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VANCOUVER, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ – For the first time in history, BC Cancer Agency scientists in British Columbia, Canada have decoded all of the three billion letters in the DNA sequence of a metastatic lobular breast cancer tumour, a type of breast cancer which accounts for about 10 per cent of all breast cancers, and have found all of the mutations, or “spelling” mistakes that caused the cancer to spread.

The landmark study, which will be published October 8th as the cover story in the prestigious international science journal Nature, helps unlock the secrets of how cancer begins and spreads, thus pointing the way to the development of new breast cancer treatment targets and therapies.

“One in nine women is expected to develop breast cancer, and breast cancer accounts for 29 per cent of all cancer diagnoses for B.C. women,” said Health Services Minister Kevin Falcon. “As a result of the efforts of the scientists behind the study, this breakthrough finding gives further hope to the thousands of women with this terrible disease.”

“I never thought I would see this in my lifetime,” said Dr. Samuel Aparicio, head of the breast cancer research program at the BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA). “This is a watershed event in our ability to understand the causes of breast cancer and to develop personalized medicines for our patients. The number of doors that can now be opened to future research is considerable.”

Partnering with the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre, Dr. Aparicio’s team used the latest in next-generation DNA sequencing technology to study the evolution of a single patient’s lobular breast cancer tumour over a nine-year interval. They found 32 mutations in the metastatic cancer tumour and then looked to see how many of those same spelling mistakes were present in the original tumour. The result was surprising – only five of the 32 could have been present in all of the cells of the primary tumour, thus fingering them as the criminals that caused the disease to get started in the first place. These five mutations were previously unknown to researchers as playing a role in cancer.

“This study demonstrates the remarkable capacity of next-generation DNA sequencing technology,” says Dr. Marco Marra, Director, BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre. “The project that decoded the first human genome in 2001 took years and an enormous amount of funding. We were able to sequence the breast cancer genome in weeks and at a fraction of the cost.”

“Through our research at the BC Cancer Agency, we are dedicated to finding new and novel ways to detect cancer earlier and to develop more enhanced treatments,” said Brian Schmidt, Interim President, BC Cancer Agency and Senior Vice President, Provincial Services, Population and Public Health, PHSA. “This discovery is a wonderful example of how investment in research is helping to pave the way toward better outcomes for cancer patients in the future.”

The discovery is not only a major scientific milestone for the BC Cancer Agency, an acknowledged world leader in cancer research care, but also a significant testimony to the power of philanthropy invested in science to fuel cancer research and drive new discoveries.

“The BC Cancer Foundation, as the fundraising arm of the agency, has raised over $15 million to support breast cancer research at the BC Cancer Agency across the province, including Dr. Aparicio’s program, through its Weekend to End Breast Cancer walk,” said BC Cancer Foundation President and CEO Douglas Nelson. “We are very grateful to the many thousands of British Columbians who have walked, donated and supported The Weekend to End Breast Cancer over the past six years. To everyone who has walked or contributed we can confidently say your efforts have made a difference – you are a partner in this remarkable achievement.”

The BC Cancer Foundation founded the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre, the Centre for Translational and Applied Genomics at the BC Cancer Agency, and the BC Cancer Agency’s Breast Cancer Outcomes Unit, all of which played a key role in the study. The research was conducted in the BC Cancer Agency’s research centre in Vancouver, which was constructed by the BC Cancer Foundation, with donor and provincial and federal government funding.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC/Yukon Region supported a key member of Dr. Aparicio’s research team through a bioinformatics fellowship. Other funders and supporters include the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Genome Canada and Genome BC, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.

Dr. Aparicio was recruited in 2005 from Cambridge University, UK to develop a breast cancer research program in British Columbia at the BC Cancer Agency. He holds the Nan and Lorraine Robertson Chair in Breast Cancer Research at the University of British Columbia (UBC), the Canada Research Chair in Molecular Oncology and is a professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC.

The BC Cancer Agency is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care. The BC Cancer Foundation raises funds to support research and enhancements to patient care at the BC Cancer Agency throughout B.C.

