Explore educational content from VCCC Alliance lectures, symposia and conferences to be informed of the latest developments.
26 September 2022
Monday Lunch Livestream with Associate Professor Gavin M Wright
Researchers in lung cancer have had some amazing life-improving and life-saving advances in the last decade. Celebration now needs to make way for implementation.
Hear Associate Professor Gavin M Wright in this MLL, discuss the bridge from research to policy in lung cancer reform.
Statistics for lung cancer are shocking. It’s our number one cancer killer, but did you know it killed someone every hour last year? It has the lowest survival of Australia’s top 5 common cancers (20% alive 5 years after diagnosis). It is the cancer of shame and stigma, an unintended effect of anti-tobacco advertising and blame-shifting from corporations to their addicted victims. It causes the highest level of distress, anxiety and depression of any common cancer - 50% versus 20%. For this disease, our government funds 6 lung cancer nurses.
Monday 15 August
Monday Lunch Livestream with Alexandra Rivalland and Laura Brunt
Carers play an integral role in patient outcomes so how can we support them to ensure optimal care?
Hear Alexandra Rivalland and Laura Brunt discuss how focusing on the needs of carers of patients with a haematological malignancy can bring benefits on multiple levels.
As contemporary models of care place increasing emphasis on outpatient-led treatment, it's important to examine the needs of caregivers as an essential pillar in service provision.
Equipping and enabling carers to provide the care commonly led by tertiary hospitals in the inpatient setting, supports efficiency and sustainability for services, as well as improved outcomes for patients.
7 September 2022
VCCC Alliance Grand Round Breast Cancer with Dr Peter Savas
Hear the latest on the clinical outcomes and exploratory endpoints from the phase 2 clinical trial PIKNIC, which investigated Alpelisib monotherapy in patients with advanced breast cancer.
The VCCC Alliance Breast Cancer Grand Round is targeted at a clinical audience and features open discussion about real cases and patients. While these cases are de-identified, the imagery, content and discussion can be graphic. It is not appropriate for consumer participants.
21 October 2021
Monday Lunch Livestream with Dr Vijaya Joshi
See Dr Vijaya Joshi, Health Equity Manager, VCCC Alliance provide an informative workshop hosted by the VCCC Alliance Nurse-led Research Hub that draws on research expertise across a variety of settings to examine and explore critical considerations when conducting research with people from diverse populations.
Representatives will discuss approaches, experiences and challenges for a variety of populations including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, paediatrics, adolescents and young adults (AYA), mental health, LGBTIQ+ and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations.
1 September 2022
VCCC Alliance Nurse-Led Research Webinar with Associate Professor Stephanie Best
Nurses who work with people with cancer and who have an interest in building their research skills are invited to attend this online workshop facilitated by Associate Professor Stephanie Best and chaired by Dr Sharon De Greaves.
Do you have a sticky clinical problem? Curious about Implementation Science?
In this special VCCC Alliance Nurse-Led Research Hub event, Associate Professor Stephanie Best provides an overview of Implementation Science, discussing some relevant frameworks and the impact and opportunities within nurse led research.
Issues discussed will include:
- Introduce Implementation Science methods for exploring and addressing care gaps- Identification of key barriers and enablers- Highlighting of key insights and how to think about addressing issues identified
11 August 2022
VCCC Alliance Nurse-Led Research Webinar
Learn how to actively include consumers to influence and evaluate clinical practice change.
Nurses who work with people with cancer and who have an interest in building their clinical and research skills are invited to attend this workshop. The workshop explores best practice principles of consumer engagement and the ways that the consumer voice can enhance different stages of projects – from informing to consumer led.
This special event draws on examples to facilitate a discussion around how nurses can actively include consumers to influence and evaluate clinical practice change.
Nurse-led research examples are used to highlight the power and value of consumer engagement and provide an opportunity for Q&A with our expert presenters.
Monday 22 August 2022
Monday Lunch Live with Priyanka Pillai and Emma Burrows
To reduce enduring inequities we need to shift emphasis from 'fixing' individuals to approaches that drive lasting cultural and systemic change.
