VCCC Alliance

🎁 A HOLIDAY MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO As the end of the year quickly draws closer, it feels timely to reflect on what has been a significant year in the life of the VCCC Alliance. Despite the challenges, I am extremely proud of the way our organisation as a whole, and our employees as individuals who work tirelessly for a cause they feel so passionate about, forged a path forward in this new reality. May you and your loved ones have a safe and happy holiday period and I look forward to all we can achieve together for people affected by cancer, in 2025. Read more: https://bit.ly/3D6IHcL

Join a National Consumer Program to improve cancer outcomes Do you have a lived experience of cancer, or have you supported someone through their cancer journey? Do you live rurally or remotely?  You could play an integral role in improving cancer experience and outcomes across rural and remote Australia with researchers at Deakin University.  The program will bring together and encourage the voices of a diverse group from all over Australia. Why not make yours one of them?  Expressions of interest close 20th December 2024. Apply now  👉 https://lnkd.in/guA5wVAf Anna Ugalde Skye Marshall Helena Rodi Institute for Health Transformation

The VCCC Alliance’s regular Precision Oncology Forum has drawn together a stellar cast of experts to advise on topics going forward. Seven individuals from across VCCC Alliance members have joined an Expert Reference Group for the forum, which is co-chaired by Dr Joep Vissers, Curation Scientist Team Leader, the University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, and Dr Huiling Xu, Senior Research Fellow, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Congratulations to all those selected to be part of the reference group - we are honoured to have all of these experts contributing their time and expertise across a broad range of cancers, in the precision oncology space. ✔️ Dr Alan Rubin, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) ✔️ Dr Azim Jalali, Western Health ✔️ A/Prof Catherine Mitchell, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre ✔️ Dr Colin Williams, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne ✔️ Dr Fiona Chionh, Austin Health, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute ✔️ Dr Dong Anh Khuong Quang, The Royal Children's Hospital ✔️ Dr Kortnye Smith, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Eastern Health Read more: https://bit.ly/4gcjPPo.

A regional educational initiative first piloted by the VCCC Alliance in Victoria will now be rolled out by the organisation nationally, thanks to a Federal grant worth almost $1 million. The alliance has been awarded $962,276 from the Australian Government’s Cancer Patient Support Program grants to help drive improvements in regional cancer care, as part of a national regional workforce educational strategy. The program will be led by new VCCC Alliance Research and Education Lead, Regional, Dr Sam Harris from Bendigo Health. “Improving cancer outcomes across Australia requires a collaborative effort,” says Dr Harris. “We are proud to be working closely with regional health services and cancer care centres interstate, bringing together knowledge and research to address disparities in cancer care between urban and regional areas.” Read more: https://bit.ly/3D86w3W Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care Department of Premier and Cabinet (Vic) Victorian Department of Health Office of Hon Jacinta Allan MP, Premier of Victoria Mary-Anne Thomas MP Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance

The VCCC Alliance and Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium are proud to unveil a roadmap for advancing equitable access to genomic testing for cancer. A key project under the VCCC Alliance Personalised Cancer Care program, funded by Victorian Government from 2021-2024, the Precision Oncology Roadmap was a collaboration between the Alliance and MPCCC. It included a Precision Oncology Summit, held in 2023, which captured the diverse views of clinicians, researchers and consumers. The Roadmap has been submitted to Cancer Australia to inform its National Framework for Genomics in Cancer Control. Read more and access the Roadmap here: https://lnkd.in/gPatMKmT Tim Richardson Grant McArthur AO Melissa Southey Mark S. Victorian Department of Health Department of Premier and Cabinet (Vic) Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

Congratulations to A/Prof Kara Britt, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, who has been awarded a $50,000 Tour de Cure grant to develop a collaborative network designed to improve prevention and detection of cancer. The PRevention and Early DetectIon of Cancer neTwork (PREDICT) was founded by A/Prof Britt with support from the VCCC Alliance in 2023, to address the lack of a unified program where like-minded researchers could come together to share their work and accelerate approaches to cancer prevention and detection. The VCCC Alliance hosted the network's first annual symposium in June, which was attended by more than 100 people and attracted national and international speakers. A/Prof Britt drove the event in her role as co-chair of the VCCC Alliance Accelerating Novel Therapies Steering Committee. A/Prof Britt said the grant will allow the group to develop a website, hold an annual symposium and quarterly meetings to disseminate new information on the latest developments in prevention, screening and early detection, and find experts for collaborative projects. The network brings together departments within Peter Mac, the University of Melbourne, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research), The Royal Women's Hospital and St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Read about the inaugural symposium here: https://bit.ly/3P04dCM

👀 Great job going with our friends over in the Cancer in Primary Care Research Group!

