Explore educational content from VCCC Alliance lectures, symposia and conferences to be informed of the latest developments.
12 December 2022
Monday Lunch Livestream
Immunotherapies take advantage of our immune system to fight cancer and have revolutionised modern cancer treatment.
Associate Professor Jane Oliaro presents us with research aimed at discovering new therapeutic targets to improve patient responses to immunotherapies.
The results of her lab's work highlight a role for tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-mediated bystander killing as a potent immune cell effector mechanism. The data generated also identifies new genes and pathways that may predict response to checkpoint blockade, or be therapeutically targeted to improve the number of patients that benefit from immunotherapy.
7 November 2022
Monday Lunch Live
Professor Mark Dawson discusses why genetically identical cancer cells have different behaviours and outcomes following treatment. This MLL highlights evidence showing that genetically identical cancer cells can behave very differently in various environments and in response to therapeutic pressure.
5 December 2022
Despite significant advances in the management of patients the optimal use of BH3 mimetics remains to be fully clear.
Dr Mary Ann Anderson will explain the history and main current uses of BH3 mimetics in B cell malignancies while highlighting key areas where these agents can be optimised.
2 December 2022
Join local experts in melanoma for a review of the latest and most significant international research findings presented at the ASCO, ESMO and SMR Annual Meetings. This is a great opportunity to hear their perspectives on how these advances may impact melanoma care in Australia.
ChairAssociate Professor David GyorkiSurgical Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer CentrePrincipal Fellow, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne
PresentersDr Eyal Mor Hadar MDMelanoma and Sarcoma Surgical Oncology FellowPeter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Andrisha InderjeethMelanoma and Genitourinary FellowPeter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Victoria RaysonPeter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Oliver PierceyMedical Oncology FellowPeter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Panelist discussion not included in recording
1 December 2022
Presented by the Victorian COVID-19 Network Taskforce
As the next COVID-19 wave swells in Victoria, tune in for an expert update on the latest advice and protections for patients with cancer.
28 November 2022
Currently, there are no robust biomarkers that predict immunotherapy outcomes in metastatic melanoma. Tools which can predict the outcome from current immunotherapies will assist treatment selection and discussions about prognosis with patients, as well as highlighting patients who may be best served with clinical trials from the outset.
Associate Professor Alexander Menzies and Dr Ines Pires da Silva will review the current approach to treatment selection for patients with metastatic melanoma.
In the session they will also:
- Provide an overview of their paper on multivariable predictive models for response and survival to PD1 and IPI+PD1 therapy (Pires da Silva JCO 2022;40:1068-80)- Demonstrate the online risk tool recently released by Melanoma Institute Australia- Suggest further research to improve outcomes including, the upcoming Personalised Immunotherapy Platform (PIP) trial
8 November 2022
Delivered by experts actively working in the translational and commercialisation space, this high calibre symposium showcases the successes in translating research.
View the first translational research symposium hosted by the VCCC Alliance and led by Associate Professor Kara Britt.
Held at the University of Melbourne’s Woodward Conference Centre via a hybrid model of delivery, this symposium introduces researchers and clinicians to the wealth of research translation and commercialisation success stories from VCCC Alliance members and the rest of Victoria. Viewers are encouraged to consider how their research can be translated to the clinic and ultimately improve cancer outcomes.
16 November 2022
Nurse-Led Research
This special event draws on clinical examples and expert speakers to facilitate a discussion about how nurses can actively build equity into their clinical practice. We explore research-informed approaches to providing care to people from diverse backgrounds and critical considerations to delivering equitable care at the bedside.
2 November 2022
Hear visiting international experts Dr Alessandro Gronchi and Dr Silvia Stacchiotti to gain an understanding of how international collaboration contributes to patient outcomes in rare cancers. Together they explore how collection of retrospective and prospective data contributes to a better understanding of rare cancers and, how large datasets are fundamental to improve knowledge, generate hypotheses and build evidence to test, whenever possible, in clinical trials.
Researchers, clinicians, and health care providers recognise that working together through international collaboration across rare cancers is the most effective path forward to improve treatments and outcomes.
26 August 2022
Medical oncology, radiation oncology and urology/surgery trainees are encouraged to learn from Victoria's leaders on how to clinically manage penile and testicular cancer.
Compared with other types of cancer, penile and testicular cancers are rare.
Treatment for both penile and testicular cancer depends on the tumour histology and stage. Understanding these cancers, the treatments available and possible side effects can help determine a treatment pathway.
21 July 2022
VCCC Alliance Nurse-Led Research Webinar
Nurses who work with people affected by cancer and who have an interest in building their research skills are invited to attend this online workshop focusing on clinical trials.
In this special VCCC Alliance Nurse-Led Research event, Marian Lieschke provides an overview of the nursing implications of clinical trials in the delivery of cancer care and highlights the critical role that nurses play in both the conduct and outcomes of clinical trials.
Marian Lieschke, RN is the Manager of the Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit. She trained as an Oncology Nurse at the Royal Marsden and after moving to Australia worked extensively as a Clinical Oncology Research Nurse, becoming the Manager of the Royal Melbourne Hospital Oncology Clinical Trials Unit in 2004. She was appointed to her current position in 2016, bringing the trial units of RMH, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Royal Women’s Hospitals together as a single unit to serve the precinct, a unit which now employs nearly 100 staff.
21 November 2022
2022 VCCC Alliance Picchi Awards
The VCCC Alliance together with the Picchi Brothers Foundation celebrate the achievements of this year's three Picchi Awardees for Excellence in Cancer Research.
A special Monday Lunch Live was held for this year’s Picchi Award recipients to present their award-winning research work and future goals.
