VCCC Alliance

The VCCC Alliance has contributed significantly to increased collaboration between its 10 members organisations, including a two-to-threefold increase in co-authored publications compared to a decade ago, a new report has found. The report, Impact of the VCCC Alliance - Creating the building blocks for better long term cancer outcomes was prepared for the Alliance by the The Centre for International Economics, a private economic research agency. The report, which involved interviews with more than 60 stakeholders, found almost half - over 45 per cent - of member publications involve another VCCC Alliance member. There was also a large increase in academic journal publications by VCCC Alliance-affiliated researchers, with a 19 per cent increase between 2018 and 2023. Read more and access the full report here: https://bit.ly/3DgYrdh Office of Hon Jacinta Allan MP, Premier of Victoria Mary-Anne Thomas MP Victorian Department of Health Department of Treasury and Finance, Victoria

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📢 TOP 10 POSTS 2024 2024 has been both an amazing and challenging year at VCCC Alliance. As we move forward into 2025, let’s look back at the year that was. Here are our Top 10 LinkedIN posts for the year. 1. US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy https://bit.ly/41EQJ6V US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy visited the #VCCC building and discussed future #cancermoonshot collaborations with Sanchia Aranda AM, Grant McArthur AO and our colleagues/members Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research), The Brain Cancer Centre, and University of Melbourne. 2. WICC https://bit.ly/4iyUMrs We hosted the 2024 World Indigenous Cancer Conference, and 621 international delegates in Narrm, Melbourne. The conference addressed unique challenges faced by First Nations people in overcoming cancer around the world. 3. New deputy board chair https://bit.ly/3Dn3vgr James Flintoft was announced as Deputy Chair of the VCCC Alliance Board. 4. Dr Andrew Soma https://bit.ly/4iVePAP We welcomed Dr Andrew Soma, the first and only oncologist from the Solomon Islands, in Melbourne for his graduation ceremony from the Master of Cancer Sciences. Read his inspiring story: https://bit.ly/41EQJDX 5. Melanoma event https://bit.ly/4iENHFY We ran a melanoma symposium on multidisciplinary care, featuring a wide range of speakers including Dr Charlotte Ariyan who joined us from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, USA. 6. In the media https://bit.ly/3DmbdHy CEO Professor Grant McArthur AO was featured in the VWeekend cover story about genetic testing, and why he chose to be tested following his prostate cancer diagnosis. 7. Liver cancer https://bit.ly/4geygCG Our Hepatocellular Cancer Symposium shone the spotlight on Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), one of the most commonly-diagnosed liver cancers in the world. 8. SKILLED presentations https://bit.ly/4iHZ1AZ SKILLED Clinical Trial Internship Study Coordinators presented their projects for the year. 9. ACCN launch https://bit.ly/4gbcrUB CEO Prof Grant McArthur AO represented the VCCC Alliance at the launch of the Australian Comprehensive Cancer Network (ACCN) in Sydney, hosted by Cancer Australia. 10. Budget response https://bit.ly/41EQJnr The VCCC Alliance responded to the funding from the Victorian Government’s 2024-25 budget. We thank you all for being a part of our journey, as we strive towards improving outcomes for all Victorians living with cancer.

🎁 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!