So many questions and a rush on time!

Driver 2.  My father-in-law, Robert (Bob) Paton, who was a well-known vascular surgeon in Perth, also died of prostate cancer. Bob was of a similar age as my Dad and had a lot of living to do, with a large family and lots of grandchildren. His cancer was more aggressive than my Dad's and his course was more rapidly downhill, with little response to the treatments.

Driver 3.  My two fantastic boys (they have a great sister as well!) - have a higher risk of prostate cancer because each of their grandfathers died of the disease. The genetic risk of cancer is an important contributor to the development of some cancers, such as prostate cancer. My driver is that we FIND a CURE for this disease long before my boys ever need to think about it! In a similar way, I hope we are able to develop better screening and treatment approaches for breast cancer so that survival dfor women with this disease approaches 100%!

Driver 4. A major aspect of my life is the work of my laboratory in WAIMR that is focused on cancer research and its quest to translate novel basic discoveries that we make in cancer towards new treatments. I am very fortunate to work in WAIMR, a great medical research institute that is focused on uncovering the genetic causes of disease and then moving those discoveries towards clinical trials and improved clinical outcomes. I am privileged to work with an incredibly talented group of young scientists with innovation, skill and patience. Together, we have made some very exciting discoveries that may have direct application to men with prostate cancer, and other cancers (head and neck, colon, brain, pancreatic, breast and melanoma). In the Laboratory for Cancer Medicine in WAIMR we are working to try to bring these discoveries closer to the clinic!

WAIMR is in the middle of a very large building program, with two new State-of-the-art facilites ($180m in total), due for completion in 2013-14. These new facilities will house upwards of 600 scientists committed to the highest quality research in cancer. Although we will have the best physical infrastructure, we want to recruit and retain the best and brightest brains in cancer research and clinical practice in WA - that will need new funds and longer term commitment. FUnds from this Ride will help provide for these new and innovative people to come to WA and stay!

As I am also a physician working in the public hospital system, I see first hand how medical research can impact directly in cancer with new diagnostics, new treatments and improved outcomes. We are all passionate about trying to bring the newest most effective treatments to the bedside. Riding in the Ride to Conquer Cancer will help realise some of these dreams and enable our brightest and best scientists and clinical researchers to make the new discoveries and translate them into better outcomes for those with cancer.

Please contribute to this history-making event with a donation.

I am donating $500 to get the ball rolling!

Funds raised in The Sunsuper Ride to Conquer Cancer will support groundbreaking, critical cancer research being undertaken at the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, Western Australia's premier adult medical research institute, investigating the genetic and environmental causes of a range of diseases.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Peter