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9 News
4 days ago
- Health
- 9 News
Wendy's cancer might be incurable, but she just wants to help future patients
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here When Wendy Clift went for a routine breast scan in 2007, she got call from her doctors almost immediately. "The news wasn't good," the widowed grandmother of two from Scone in regional NSW told Wendy Clift was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. (Supplied) Just days later, she had a mastectomy, followed by more treatment. While it was successful in keeping her in remission for a few years, the cancer has now returned and it has spread. However, Clift, now 72, was invited to be part of a new Australian drug trial. It's hoped it could help patients with a certain kind of breast cancer live longer. The DIAmOND clinical trial showed adding dual immunotherapy to existing treatments could be promising for some patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer. Clift said her cancer appears to be "pretty stable" after the trial earlier this year, which she did at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital. Some of the cancerous lumps she had have even disappeared, though she doesn't know if that's due to the new drug combination. Clift said she didn't have side effects. She said taking part in the trial was less about her and more to help future patients. "I'm just prepared because whatever happens to me is neither here nor there, but hopefully in years to come it'll help somebody else," she said. Immunotherapy is a treatment that uses a person's immune system to treat certain cancers. Wendy Clift, pictured with son Joshua and grandchildren Florence and Arthur, says she just wants to help future cancer patients. (Supplied) The other drug used alongside this in the trial was trastuzumab, commonly known as Herceptin. The trial aimed to see if combining the two could prolong the amount of time cancer was under control in patients with advanced disease which had become resistant to trastuzumab. Results differed depending on the kind of cancer each of the 68 trial patients had. Some had a response rate of up to 63 per cent, while for other kinds it was 27 per cent. Some patients saw their cancer controlled for more than two years. The combination of drugs has been given previously to people with lung cancer. Professor Sherene Loi developed and led the trial, which was conducted by the research organisation Breast Cancer Trials. "These promising results suggest combining new immunotherapy treatments with trastuzumab may offer a new treatment option for patients with treatment-resistant HER2-positive breast cancer," Loi said. "These findings provide a compelling case for further exploration and how we can best integrate this treatment combination into clinical practice." HER2-positive breast cancer is a type of breast cancer that tests positive for a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). However, it often responds well to specific treatments. Around 15-20 per cent of all types of breast cancers are HER2-positive. It is more common in younger, pre-menopausal women. cancer health drugs Australia medical national New South Wales CONTACT US Auto news:Is this the next Subaru WRX? Mysterious performance car teased.
9 News
6 days ago
- Business
- 9 News
Large pet store chain introduces new ban at stores Australia-wide
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A major pet retailer has banned the sale of live animals at all of its stores across Australia. PetO, the third largest pet retailer in the country, has rolled out the change to its 58 stores across NSW, the ACT, Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania. A spokesperson told the process started in May and the sales have since been phased out at every store. PetO co-founders Nick Greenhalgh and David Rowe. (Supplied/PetO) The business hopes the move will encourage Australian pet stores to follow its lead and set a new ethical standard. "The transport, storage and sale of live animals in pet shops is ethically problematic and can lend itself to issues relating to animal welfare as well as irresponsible ownership of pets," the spokesperson said. "The decision to stop the sale of live animals will impact PetO in the short term but have long term commercial benefits that will help the business reach its goal of a projected $250 million in annual revenue by 2028." national Australia Consumer Shopping Shoppers Pets CONTACT US
9 News
31-05-2025
- General
- 9 News
Kate could have lost her dogs in her separation. A new law is recognising pet custody
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Kate did not know what she would do if her partner kept their two dogs when they separated after seven years. In their relationship, they cared for French bulldog Junior and British bulldog Winnie. Kate's former partner had Junior before they began dating, while Winnie came after. British bulldog Winnie (left) and French bulldog Junior (right). (Supplied) But the issue was that both dogs were registered under his name. If they had gone to court, he would have got custody. "They were our kids, we didn't have human kids," she told "I live for them... They are literally my everything." But luckily, after what Kate said was an amicable breakup, they came to a solution. "Ultimately, he just said, 'Look, I just want you to have them'. And he bought himself a new dog, and they just stayed with me," she said. Kate's situation is one of the rare cases. In most instances, pets are not recognised under family law proceedings and are considered property. "It could have been a very different outcome for me," Kate said. But under a national amendment to the Family Law Act coming into effect on June 11, courts will consider emotional bonds and the welfare of a companion animal when deciding who keeps it after a breakup. Eve Smith, founder and managing director of Umbrella Family Law. (Supplied) This means the pet will no longer go to who the animal is registered to or whose home it stays at. Eve Smith, whose firm Umbrella Family Law was the first in Australia to train each lawyer in pet custody matters, said these changes would be "really positive" for families and partners moving forward. "What we find very much is that, particularly for people who don't have children, their animals are their be-all and end-all," she said. "Even within families with children, children and adults find so much empathy, understanding from their animals and calmness that when people separate, it's a huge decision as to what's going to happen to the pet." Smith has seen pets become an aggravating factor in separation proceedings, and used as a pawn. In one instance, a client of hers struggled to find alternative accommodation with her two Burmese mountain dogs, so she stayed with her estranged husband until the dogs passed away before she left the relationship. "These amendments are actually the law catching up with what's happening on the ground," Smith said. law national Australia Pets family CONTACT US
NDTV
02-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Australian Man's Strange Condition Where He Can't Feel Hot Or Cold Baffles Doctors
Quick Take Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. A 22-year-old man suffers from a mystery illness affecting sensation. Aidan McManus lost feeling in his hands and feet over the last five years. Doctors failed to diagnose the issue after numerous tests and treatments. A 22-year-old man in Australia has been suffering from a mystery illness for the past five years, where he cannot feel heat or cold on his hands and feet, baffling the doctors. Aidan McManus was only 17 and in the final year of his high school when he began losing some of the sensation in his feet, according to a report in His mother, Angela McManus, said that he started complaining about feeling tingly and numb in his feet. In the initial diagnosis, the doctor said it was fluid retention and gave him some medicine. However, the medicine proved ineffective as Aidan started having difficulty walking, in addition to post-viral irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). As the condition worsened, he was referred to a neurologist who ran a series of tests on him to find the underlying cause. "They must have done 20-odd blood tests. They cut a piece of nerve out of his leg to do a biopsy on it. They did a lumbar puncture and genetic testing - none of these tests showed up any answers," said Ms McManus. He was ultimately diagnosed with a generalised nerve disorder - axonal peripheral neuropathy - which disrupts how nerve cells transmit signals throughout the body. As per Ms McManus, when her son picks up something hot, he feels cold, and when he holds something cold, he gets a burning sensation. "For those obvious reasons, he can't cook. He's got to be very careful. When I do give him meals I've got to say, 'It's really hot, or it's really cold'. His ability to walk, as well as his balance and co-ordination had all been affected," she added. Aidan's condition is progressive and very unlikely to resolve, as per the neurologist. His family's troubles have been compounded by the NDIA (National Disabilty Insurance Agency) rejecting his application. The disability body said Aidan could not be provided funding as he had not "examined all possible treatment options". The neurologist treating him wrote a letter to NDIA, informing them that there was no treatment available and apart from pain relief, there was nothing much that the doctors could do. "I would strongly support him being eligible for inclusion in the NDIS as I believe that he has an incurable disability and will continue to worsen," read the letter.
9 News
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- 9 News
Where to get your democracy sausage this election day
Federal Election 2025 elections Politics food Australia national federal election CONTACT US Send your stories to contact@ Auto news: Tesla misses previous financial forecasts as its profits fall to its lowest since 2020.
