VCCC Annual Report 2019-20
The VCCC Annual Report 2019-20 highlights the breadth, diversity, and significance of the alliance's work, the potential for future growth, and the impact on the Victorian community.
The VCCC has partnered with Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer consortium on a joint initiative to support clinicians and health care services treating patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic and the recovery phase.
The Victorian COVID-19 Cancer Network (VCCN) provides a variety of resources and opportunities to get involved, learn and contribute.
There are two ways to get involved:
Subscribe to receive the VCCN newsletter with latest news, developments and changes to cancer care in Victoria, online events and seminars.
Become a VCCN Member: Health care workers can become a member of the VCCN and participate in online conversations and knowledge sharing via the VCCN Slack workspace. Members must agree to the terms and conditions to join.
Peter Mac is Australia’s only integrated cancer research, treatment and education centre, with multidisciplinary teams that provide care informed by precision in fundamental, translational and clinical research.
The Royal Melbourne Hospital (Melbourne Health) provides high-quality cancer treatment programs, translational research, and surgical and medical expertise, as well as other key support services such as clinical care and emergency medicine.
Australia’s first ranked research university and medical school, the university provides academic and research expertise to the alliance.
The Women’s provides specialist cancer services for women with breast and gynecological cancer and conducts research into the treatment and care of women with cancer, as well as the specific impacts of gender on cancer.
WEHI is one of Australia’s leading biomedical research organisations, with a strong national and international reputation for performing highly influential basic and translational research.
The Children’s Cancer Centre is the only provider of complex children’s cancer care and stem cell transplantation in Victoria and is a leader in the research and treatment of childhood cancer.
Western Health is the largest provider of treatment for colorectal cancer and a leader in the treatment of upper gastro-intestinal cancers with programs in breast, lung, genitourinary, gynaecology and haematological cancer.
Western Health has on-site radiation therapy and chemotherapy facilities and has a strong palliative care service.
A leader in palliative care practice and complex cancer surgery, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne also provides oncology and haematology services, on-site radiation therapy and chemotherapy facilities, in addition the hospital houses the Victorian-wide psycho-oncology service.
The hospital shares its campus with St Vincent's Institute, which has fundamental and clinical researchers working on mechanisms of cancer and diseases of cancer survivorship.
The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre at Austin Health provides world-leading specialist treatment and holistic care including clinical trials both independently and in partnership with the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI) – a leader in the development of experimental and breakthrough cancer treatments only metres from where patients are cared for.
The MCRI is a leader in understanding the underlying mechanisms and treatment of paediatric cancer and is home to the Children’s Cancer Tissue bank; a world class resource for researchers studying rare solid tumours and leukemia.
Peter Mac is Australia’s only integrated cancer research, treatment and education centre, with multidisciplinary teams that provide care informed by precision in fundamental, translational and clinical research.
The Royal Melbourne Hospital (Melbourne Health) provides high-quality cancer treatment programs, translational research, and surgical and medical expertise, as well as other key support services such as clinical care and emergency medicine.
Australia’s first ranked research university and medical school, the university provides academic and research expertise to the alliance.
The Women’s provides specialist cancer services for women with breast and gynecological cancer and conducts research into the treatment and care of women with cancer, as well as the specific impacts of gender on cancer.
WEHI is one of Australia’s leading biomedical research organisations, with a strong national and international reputation for performing highly influential basic and translational research.
The Children’s Cancer Centre is the only provider of complex children’s cancer care and stem cell transplantation in Victoria and is a leader in the research and treatment of childhood cancer.
Western Health is the largest provider of treatment for colorectal cancer and a leader in the treatment of upper gastro-intestinal cancers with programs in breast, lung, genitourinary, gynaecology and haematological cancer.
Western Health has on-site radiation therapy and chemotherapy facilities and has a strong palliative care service.
A leader in palliative care practice and complex cancer surgery, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne also provides oncology and haematology services, on-site radiation therapy and chemotherapy facilities, in addition the hospital houses the Victorian-wide psycho-oncology service.