High-resolution photos, video and audio playback of today’s
teleconference are available for download at:

http://www.bccancerfoundation.com/cms/page1506.cfm

Other information sources:

– BC Cancer Agency information on breast cancer:

http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/PPI/TypesofCancer/Breast/default.htm

– BC Cancer Agency Molecular Oncology Department:

http://molonc.bccrc.ca/

– BC Cancer Agency Genome Sciences Centre (GSC): http://bcgsc.ca/

– BC Cancer Agency next-generation sequencing information:

http://molonc.bccrc.ca/?page_id=191

– Nature: www.nature.com

– NCI (US) General cancer info: http://www.cancer.gov/ and breast
cancer info: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast

– NCIC / Canadian Cancer Society:
http://www.cancer.ca/research/?sc_lang=en, with breast
cancer info at:

http://www.cancer.ca/canada-wide/about%20cancer/types%20of%20cancer/what%20is%20breast%20cancer.aspx?sc_lang=en

“Creating A Legacy – Are you going to make a DIFFERENCE or just a TEE TIME in your retirement?”

The work is done. Your share price is shooting the lights out. Revenues are pumping along on autopilot, like some financial Duracell bunny. You’ve finally stacked the board of directors with enough succession talent to enshrine your pioneering work for generations to come. You step back and apply the final brush strokes to your corporate masterpiece by announcing the appointment of Bright Young Thing, MBA as your successor. The golf course beckons, as does that year-long world cruise.

You’ve scored a perfect 10 on the happiness index.

Think again.

The work is done. Your share price is shooting the lights out. Revenues are pumping along on autopilot, like some financial Duracell bunny. You’ve finally stacked the board of directors with enough succession talent to enshrine your pioneering work for generations to come. You step back and apply the final brush strokes to your corporate masterpiece by announcing the appointment of Bright Young Thing, MBA as your successor. The golf course beckons, as does that year-long world cruise.

You’ve scored a perfect 10 on the happiness index.

Think again.

Our work with financial advisors and their clients on 5 continents over the past 15 years repeatedly uncovers a disturbing and predictable trend – traditional retirement fosters decay and depression.

Life insurance companies point to the trend of people passing away within 8 years of their retirement as evidence of something being amiss in the golden years of most policyholders.

The problem is simple. Human beings are teleological (target-seeking) mechanisms. Self worth and identity are not crafted from one’s past experience but rather through those future goals and constructive aspirations which bring clarity and focus to our daily lives. Commitment creates identity, not just existence.

In his seminal work on concentration-camp human psychology, “Man’s Search For Meaning”, Viktor Frankl, describes the marked difference in both mental states and physical longetivity amongst concentration camp prisoners during the Second world war. Those who regularly verbalized hopes, dreams and positive scenarios were physically hardier and displayed lower levels of depression and hopeless abandon than those fellow prisoners who “could not see a tomorrow”. One of the mistakes that social science makes is to discount the impact that these future constructs have on present health, sense of connectedness and general well-being.

Frankl became the father of” logo-therapy” which has become an important part of psychotherapy. “Logo” is derived from the Latin for “location”. Therapy is commonly accepted as “healing”. Define a positive direction for the patient and positive thought, emotion and action are natural by-products of the renewed commitment.

So back to your situation. One of the privileges of being an honorary member of the well-healed set is the ability to leverage your immense intellectual talents, powerful personal networks and financial freedom in order to make a sustainable difference to the lives of others less fortunate. Put more succinctly, the very best way to help the poor is to make sure you are not one of them (chances are you have that covered if you are reading this publication) – and then to use your time and contacts to give back massively using clever financial structuring.

Making the transition from go-getter to go-giver has the added benefit of extending your own lifespan and giving you a more compelling reason for rising each morning beyond your asset-building years for reasons beyond the pursuit of a dropping a little white ball in a faraway hole with fewer strokes than your equally well-healed friends.

