Cancer research at Flinders has received a boost thanks to Tour de Cure’s inaugural SA Discovery Tour.

Set against a picturesque backdrop, the group of 110 cyclists and support crew rode more than 300km over three days from 24-26 May, from Victor Harbor and across to Kangaroo Island aboard SeaLink.

The fundraising tally sits at about $300,000 with funds going to Flinders Foundation and UniSA to support cancer research.

Among the beneficiaries of Tour de Cure’s generosity is Flinders cancer researcher Dr Ashley Hopkins, who rode the Tour himself. His work will look to develop accurate and personalised predictions of the likelihood of benefit and harm from medicines used in advanced breast and lung cancer treatment.

It will be one of the world’s first research projects to analyse the CancerLinQ Database – a collection of information from over 1.7 million cancer patients – to enable patients and clinicians to make better decisions regarding commencing and continuing with certain anticancer medicines in advanced cancers.

A second Flinders project by Professor Arduino Mangoni will also receive funding to test newly developed drugs in a bid to improve survival rates in patients with Triple Negative Breast Cancer – one of the most aggressive and fatal forms of breast cancer.

Triple Negative breast cancer affects around 15-20 per cent of women with breast cancer, but at present treatments are not as good as those used in other types of breast cancer.

During the tour, the team also visited local schools and hosted community events aimed at promoting healthy cancer-smart lifestyles.

If you’re interested in joining Tour de Cure’s 2020 SA Discovery Tour, get in touch with the Flinders Foundation team to register your interest at info@flindersfoundation.org.auor phone (08) 8204 5216.

You can view the spectacular photos and videos of the tour on our Facebook page here.