Newsletter

Submit your abstract by Friday 20 March 2020

Are you an early or mid-career postdoctoral researcher looking to showcase your work and develop your presentation skills in a supportive and educational environment? Get your abstract in now for the 4th VCCC Postdoctoral Symposium: Advances in Cancer Research to be held at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research on 12 June this year.

Building networks to extend scope and deliver improvements 

Victoria’s cancer clinical trial units deliver some of the best services in the world, providing access to world-class infrastructure and implementation of a flexible and rapid regulatory framework. There are a number of cancer clinical trial sites across metropolitan and regional Victoria. Each site is different in size, growth, strategic alliances, focus and operations.

New and important networks have been developed by the VCCC Building Capacity Through Efficiency Program which is aligning efforts across the state.

Master of Cancer Sciences among most popular courses

The healthcare industry is Australia’s largest and fastest growing according to the 2019 Australian Jobs report, and is predicted to grow almost 15 per cent in the next five years. As the sector expands, it’s never been more important to work with the pioneers of the industry.

The University of Melbourne’s partnership courses give students direct access to some of healthcare’s brightest minds at world-leading organisations – among them, the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

Women in Collaborative Leadership

To mark International Women’s Day 2020, the VCCC hosted a special Monday Lunch Live lecture with senior leaders from across the alliance to discuss the qualities needed by leaders in collaborative environments to drive innovation and culture change.

The VCCC lecture theatre was filled to capacity and many tuned-in online to hear from VCCC Chairperson and Vice-Chancellor of Swinburne University, Professor Linda Kristjanson AO as well as alliance member CEOs; Dr Sue Matthews of The Royal Women’s Hospital and Dr Shelley Dolan of Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, accompanied by Associate Professor Kylie Mason, VCCC Cancer Education and Training Advisory Committee and Sophy Athan, Chair, VCCC Cancer Consumer Advisory Committee.

Alfred Cancer Trials and VCCC work together 

Alfred Cancer Trials will implement their first cancer clinical trial using the teletrial model with support from the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC). The teletrial model developed by the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) aims to improve clinical trial recruitment and diversity by increasing trial access to the broader Victorian community impacted by cancer.

Understanding and applying genomic results in haematological disorders

Haematologists at all levels, specialist and advanced practice nurses, researchers and students are invited to a forthcoming symposium hosted by the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Research & Education Lead Haematology program.

As the genomic identity of haematological disorders becomes better understood, we are moving closer than ever to adopting a precision medicine approach to managing individual patients.

Potential for standardised approach in localised pancreatic cancer

Standardising treatments for pancreatic cancer is an ongoing challenge – for a range of reasons.

Last year, the VCCC held the annual Pancreatic Cancer Symposium co-convened by Professor Peter Gibbs, Research and Education Lead in Gastro-intestinal Cancers and Dr Belinda Lee, consultant medical oncologist, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. The December meeting sought to address an identified gap in agreed treatment standards in early and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer.