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Melissa Sheldon is a VCCC Alliance consumer representative who has lived with melanoma for 13 years. She was first diagnosed at 29 and has survived, even when the cancer progressed to Stage 4. This is her story.
For the first time in Australia, clinical trial metrics have been compiled into a single online resource that allows users to search and filter through any metric routinely reported in Australia.
Data Connect one giant leap
‘Big Data’ has been a buzzword for much of the 21st Century, but its potential to transform outcomes across a range of diseases is yet to be fully realised.
Through our newly launched initiative, Data Connect, we have undertaken the largest ever primary care and hospital data linkage project in Australia.
In an Australian first, more than 130 million medical records from GP and hospital visits are now available to researchers to study the continuum of cancer care through the VCCC Alliance’s Data Connect, which was officially launched on 4 April 2023 by The Hon Mary-Anne Thomas MP at the VCCC building.
The official launch of the VCCC Alliance Leadership Academy in late March was the perfect start for the new initiative, which will offer future-focussed networking and educational events for the next generation of leaders in cancer.
Sophy Athan will step down from her role as Chair of the VCCC Alliance Cancer Consumer Advisory Committee (CCAC) after eight years at the helm in June 2023.
The VCCC Alliance is delighted to announce South West Healthcare (SWH) as the latest regional cancer centre to sign on as a Regional Program Partner.
For women everywhere, we must do better
“Living with pain and not being believed deprives us of our full humanity, and we deserve better.”
Those were the words spoken by Gabrielle Jackson in her keynote at our International Women’s Day event last week focussing on gender bias in medicine. A systemic problem needs systemic change, and I’m reinvigorated this International Women’s Day to continue the discussion and bring more men into the conversation, for everyone’s sake.
The award-winning SKILLED Clinical Trial Internship Program has entered its fifth year, with the newest crop of interns completing orientation in February.
Emotional care is fundamental to providing comprehensive cancer care, according to a new study led by Professor Mei Krishnasamy and published in the journal, Healthcare.
Emotional care is the identification of, and tailored responses to, emotional suffering experienced by people affected by cancer.
Dr Kortnye Smith answers everything you wanted to know about the Clinical Trialist Development Hub – but were too afraid to ask.
The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) is calling on the Community to come forward for potentially life-saving cancer screening and health checkups as part of the ‘Don’t Miss a Moment’ campaign launch.
Western Health’s Ms Jessica Balson has been appointed Deputy Chair of the Cancer Education and Training Advisory Committee (CETAC).
Emeritus Professor Linda Kristjanson AO will step down from her role as Chair of the VCCC Alliance Board at the end of her second term, in June 2023.
A landmark year awaits for the VCCC Alliance.
2023 is shaping up to be a truly formative year for the VCCC Alliance. Our next strategic plan being developed in 2023 in the setting of strong outputs from our current and previous strategic plans, is poised to add major impact to the Australian and Victorian Cancer Plans.
As always, this process will be underpinned by collaboration of all key stakeholders, and I am excited about the possibilities this presents for our ongoing efforts to improve cancer outcomes for all. I look forward to your input throughout the year as the plan is developed.
Inequities in cancer care are everyone's problem. The World Cancer Day theme – Close the care gap – has been extended this year to include a subtheme: Uniting our voices and taking action.As part of our World Cancer Day coverage, we sat down with prominent cancer experts striving to enable more equitable care for more Victorians.
The VCCC Alliance has sharpened its focus on gynaecological cancers with the appointment of Associate Professor Sumitra Ananda as Lead and Dr Niveditha Rajadevan as Deputy Lead within the Distributed Leadership team in Gynae-oncology.
Professor Mei Krishnasamy appointed Deputy Chair of Cancer Research Advisory Committee (CRAC).
Australia is poised to eliminate cervical cancer within the next 10 years. The problem with eradicating illnesses from the general population though, is that underrepresented sections of our community can sometimes become invisible.
New research by Cancer Council Victoria has revealed the COVID-19 pandemic “exposed and deepened existing gaps in cancer care”, particularly for those already experiencing disadvantage, including regionally based Victorians, migrants and refugees.
A revolutionary new App, complete with disease-specific QR codes, is set to transform how patients affected by cancer at Western Health access information about their care.
In 2023, patients affected by cancer in Albury and surrounds now have access to cutting-edge treatments – and importantly more treatment options – as well as vastly improved health services and access to clinical trials through innovations like teletrials. But Associate Professor Craig Underhill says 25 years ago, the regional/metro divide was glaring.
I love that I get to work with people from all over the sector who are equally passionate about ensuring that people affected by cancer can take part in clinical trials safely and equitably.
The bottom line is that this will help improve outcomes.
Professor Peter Gibbs is the Research & Education Lead, Gastro-intestinal Cancers, Joint Division Head, Personalised Oncology, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and Senior Staff Specialist, Western Health.
Early in 2023, we will be commencing the work to develop the next strategy and business case for the VCCC Alliance. There will be a comprehensive process to seek feedback to guide the process and content for both the strategic plan as well as the subsequent business case. A detailed plan for consultation for both the strategy as well as the goals and actions which will form the subsequent business case will be released in early 2023.