Canada has a rich tradition of supporting the underdog in a social quest to create a fair balance between the “have’s” and the “have not’s”. As a member of the financially privileged few, I believe that we have a moral duty to create economic leverage in this great country by deploying our time and talents in pursuit of social justice and community upliftment. Whilst each of us gets to choose our favorite niche to give back to, the common questions we should be addressing as we set off on this journey to “pay it forward” are:

a. Based on family history, how many years do you think you have left? After all, you can’t DO GOOD unless you STAY GOOD in protecting yourself from the ravages of poor health, mental stagnation or premature death.

b. What work has been done to financially insure those years? That way, if you run out of contributing years before you have fulfilled your vision; your work will not perish together with your physical presence.

c. What lessons have you learned from the retirement of others? Consider emulating the actions of role models and mentors who shaped your own character and subsequent success in life. Where and how might you duplicate or magnify their efforts in making a mark in the world?

d. Describe a typical day in your retirement? Make a commitment to make a daily difference rather than a massive difference – it brings clarity and substance to your waking hours.

e. What charity or cause do you admire the most? How can your vast experience and social network contribute in securing their work for generations to come?

f. What do you feel is the greatest good that can come from your own wealth? Which educational campaign could be perpetuated through funding in your own retirement or estate planning?

g. What legacy do you want to leave behind? More specifically, what do you want to be remembered for having “gotten done” at a local level through your volunteerism or financial influence?

h. What plans have you made to pass along your wisdom, not just your wealth? Which community leadership group could benefit massively over a 36-60 month period from just a few hours each month of your presence on their board or in their executive activities?

i. What treasured experience would you buy for physically or mentally disadvantaged citizens in your community with your first free $ 100 000 of excess retirement funding?

j. What number do you have in mind to leave behind in your estate and what life do you picture buying with that number? Have you consulted the appropriate qualified specialists to secure that number through tax-efficient structures?

The scriptures said it all: “When the young men no longer dream dreams and the old men have lost their vision, the people perish.”

There are young successful entrepreneurs as well as readers in their advanced years perusing these words. The message is the same – who we are in the present is determined by the difference we hope to make in the future. Governments have a poor track record in redressing societal imbalance since time in memoriam.

Financially and influentially-leveraged leaders like you are the only ones with the time and fiscal muscle to step forward in creating local impact in extraordinary ways. I challenge you to stand up and be counted through your own commitment.

“Over 50% of all people entering a care situation are penniless within one year.” – Harvard University

Long Term Care Insurance provides income should you end up requiring extended care. Long terms care typically includes rehabilitative care, nursing care, personal and in-home health care.

Long Term Care Insurance protects you in the event you have to enter a long term care facility. It can also help should you ever require at home health care assistance.

The most popular type of long term care policy is one that provides income to you to provide for any type of long term care service. Other types of policies reimburse you for eligible expenses or pay a set daily amount for expenses.

* assess your current financial situation.
* create a realistic plan to meet your financial goals.
* understand how to meet your financial and retirement goals.
* put your financial plan into action and monitor your progress.
* update your financial plan to grow with your changing needs and goals.

If you have any of these questions or concerns, you will benefit from a consultation with a Financial Advisor:

* Confusion about conflicting financial advice and options.
* Paying too much income tax.
* Not saving enough for retirement.
* Not sure where to invest money.
* Changes in life that affect your financial future, such as a career change, marriage, retirement, loss of a spouse, birth of a child, etc.
* Not enough time to attend to personal financial affairs.

Financial Advisors are licensed professionals with a broad background in finance. They can guide you through some important life decisions. They can help you manage the risk involved in making decisions that can paralyze some of us, such as:

* What kind of retirement plan do I need?
* Am I paying too much in taxes?
* How can I save money for retirement – tax free?
* How much life insurance do I need?
* How can I make sure my estate is left to family members, and does not depleted by probate court and government taxes?
* Can we afford college tuition for our children – and how do we save for this, knowing how much tuitions are spiraling?

