Stop The Mets

Stop the Mets is Australia's only registered fundraiser exclusively focused on raising awareness and funds for Metastatic Cancer Research. 100% of profits raised support the research team (Cancer Biology and Metastasis Research Group) of Professor John T Price and Joe Polidano, for the development of new anti-metastatic cancer treatments. Mission Statement: To identify effective treatments for metastatic cancer through innovative approaches leading to improved survival and quality of life. The major reason for death and poor quality of life amongst cancer patients is not due to the growth of the cancer, but is primarily due to the spread of the cancer from the primary source to other organs, such as the brain, lung, liver and bones, a process known as metastasis. Due to the compromised function of these vital organs patients have a very poor quality of life and ultimately succumb to their disease. Although there have been major advances in the treatment and survival rates of patients that have localised cancers, there has been no change in the prognosis and survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer over the past 30 year. Although only 5-10% of cancers are metastatic when they are initially diagnosed, 30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer will go on to develop metastatic breast cancer. Currently there are no available treatments that that are considered curative for metastatic cancer although a number are able to improve the patient’s quality of life in the short term. Therefore, there is currently a great need to identify new therapies that specifically target metastatic cancer. It is estimated that approximately 2% of funds are dedicated to the study of metastatic cancer, therefore, if a cure is to be realised for metastatic cancer, specific funding is needed. Our research focuses upon identifying specific molecules within cancer cells that are required for the cancer cells to spread to other organs. In doing so we have determined a number of