Priyanka Pillai and Dr Emma Burrows share the efforts and achievements of Women in Science Parkville Precinct (WiSPP) over the last eight years.
This presentation describes how WiSPP's approach and strategies to reducing inequities in medical research have evolved over time. It includes an explicit focus on intersectional groups and addresses vital knowledge gaps about the experience of underrepresented minorities in the sector.
Priyanka and Emma will also facilitate a panel to discuss:• The need for interventions that move beyond the individuals and towards organisational-level strategies and systems level change• The need for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives to move beyond a singular focus on gender and consider the ways in which additional identities interconnect to impact on career opportunity and trajectory
5 September 2022
Monday Lunch Livestream
Health systems centred around 'What Matters Most' to the patient will enable clinicians to provide individualised and patient-centred care.
Watch Associate Professor Christopher Steer discuss practical ways to improve the care of older adults with cancer. Whilst many cancer clinicians care for older adults on a daily basis, there are many opportunities for us all to improve if we remember that adequate assessment yields appropriate care. Associate Professor Christopher Steer discusses practical examples of how providers are applying them to routine care.
29 August 2022
Monday Lunch Live Stream with Associate Professor Kara Britt, Professor Phil Darcy, Dr Stephen Leun, Dr Kortnye Smith and Associate Professor Jayesh Desai
Discover how the new Clinical Trialist Development Hub can support pioneering concepts in early-phase clinical trials.
See Associate Professor Kara Britt, Professor Phil Darcy, Dr Stephen Leun, Dr Kortnye Smith and Associate Professor Jayesh Desai explore the challenges and opportunities for both early-career researchers and clinicians who may be thinking about translating their ideas into a clinical trial. The presentation explores the challenges and opportunities for both early-career researchers and clinicians who may be thinking about translating their ideas into a clinical trial.
Wednesday 24 August
VCCC Alliance Grand Round Breast Cancer with Associate Professor Lesley Stafford
This presentation reports on the HRQoL outcomes including fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) and functional and aesthetic outcomes in a large sample of women with low risk breast cancer. The data provides useful preliminary information and is helpful for informing future prospective studies.As a community of professionals in breast oncology, we have a shared aim to provide effective care with the lowest possible treatment-related morbidity and burden. Understanding the impact of breast cancer treatment and advances in that treatment on psychosocial wellbeing and quality of life (HRQoL) through patient reported outcome measures, are clearly recognised as a clinical and research priority.
Within the limits of a non-randomized study, this data provides useful preliminary information about the association between fear of cancer recurrence and HRQoL and omission of radiotherapy in a select but large group of women with early breast cancer. Given that fear of cancer recurrence is a key issue among patients and a foremost unmet need linked with substantial psychological morbidity, the data is helpful for informing future prospective studies.
Monday 8 August 2022
Monday Lunch Live with Geraldine McDonald, Director of Prevention and Wellbeing, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Health and wellbeing is much more than physical. In this Monday Lunch Live, discover how Peter Mac's Men's Shed is helping to reduce social isolation, improve wellbeing and create an environment where men can share experiences and be supported.Discover how a special Peter Mac Men’s Shed is helping men going through or recovering from a cancer experience, as well as their carers, family and friends.
Men's Sheds promote men's health and aims to reduce health disparities, providing a safe space for men to come together and participate in a variety of activities.
Hear how and why the project was established and the many and varied benefits it is providing to participants.
Speakers
Geri McDonald, Director of Prevention and Wellbeing, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Chaired by Carla D’Amico, Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse, Austin Health
Carers play an integral role in patient outcomes so how can we support them to ensure optimal care? Join Alexandra Rivalland and Laura Brunt to hear how focusing on the needs of carers of patients with a haematological malignancy can bring benefits on multiple levels.
This event focuses specifically on the needs of carers of patients with a haematological malignancy post discharge with an integrative review of the current international literature.
Supporting carers optimises patient outcomes, improves quality of life and ensures holistic patient and family centred care.
