BC Cancer - Winter 2017 - 12

The POWER of

PROGRESS

BC Cancer working to bring ProTracer treatment to
North America, offering new hope for men with prostate cancer

rostate cancer survivor and
philanthropist Rod Senft has
high hopes for a treatment
developed by scientists at the
University Hospital Heidelberg
in Germany.
Known as ProTracer, the treatment
is set to be tested at BC Cancer and
involves injecting a powerful radiopharmaceutical intravenously to target
a newly discovered protein on the surface of prostate cancer cells, destroying the cells entirely. Results from a
German multicentre study of ProTracer
showed more than 45 per cent of
patients with a Stage IV prognosis
responded positively, suggesting it has
the potential to change the course of
prostate cancer care, safely and effectively with minimal side effects.
The treatment provided new hope
to Rod's dear friend Daryl Clark after
he received a devastating Stage IV
prostate cancer diagnosis. Daryl
received a round of the treatment
in Germany, with positive results,
before passing away in June from
complications brought on by prior
treatments. Although the effort
didn't cure Daryl's cancer, Rod
remains optimistic.
He's motivated by his
friend's memory to raise
funds to bring ProTracer closer

PARTNERS IN DISCOVERY

to home for those facing the same
prognosis. "I know there is hope," he
says. "Right now, research into new
treatment options using nuclear medicine is gaining momentum and we
are beginning to see results that are
changing lives."
Before his death, "Daryl had his
perennial tan, possessed the usual
twinkle in his eyes and demonstrated a burning desire
to beat his cancer or, at
a minimum, kick out
enough space so that he
had time to enjoy watching his family grow for
a few more years,"
Rod says.

In honour of Daryl's legacy, a group
of his close friends and colleagues created a team to participate in the Ride to
Conquer Cancer this past summer. The
team, named Daryl's Heidelberg Hope,
was built with one goal in mind: to
change the future of prostate cancer.
They raised a record breaking $666,400.
"The simple question of 'What can
we do to help?' has morphed
into what promises to
be one of the great
undertakings within our
community," Rod says.
"We will turn Daryl's
Heidelberg Hope into
Daryl's Heidelberg Legacy,
a legacy that will result in

Dr. François Bénard is
leading clinical trials,
with Dr. Kim Chi, on
a new treatment for
prostate cancer.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BC Cancer - Winter 2017