Pink Ribbon 2023: Breast cancer research prize of €100,000 goes to cancer researcher Sandro Keller

2023-09-26 18:42:05

Award ceremony in Parliament marks the official start of October Breast Cancer Month

Vienna (PK) – The Pink Ribbon, a symbol of awareness-raising and solidarity that can be seen from afar, shines again on the facade of the House for the first time this year following the completion of five years of renovation work. Just like today’s awarding of this year’s Breast Cancer Research Prize in Parliament, it marks the official start of the Pink Ribbon Campaign 2023 for Breast Cancer Month October. Doris Bures, Second President of the National Council and “Pink Ribbon Ambassador from the very beginning”, and the President of the Austrian Cancer Aid, Paul Sevelda, welcomed people to an event in the National Council Hall on this occasion.

The research prize, awarded by the Austrian Cancer Aid and endowed with €100,000, was taken as a further step towards improving the areas of prevention, diagnosis, therapy and aftercare as well as reducing the number of illnesses and mortality. It was awarded today to cancer researcher Sandro Keller (University of Graz). The aim of his research project is to be able to offer women with so-called HER2-positive breast cancer personalized immunotherapy, i.e. tailored to their tumor, through a precision examination of the tumor tissue. According to Keller, this would provide new impetus for research, “which could not take place without this prize.”

Bures: Visibility as an important symbol at the center of democracy

Second National Council President Doris Bures described it as a matter close to her heart to use the Pink Ribbon to make visible what needs to be made visible at the center of democracy and to talk about how women and men are doing when they are confronted with the diagnosis of breast cancer. The pink ribbon also stands as a public symbol of solidarity with those affected and their relatives. Every day, Cancer Aid sets an example that no breast cancer patient has to be left alone with their worries and supports those affected with the highest level of competence and commitment. The example of an affected woman who described cancer support as her “refueling station” shows how much this support means in difficult life situations, says Bures. From their point of view, it is essential to invest in research. It is therefore a particular honor and pleasure for her that the research prize will be awarded in Parliament today.

The President of the Austrian Cancer Aid, Paul Sevelda, gratefully emphasized the broad support of all parties represented in parliament for the visibility of the pink ribbon “in the center of the republic”. This solidarity between all parties also enables a unique health system overall, he appealed and said that this must continue to be a cross-party interest for all people.

Doris Kiefhaber, Managing Director of the Austrian Cancer Aid and Pink Ribbon Project Manager, reported, among other things, that a total of almost €786,000 was collected across Austria in 2022, which will be available this year for emergency aid for breast cancer patients. Five Pink Ribbon ambassadors also presented reports from difficult situations of four women and one man after breast cancer, in which the emergency aid from Krebshilfe provided important advisory, financial, psychological or medical support. (End) mbu

NOTE: Photos of this one Event as well as from Pink Ribbon at the Parliament building can be found in Parliament web portal.

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