The hospital shares its campus with St Vincent's Institute, which has fundamental and clinical researchers working on mechanisms of cancer and diseases of cancer survivorship.
The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre at Austin Health provides world-leading specialist treatment and holistic care including clinical trials both independently and in partnership with the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI) – a leader in the development of experimental and breakthrough cancer treatments only metres from where patients are cared for.
The MCRI is a leader in understanding the underlying mechanisms and treatment of paediatric cancer and is home to the Children’s Cancer Tissue bank; a world class resource for researchers studying rare solid tumours and leukemia.
Future-ready comprehensive cancer alliance
In our complex world, where knowledge and information are immediate and global, it pays to share.
With very evident support from public and private funding sources, there is optimism that 2021 will usher in a new era of cancer research and development, teamed with commercial collaboration, and a whole-of-Victoria desire to improve cancer outcomes globally.
The VCCC Precision Oncology Program has implemented a groundbreaking approach whereby genomic testing is based on clinical decision-making rather than the strict eligibility criteria required for research studies or clinical trials. Since March 2019 this approach has enabled VCCC alliance hospital partners to provide some patients access to genomic testing they would not otherwise have had.
Learn moreEffective communication can make all the difference. Sometimes it is the simplest things – the right word of reassurance at the right time, or having your partner actively included in a care conversation can be highly effective ways to build and enhance the doctor-patient therapeutic relationship. Many clinicians do this incredibly well but there is always room for improvement.
Experts from the VCCC have designed a new online education program for clinical staff to practice and refine their patient communication skills.
Six weeks with my biopsy - a story of cancer and genomics
Victoria will soon be home to a world-leading genomics hub. Genomics innovation and use in clinical care is a progressive area and provides great promise for more effective diagnosis and treatment of cancer. While next-generation genome sequencing technologies are increasingly used in clinical research and to select patients for clinical trials, they are not yet well integrated into routine clinical practice.
Targeting Natural Killer Cells in Cancer
The Monday Lunch Live lecture series provides weekly access to the latest knowledge across the spectrum of cancer disciplines. The VCCC is excited to kick off the 2021 program with Professor Nick Huntington, an emerging international leader in the field of cancer immunology, specialising in natural killer (NK) cell biology.
The VCCC is delighted to kick off the Grand Round Breast Cancer program for 2021, showcasing the latest developments in breast cancer-related research locally, nationally, and globally.
Join to hear from Professor Alastair Thompson, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas who will review the pathology, clinical management, and underlying mechanisms of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast.
Supported by new funding from the Victorian Government, over the next 3.5 years the alliance will continue its groundbreaking work developing and implementing innovative, system-changing programs aimed to improve outcomes for patients with cancer.
The VCCC is seeking an experienced Contracts Manager for a newly created part time role, designed to support the rollout of this new tranche of programs under a 3.5 year Strategic Program Plan. The programs of work have been developed, and will be implemented, in collaboration and consultation with VCCC alliance members and consumers. The VCCC alliance is an incorporated joint venture structured through a company limited by guarantee, functioning in a tightly regulated industry segment with specific grant funding requirements relating to reporting and compliance.
Supported by new funding from the Victorian Government, over the next 3.5 years the alliance will continue its groundbreaking work developing and implementing innovative, system-changing programs aimed to improve outcomes for patients with cancer.
One of the strategic areas of focus is the development of cancer nursing research capability, which has the potential to enhance patient care, health outcomes and health services. A knowledgeable, research-enabled and research-active nursing workforce is fundamental to quality, safety and innovation in cancer care. With this aim in mind, the VCCC is now offering an exciting opportunity to join our close-knit and cross-functional team as Project Manager, Nurse-led Research.
Supported by new funding from the Victorian Government, over the next 3.5 years the VCCC alliance will continue its groundbreaking work developing and implementing innovative, system-changing programs aimed to improve outcomes for patients with cancer.
We are offering an exciting new opportunity to join our close-knit and cross-functional team as Program Manager, Translational Research. Aligned with program funding, this is a full-time opportunity through to mid-2024.