"When you are diagnosed with cancer, it is not unusual to feel powerless, perplexed or even overwhelmed about your treatment options. "But for me, once the initial shock of my bladder cancer diagnosis subsided, I really wanted to be proactive in decision-making about my treatment. I decided to be a co-pilot, not a passenger, in tackling my health challenge. "I set out to learn how best to navigate our complex health system and what questions I needed to ask my medical team. This informed better conversations with the team, enabling me to discuss the latest research and be actively involved in decision-making around my treatment." Read an Opinion piece by Melissa Le Mesurier, Chair of the VCCC Alliance Cancer Consumer Advisory Committee, who recently chaired our Consumer Engagement Forum. https://lnkd.in/gCHnm4eD Office of Hon Jacinta Allan MP, Premier of Victoria Mary-Anne Thomas MP Department of Premier and Cabinet (Vic) Victorian Department of Health Victorian Government Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance Echuca Regional Health Bendigo Community Health Services Melissa Le Mesurier

Congratulations to the 11 outstanding individuals selected across VCCC Alliance member organisations who have been appointed Research and Education Leads! These positions with the VCCC Alliance bring expertise across 10 cancers - and will help drive excellence in collaboration to improve outcomes for people experiencing cancer. We're honoured to have working with us: Breast cancer: Prof Sherene Loi, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre; University of Melbourne Head and neck cancer: Prof Ben Dixon, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne; University of Melbourne Lower gastrointestinal cancer: Prof Jeanne Tie, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research); Peter Mac; University of Melbourne. Upper gastrointestinal cancer, Co-leads: Mr John Spillane, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre; University of Melbourne; and Dr Shehara Mendis, Western Health; WEHI; Monash University; Melbourne Health. Haematological cancer: A/Prof Piers Blombery, Peter Mac; University of Melbourne; Monash University. Brain cancer – Prof Hui Gan, Austin Health; La Trobe University Genito-urinary cancer – Prof Niall Corcoran, The Royal Melbourne Hospital; Western Health; University of Melbourne Gynae-oncology – A/Prof @Sumitra Ananda, Peter Mac; WEHI; University of Melbourne Melanoma – A/Prof David Gyorki, Peter Mac; University of Melbourne Sarcoma – A/Prof Jeremy Lewin, Peter Mac; The Royal Children's Hospital; University of Melbourne Read more: https://bit.ly/41y2ITR Office of Hon Jacinta Allan MP, Premier of Victoria Mary-Anne Thomas MP Department of Premier and Cabinet (Vic) Victorian Department of Health Victorian Government Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance

Our CEO Prof Grant McArthur AO told our successful Consumer Engagement Forum this week that Victoria could be the first jurisdiction in the world to remove the gap in cancer outcomes between regional and metropolitan areas. The VCCC Alliance Chief Executive called on the Victorian cancer sector to aspire for equitable cancer outcomes across the state, at the alliance's first ever consumer engagement forum held in a regional area. Regional Victorians are 10 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than those living in major cities, and 15 per cent more likely to die, according to new data from 2023 released by the Victorian Cancer Registry this week. Thanks again Bendigo Health Loddon Mallee Integrated Cancer Service (LMICS) for partnering with us for the event! You can read more about the event here! https://bit.ly/4gcupGn 📸Thanks Xenia Buman Office of Hon Jacinta Allan MP, Premier of Victoria Mary-Anne Thomas MP Department of Premier and Cabinet (Vic) Victorian Department of Health Victorian Government Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance Echuca Regional Health Bendigo Community Health Services