Monday 1 August 2022
Monday Lunch Live with Associate Professor Nicole Rankin
Associate Professor Nicole Rankin discusses how implementation science frameworks can be used to support generating evidence in the preimplementation stages of lung cancer screening for the Australian setting. Lung cancer screening (LCS) using low-dose computed tomography of the chest is clinically effective. If implemented successfully, LCS will directly impact on mortality, potentially saving many thousands of lives globally. However, there are complex and challenging issues for the implementation of a potential LCS program in Australia. Many factors need to be considered to achieve the best possible outcomes for LCS participants and to make a potential program cost-effective.
In this presentation, Associate Professor Nicole Rankin introduces how implementation science frameworks can be used to support generating evidence in the preimplementation stages of LCS for the Australian setting. She also draws on international examples of how implementation and behavioural science principles have been applied in establishing and rolling out LCS programs.
An International collaborative trial in retroperitoneal sarcoma
Associate Professor David Gyorki, VCCC Alliance Research and Education Lead, Melanoma and Skin Cancers and Consultant Surgeon Peter Mac and Austin Health shines a light on the STRASS 2 research being conducted in Australia. Associate Professor David Gyorki hosts a special webinar on progress in treatments for rare retroperitoneal sarcoma.
The EORTC 1809 STRASS II study is the first official trial looking into potential benefits of chemotherapy before surgery to improve disease control and survival in patients with rare retroperitoneal sarcoma. It is a pan-European study with a transatlantic collaboration with multiple specialized sarcoma centres in Australia, Canada and North America.
This webinar:
Monday 25 July 2022
Monday Lunch Livestream with Dr Ranjana Srivastava
This presentation teaches attendees how to create a hook and a narrative to explain science and medicine to a general audience. Using examples from her own writings, Dr. Srivastava presents a guide to clear communication.Dr Ranjana Srivastava is an oncologist in the public hospital system, a Fulbright scholar and an award-winning writer.
In 2020, Ranjana received her second Fulbright award to obtain a Master in Public Administration at Harvard University. She has received an OAM for her contribution to doctor-patient communication, and outside of clinical work, she advises the federal health department in the area of COVID communications with multicultural communities.
Ranjana is also an award-winning writer on medicine and humanity. She writes regular columns, is the author of six books on helping people navigate illness and mortality and has been a two-time finalist for the Walkley Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Monday 18 July 2022
Monday Lunch Live with Dr Jeremy Lewin, A/Prof Claudia Di Bella, Dr Sophie Heywood, A/Prof Tania Shelby-James and consumer Jack Tibballs.
The Australia and New Zealand Sarcoma Association (ANZSA) and the VCCC Alliance held a session about functional outcomes and rehabilitation in sarcoma patients.
Sarcomas are rare cancers that develop in either the bone or soft tissues. A variety of treatments can be used, including chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation which may lead to short and long-term functional difficulties. This webinar provided a better understanding of factors that influence function, some novel approaches that can lead to improvement, as well as hearing from researchers and consumers on the importance of measuring and supporting functional recovery
Wednesday 13 July 2022
Breast Cancer Grand Round with Dr Vanessa Wong.
The WEHI breast cancer registry and registry trials portfolio was established in 2015 with TABITHA, a prospective and comprehensive metastatic HER2+ breast cancer registry. In 2022, WEHI now has five breast cancer registry and registry trials, with over 800 patients enrolled and engaged with 35 Australian sites, including tertiary, regional and private hospitals.
Join Dr Vanessa Wong for a presentation that focused on WEHI's breast cancer registry portfolio, highlighting the unique ways registry data can be collected and used, including collecting data alongside a medicine access program as well as the pragmatic approach of designing a 'registry-based trial'.
Monday 11 July 2022
Monday Lunch Live with Dr Ryan Cross.
Join Dr Ryan Cross, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher in the Jenkins Lab (WEHI), who discussed how the genetic enhancement of white blood cells (T-cells), is used to express a synthetic receptor called a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR). This process can be employed to develop exciting new therapies for brain cancer including Glioblastoma.
