Alicja Copik and Debbie Altomare each received $100,000 from the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation (FBCF), a group focused on supporting innovative research that will create new and better ways to diagnose, treat and perhaps cure the disease.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, dedicated to promoting awareness, screening and prevention of the disease.

Annette Khaled, who leads the College of Medicine鈥檚 Cancer Research Division, noted that 麻豆原创 competed with older, larger programs such as the University of Miami, the Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of Florida to earn the funding. Khaled received 麻豆原创鈥檚 first FBCF grant in 2012 and since then, seven College of Medicine faculty researchers have earned funding totaling almost $1 million. This is the first year two College of Medicine cancer researchers have earned the state cancer support in the same year.

鈥淭his shows we have tremendous intellectual capital in cancer research,鈥� Khaled says. 鈥淔BCF is looking for new, innovative ideas in fighting breast cancer and they are supporting 麻豆原创.鈥�

Copik focuses her research on better arming the body鈥檚 natural killer (NK) cells to wipe out cancer. NK cells are the first line of defense in warding off pathogens, such as viruses. Through genetic engineering and nanoparticle technology, Copik has developed NK cells that are better at recognizing and killing cancer cells. Such therapies are much easier on patients. NK cells can do their work without the debilitating impact that comes with current cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. And these energized NK cells can be donated to cancer patients from complete strangers without a risk of rejection.

The FBCF grant will help Copik refine her technologies to specifically fight breast cancer. She will also study how the most recent and still experimental treatment strategies against metastatic breast cancer may affect patients鈥� own NK cells. Because NK cells clear any residual tumor cells in the body, it鈥檚 important that new treatments don鈥檛 deplete the body鈥檚 natural fighters. With this knowledge, scientists can design better clinical trials and create more combination therapies that incorporate NK cells as additional cancer fighters.

“We need to harness innovation and innovative thinking to improve care.” 鈥� Alicja Copik, associate professor of medicine

Copik鈥檚 NK therapies are currently in clinical trials. She is also researching whether removing one of molecular 鈥渂rakes鈥� that cancer cells use to avoid being killed 鈥� either through antibodies or genetic engineering 鈥� can enhance NK cell anti-tumor power. In initial laboratory testing, this approach has shown strong results in killing neuroblastoma cancer cell lines, the most common cancer in infants.

鈥淲e need to focus on the quality of life for metastatic breast cancer patients,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e know chemo and radiation work, but they have drastic side effects. We need to harness innovation and innovative thinking to improve care.鈥�

Altomare has vast experience in cancer biology. Her focus is on the cellular pathways that can signal cancer cells to grow or help immunity cells better fight the disease. She is examining the role that inflammation plays in pancreatic cancer 鈥� one of the deadliest forms of the disease 鈥� and harnessing the body鈥檚 innate immunity to create new therapeutics for ovarian cancer.

One of the challenges of breast cancer research is the heterogeneity of breast tumors 鈥� meaning one patient may have a variety of cells in their tumor that is different from other patients. That makes it difficult for researchers and physicians to determine what exact molecular alternations occurred to cause the cancer and prescribe individualized treatments.

Altomare鈥檚 lab at the College of Medicine has been studying a particular growth factor called FGFR4 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 4) in breast cancer cells. Her work has discovered that while encouraging the growth of cancer cells, the growth receptor may also suppress immune cells.

She will use the FBCF funding to examine how the presence and absence of the growth factor and pathways in specific tumors impact their ability to spread and how they impact immunity. Her hope is that the discoveries will help create new metastatic breast cancer therapies.

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at ways the tumor cells can be reprogramed to better react to therapies and not be so drug resistant,鈥� she says.

The College of Medicine鈥檚 Cancer Research Division, housed in the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, focuses its work on a variety of areas, including how patients鈥� genes play a role in their cancer risk, what causes cancer and cancer metastasis and discovering new ways to harness the body鈥檚 immune system to fight cancer.

Typically, next steps for diagnosed women include speaking with their care provider, reaching out to support groups, or even just taking a moment to process everything.

But one thing has become clear for 麻豆原创 volunteer Assistant Professor of Surgery Olga Ivanov and former Breast Imaging Technologist Tammy Springer-Marcotte 鈥� who have over 20 years鈥� experience combined in the breast cancer space: A knowledge gap exists between diagnosis and true understanding.

