SCIEX, a global leader in life science analytical technologies, has donated US $17,500 to World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). A donation of $11,000 was made as the result of 98% participation in the annual SCIEX employee engagement survey, where SCIEX committed to making a donation to this very important cause based on the number of survey responses collected. An additional $6,500 was donated by Danaher Foundation, the parent company of SCIEX. The contribution will help to fund urgently-needed research investigating the relationships between food, nutrition (including body composition) and physical activity with cancer prognosis and outcome in cancer survivors. Since 2015, SCIEX has donated more than $30,000 to the charity.
Being overweight or obese increases the risk of 12 cancers, including breast and bowel cancer.1 Carrying excess body fat can lead to changes within the body, such as elevated hormone levels, insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, which in turn creates an internal environment conducive to cancer development and progression.1 It has been estimated that around 694,000 cancer cases each year could be prevented in the US, and 144,000 in the UK, by reducing exposure to cancer risk factors including those related to diet, weight and physical inactivity.2
Although increasing numbers of people are affected by cancer, the current advice on what dietary and physical activity patterns could improve their quality of life is not based on strong evidence.1 WCRF is funding vital research into understanding how diet, nutrition and exercise affect response to treatment, improve quality of life and influence cancer survival for these people.
The most recent donation from SCIEX will help WCRF to fund this kind of scientific research. For example, one important project, funded by WCRF, aims to better understand how body composition affects cancer survival, an area fraught with methodological difficulties. The research, which is being conducted by a group at the University of Manchester and led by Professor Andrew Renehan, is investigating whether elevated body mass index (BMI), measured at or after diagnosis in patients with bowel or womb cancer, is associated with reduced overall survival compared with a ‘healthy’ BMI.3
“SCIEX is very proud to support organisations that promote healthcare research and discovery, community engagement and efforts toward innovative approaches to improve quality of life around the world,” says Inese Lowenstein, President, SCIEX.
“The SCIEX vision of placing the power of life-changing answers into the hands of those who care, everywhere aligns well with WCRF’s focus around empowering the public and healthcare providers with information that could ultimately save lives.”
Gerard Cousins, Director of Fundraising for WCRF UK says: “WCRF is proud to have been working with SCIEX, an organisation that shares our aim of empowering people to make healthier lifestyle choices, since 2015. SCIEX fundraising has helped to fund much-needed research into cancer prevention, which has been reflected in our latest report Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer: a Global Perspective, which was launched in May.”
Many SCIEX customers worldwide work in cancer-related research, and the charitable partnership with WCRF reflects the focus of SCIEX and its customers who are making an impact in this area. With this donation, SCIEX contributes to advancing science and the improvement of human health and wellness not only by equipping healthcare professionals, but also by supporting world-leading cancer scientists in the search for better disease outcomes.
References
- World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018. The cancer process.
- WHO. Cancer Prevention. World Health Organization. Accessed 15/06/2017;
- The impact of body mass index on cancer-related survival in chemotherapy-naïve patients with non-metastatic colorectal and endometrial cancer: a federation meta-analysis of trial data