Newsletter

Solutions for removing barriers

Every year in Victoria, around 300 adolescents and young adults (AYA, 15-25 years) are diagnosed with cancer. Approximately 30 Victorian adolescents and young adults die from cancer each year. It is the leading cause of non-accidental death in this age group in Australia.

New haematology learnings available online

When it comes to any form of technology, the end user must be taken into consideration. Shifting a fully programmed symposia from in-person to online delivery is a considerable challenge, but it's a move VCCC alliance members have enthusiastically embraced during the pandemic, and audiences have applauded.  

Online learning in the community

In the last two years, the VCCC has presented a free massive open online course (MOOC) to meet the needs of primary care practitioners who have patients with cancer.  The 4-week online course was developed in Melbourne as a collaboration with the University of Melbourne and the VCCC. Since the first 4-week burst, the course has attracted around 4,000 participants, with health workers logging in from more than 90 countries worldwide.

Comprehensive Cancer PhD program

Over 200 cancer-related PhD students from VCCC member organisations participate in the Comprehensive Cancer PhD program, with stronger than ever engagement through the COVID pandemic.

Structures in place to systemise collaboration

Successful research with broad scope and translational potential requires collaboration of individual researchers, disciplines and organisations.

Each one, teach one 

Building connectivity and facilitating collaboration and partnerships is a key feature of VCCC alliance work. Our ability to consistently build connectivity is central to integrating research, education and clinical care into better outcomes for patients.

Seeking better understanding together

Professor David Wiesenfeld, VCCC Research and Education Lead for Head and Neck Cancer recently hosted a forum to bring together laboratory scientists and clinical researchers to better understand cancers of the head and neck therefore assisting the discovery of new and effective interventions for prevention and treatment.

Educational webinars build skills to undertake research  

While 2020 continues to be an extremely challenging time due to the uncertainty that COVID-19 brings to our community, now more than ever, nurses are demonstrating leadership in research; conceiving research projects to collect evidence that can lead to improving patient care and outcomes.

New research highlights the opportunities to improve care for people in prison who are dying from a progressive, life-limiting illness

In an article published in the University of Melbourne's Pursuit last month, research shows that with an increasing and ageing prisoner population, there are now more people who are likely to face their end of life in prison. Of those prisoners who die in Victoria, approximately 38 per cent will spend their final weeks or months of life in a secure, guarded public hospital ward.

2020 'Report Card' on the nation released

Australia's health 2020 is the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's 17th biennial report on the health of Australians. It is a mix of short statistical updates and longer discussions exploring selected topical issues. The topic of cancer is explored under Australia's health snapshots - Health status.