Through Springer-Marcotte鈥檚 one-of-a-kind online company Breast Cancer Coach, which launched this past July, the duo is empowering patients with educational breast cancer information to help them make well-informed treatment decisions while offering a compassionate ear to those in need.

鈥淚鈥檝e had this [business] concept in my mind for at least six years now,鈥� says Springer-Marcotte, founder and CEO of Breast Cancer Coach, and medical professional with over two decades of experience as a mammographer, ultrasound technologist and in the medical device industry. 鈥淚 just felt that nudge inside me saying, 鈥楧o this now.鈥欌��

And who better to team up with than Ivanov, a board-certified and fellowship-trained breast surgeon and instructor in the College of Medicine at 麻豆原创. The pair have known each other for over a decade 鈥� building a bond over shared ideas and experiences in their field over the years.

鈥淔or both of us,鈥� Springer-Marcotte says, 鈥渙ur mission and goals are always patient-focused and how to better serve women.鈥�

In April, a meetup for coffee with Ivanov marked the kickoff of the small business. Three months later, was up and running.

The urgency for comprehensive resource and support hubs like Breast Cancer Coach is evident. Women often face a daunting gap between diagnosis and understanding their options. Healthcare systems may only inform patients about educational materials or approaches specific to that health system rather than provide a broader scope of options.

鈥淎s a breast surgeon, when women [who鈥檝e been diagnosed] come to me, they鈥檙e in that stress mode,鈥� Ivanov says. 鈥淸With Breast Cancer Coach,] we鈥檙e giving patients the space and time to calm down, to turn off that fight or flight psychological response, and be able to put on their rational thinking cap.鈥�

Breast Cancer Coach offers tailored services, emotional support and education to empower women in their care journey. Packages range from a free meet-the-coach call to hourly consultations to one-year VIP support. The services encompass personalized coaching, education and resources, as well as survivorship planning, addressing both immediate concerns and long-term well-being. And since the website is HIPPA-compliant, women can also securely submit their pathology reports for review by a medical professional.

Bringing her extensive expertise to the team, Ivanov reviews each patient鈥檚 case in her role as medical director at Breast Cancer Coach. She consults with Springer-Marcotte who then dives deep with the patient. Their partnership ensures that each case is thoroughly reviewed, allowing for more focused and personalized patient care.

The team is also supported by other physicians whom they鈥檝e formed relationships within the industry over the years. These medical professionals span the entire field of breast cancer care, from pathologists to medical oncologists to reconstructive surgeons 鈥� some of whom Springer-Marcotte plans to partner with for a new series called 鈥淎sk The Expert鈥� starting later this month. The free educational call is intended for patients wanting a better understanding of medical terms, surgical perspectives and more.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a tremendous need for women to have a better understanding of side effects and some of the medications they鈥檙e prescribed,鈥� Springer-Marcotte says. 鈥淸By having] a pharmacist join me to talk about side effects or to even have a radiation oncologist talk about different treatment options depending on [a woman鈥檚] stage of breast cancer 鈥� I鈥檓 bringing the knowledge to the table so women have a better understanding.鈥�

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the most common cancer among U.S. women 鈥� with 240,000 diagnoses annually.

With Breast Cancer Awareness Month internationally recognized in October, Ivanov says that great strides have been made all because of a month like this, however, women shouldn鈥檛 be complacent.

鈥淢ammograms still do save lives because if we [can] find cancer early,鈥� Ivanov says, 鈥渨e have a very good chance of curing it most of the time.鈥�

Emphasizing early detection is essential. In May of this year, the United States Preventive Services Task Force issued a recommendation lowering the age when women should start screening from 50 to 40 years old. It鈥檚 recommended for women to prioritize this annual exam 鈥� as it can detect tiny calcifications much earlier on than ultrasounds 鈥� along with doing self-breast exams, Springer-Marcotte says.

In a world where knowledge is key, Breast Cancer Coach is on its way to becoming a leading resource and welcoming space in the breast cancer community. Its positive impact extends beyond its strong presence throughout Florida to other states like California, Pennsylvania and Texas 鈥� and even to other countries like Canada and Peru.

鈥淥ver the years I鈥檝e learned so much and now is the time to take this knowledge that I have in the [breast cancer] field, the relationships that I have with physicians across the country [and] 鈥� use my gifts to serve other women to help make a stressful situation maybe a little less stressful,鈥� Springer-Marcotte says.