Glioblastoma is the most aggressive form of brain cancer with an average life expectancy of just over a year following diagnosis. Unfortunately, there have been no new therapies since the introduction of the chemotherapy drug, Temozolomide, in 2005.
Monday 4 July 2022
Monday Lunch Live with Professor Gail Garvey, Dr Stacey Panozzo, Abe Ropitini, Clare O’Reilly and Leah Lindrea-Morrison.
Professor Gail Garvey, Dr Stacey Panozzo, Abe Ropitini and Clare O’Reilly discuss improving palliative care for Aboriginal patients with cancer and the Victorian Aboriginal cancer journey strategy, including a special Q&A with an expert panel including consumer Leah Lindrea-Morrison.
Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people face challenges when accessing and engaging with cancer care services across the spectrum of illness, from early-stage disease to advanced disease. These challenges can often lead to less-than-optimal cancer care and highlight the need for culturally sensitive, responsive and safe care services for Aboriginal people with cancer. Aboriginal health researchers and community-controlled organisations are taking the lead in addressing these systemic barriers.
Monday 27 June 2022
Monday Lunch Live with Richard Vines, Dr Emily Isham and Beth Doggett
Richard Vines, CEO, and founder of Rare Cancers Australia, along with Dr Emily Isham and Beth Doggett, give an insight into the work of Rare Cancers Australia; an organisation that aims to change the way we diagnose cancer in Australia and achieve longer survival and better quality of life. 52,000 people in Australia are diagnosed with a rare or complex cancer every single year, and these diagnoses are often grimmer than those of more common cancers. Whilst the past 20 years have seen some significant advances in reducing mortality rates for common cancers compared to incidence, for rare cancer patients, the increase in mortality rates far outstrip the rising incidence rates. This is due to many factors, including difficulty finding expertise and a dearth of available, funded treatments and clinical trials.
Monday 20 June 2022
Monday Lunch Live with Dr Keely Bumsted-O'Brien and Ms Katya Gray
This special patient-powered Monday Lunch Live explores what is meant by the term 'consumer' and how it's possible to work with consumers to ask better questions in cancer research.
Hear Keely's personal story and presentation on consumer contributions in research and learn how consumer engagement is managed and supported from the point of view of a Consumer Program Manager.
The presentation was followed by a panel discussion featuring researcher/consumer pairs who shared their experiences of working together.
Wednesday 15 June 2022
Grand Round Breast Cancer with Dr Wanda Cui.
Join medical oncologist Dr Wanda Cui (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre), who provided an update on the current prevention data in women at high risk of breast cancer and future directions.
The VCCC Alliance Research and Education (R&E Lead) Breast Cancer program has developed a learning environment where researchers and clinical care teams can share information to improve cancer outcomes.
VCCC Alliance Breast Cancer Grand Round aims to provide a shared view of what is happening in the development of breast cancer care and is helping to stimulate discussion and collaborations among experienced and novice researchers and clinicians.
June & July Seminar Series 2022
VCCC Alliance Multidisciplinary Approaches to Tongue Cancer Webinar Series: What can we do better? with Professor David Wiesenfeld, VCCC Alliance Research and Education Lead, Head and Neck Cancer program.
In the first release of this series are the following presentations:
Monday 06 June 2022
Monday Lunch Live with Dr Raymond Yip.
Researchers at WEHI have developed a pipeline to perform large scale three-dimensional imaging to characterise changes in the bone marrow tissue during disease progression.
Join Dr Raymond Yip who reviewed how metastatic mammary tumour cells in a distinct region of bone marrow remodel local vasculature to support expansion. This work highlights the potential to target bone metastasis by intercepting tumour-microenvironment interaction.
Wednesday 01 June 2022
Breast Cancer Grand Round with Dr Allison Rose.
Contrast Enhanced Mammography (CEM) has become an integral part of breast imaging. It has broad application to diagnose and screen, and has proven to be in the same league as MRI for cancer detection.
Join Dr Allison Rose (Director North-Western Breast Screen, and Head of Breast Imaging Breast Service, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Royal Women's Hospital) for a presentation that focused on the performance of CEM in surveillance of women with a personal history of breast cancer.