Would you benefit from having professional advice when it comes to planning your financial future? A Financial Advisor is a partner that can help you understand your options and help you build and protect your assets.

A Financial Advisor can also help you evaluate different life insurance plans and help you determine which policy or product is best going to serve your own unique needs and budget.

To assess your financial position and learn about some of the ways in which we can assist you, call us to schedule an appointment. Evening hours are available, and we can meet in your home or our office.

*Disclosure Statement …

Term life insurance

Term life insurance is the most traditional and best-known form of personal coverage, paying out to the policyholder’s dependents in the case of death. The main advantage of this insurance is that it is lower priced initially than other types of insurance, but it offers few other benefits.

This type of coverage typically operates for a fixed term of 10 to 30 years, depending upon the policy, and pays out the benefit amount if the policyholder dies.

Permanent Life Insurance

Permanent life insurance offers coverage for a lifetime, with a guaranteed payout upon death.

You choose the death benefit that will be paid upon death. You make payments in to the policy fund. So that any amount you pay into the fund on top of the premium is invested and building up a cash sum over time. This cash investment enables the value of the death benefit to increase, or allows loans to be taken against the policy, with many people seeing this as a viable income stream for their retirement plans.

Universal Life Insurance

Universal life insurance offers an extremely flexible middle way, combining life cover with the chance to build up an investment income, at a lower cost than fixed permanent life cover.

This type of cover can be very flexible and allows payments be varied, depending upon the current financial circumstances of the policyholder. Money paid over and above the normal premium can be used to either increase the cash value or increase the death benefit.

Summary

The three types of policies: TERM, UNIVERSAL, and PERMANENT insurance offer different benefits depending upon the needs of the policyholder.

The most affordable option, a simple Term policy, offers temporary coverage, but no other investment potential, and is usually a prerequisite when taking out a mortgage or a large loan.

Permanent and Universal Life Insurance are more flexible, offering tax-free investment potential alongside the lifetime coverage, allowing money to be invested into the death benefits or the investment account.

It is always important to seek independent financial advice before committing to any major financial decision and to be aware of all the long term investment opportunities available.

One of the easiest ways for you to make an informed decision before you buy life insurance is to sit down with a Financial Advisor to evaluate your situation. A Financial Advisor can help you determine the type of insurance coverage that is best for your unique situation.

Insurance reduces risk and provides security for yourself and your family’s future. To know how much insurance you need, you’ll need to consider your lifestyle and what the possible risks that could affect it. When calculating how much life insurance you need, consider the following:

• Estate Expenses
• Funeral Expenses
• Mortgage
• Loans and Debts
• Replacing Annual Income (number of years?)
• Children’s education
• Resources available at death: Savings, Stocks, Mutual Funds, Retirement Funds, Life Insurance, and Other Assets

When you think of insurance, the first that comes to mind is auto and home insurance. Replacement of these assets in the event of damage can be very costly. Most people hold auto and home insurance policies.

Life insurance is essential to many families, giving extra security if the unthinkable should happen. The loss of a breadwinner is devastating enough, without having the added stress of worrying about how to cover the bills and mortgage.

Other types of insurance are equally important. Life events such as illness, accidental injury, loss of employment income, or a death in the family can affect family security. Yet these potential risks to your lifestyle can be reduced by the right insurance planning.

Changes in lifestyle also determine the types and amount of insurance you need. The amount of life insurance that you have will likely change throughout your life, depending on your life circumstances. Some of these changes might be getting married, starting a family, changing jobs or preparing for unexpected events.

Should you have Term, Universal Life, and Permanent Life Insurance? More information on the types of life insurance …

To meet modern trends, life insurance providers also offer to act as an investment vehicle, building up a sum of extra equity over the lifetime of the policy. This can be withdrawn or borrowed against, and usually offers a tax-free sum on retirement or death.

Deciding on the type and amount of life insurance you should have requires careful consideration. A Financial Advisor can help you determine just how much insurance you need based on your age, your income, family circumstances and obligations, assets owned, and debts owed.