The VCCC Alliance together with the Picchi Brothers Foundation, award three outstanding VCCC Alliance member PhD students with a Picchi Award in Basic Science, Clinical Science or Population Health. At $10,000 each, the award is of significant value, however, it is the premise of the award that demonstrates real value – recognising and rewarding potential towards research independence.
14 November 2022
Dr Shuai Li introduces the innovative family study designs and relevant findings on cancer risks related to BRCA1/2 mutations and breast cancer genetic susceptibility and risk prediction.
Current known breast cancer susceptible genetic variants include two major types: rare germline mutations (such as those in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes), and common genetic variants. However, breast cancer familial risk cannot be fully explained by these variants. Germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 are known to be related to increased risks of breast and ovarian cancers. Although risks for other cancers have also been suggested, reliable cancer risk estimates are lacking
VCCC Alliance Precision Oncology Forum
Hear Dr Stephen Luen, Medical Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Chair the VCCC Alliance Precision Oncology Forum, previously known as the Molecular Tumour Board. A multi-disciplinary style forum that provides opportunities to discuss new research topics in Precision Oncology, as well as interesting and novel cases illustrating the clinical implications of molecular pathology and targeted therapies. Cases are discussed on an individual, de-identified basis. This forum also features an educational presentation.
12 September 2022
Monday Lunch Livestream with Ms Danielle Spence and Ms Katherine Lane
See Cancer Council Victoria explore how working in partnership to deliver supportive care services and streamlined referral pathways can improve your practice and deliver better outcomes for patients and carers.Despite best efforts, supportive care for people affected by cancer has been affected by the pandemic. Thanks to the support of the Victorian Government and public donations, Cancer Council Victoria is increasing capacity to provide cancer support to Victorians affected by cancer and health services alike.
Watch to learn more about the services and COVID-19 resources offered, how Cancer Council Victoria work with health services to complement what you do, the tool kits they can provide to you to facilitate referrals and hear more about what they’re working on next.
5 October 2022
VCCC Alliance Grand Round Breast Cancer
PROSPECT is a single-arm prospective study of 200 patients using preoperative MRI to identify patients with early breast cancer in whom adjuvant radiotherapy may be safely omitted. This will be a presentation of the primary analysis, performed when the 100th participant reached 5 years of follow-up. The results suggest that using MRI to locally stage early breast cancer may allow more effective and more tailored treatments.
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.
19 October 2022
Grand Round Breast Cancer
Hear Prof Abbey and A/Prof Parker explain how the team behind the Eureka Prize-winning NanoMslide have used cutting-edge nanotechnology to transform the microscope slide into a tool for cancer diagnosis.
Accurate staging of early-stage breast cancer can be challenging owing to the fact that abnormal cells may be morphologically similar to healthy cells. In order to make the process of identifying cancer cells easier in a tissue context, a collaborative team of researchers led by Professor Brian Abbey (La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences) and A/Prof Belinda Parker (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre) have been trialling a new alternative technology for cancer detection.
24 October 2022
Venetoclax inhibits the pro-survival protein BCL2 to induce apoptosis and is now standard therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), delivering high complete remission rates and prolonged progression-free survival for patients with CLL who had been previously treated with chemotherapy. However, eventual relapse on venetoclax due to acquired resistance remains a major problem.
In this session, Dr Thijssen summarises the unappreciated scale of genetic and epigenetic changes underpinning acquired venetoclax resistance in CLL. Her findings pinpoint new approaches to circumvent venetoclax resistance. She provides specific biological justification for the strategy of venetoclax discontinuation once maximal response is achieved rather than maintaining long-term selective pressure with continuous venetoclax treatment.
17 October 2022
Dr Kirstyn Carey and Ms Yu Qing Yap will explain the role of deregulated mRNA export in the development of cancer and provide an overview of the drug discovery pipeline targeting this process. ShareThere is increasing evidence that dysregulation of the way mRNA is exported from the cell nucleus contributes to cancer development. Development of chemical compounds that impact this process, RNA export inhibitors, offer a unique opportunity to develop innovative, targeted cancer therapeutics. In this Monday Lunch Live, Dr Kirstyn Carey and Ms Yu Qing Yap will explain normal mRNA export processes compared to dysregulation in cancer, and provide an overview of the drug discovery pipeline and how small molecules can potentially be used in the development of targeted cancer therapies.
Hear Dr Violet Kieu, Associate Professor Yasmin Jayasinghe and Ms Kath Quade for an introduction to onco-fertility, fertility preservation options available to cancer patients, and how health professionals can support newly diagnosed patients through their onco-fertility journey.Improved treatments have raised survival rates for cancer patients, but cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, can affect a person’s fertility. This impact is not uniform.
Some cancer survivors, however, aren’t given the chance to discuss their future fertility options. Patients may miss out on fertility preservation because they are not aware of their options. Health professionals may not be aware of these options either.
10 October 2022
This presentation introduces the Victorian Paediatric Cancer Consortium and detail their discovery research, clinical innovation and work with patients and families impacted by paediatric cancer.
19 Septermber 2022
Monday Lunch Livestream with Professor Jennifer Philip
The widespread adoption of telehealth in clinical care requires careful scrutiny to ensure that the opportunities and challenges are fully understood, including for fields such as palliative care.
This presentation considers the impact of telehealth on palliative care delivery based on research undertaken with patients and clinicians in Victoria and elsewhere. The longer term implications of telehealth delivery of clinical palliative care services are also discussed.
This presentation aims to provide: - awareness of current state of evidence- prompt deeper consideration of the advantages and limitations of telehealth- consideration of future care delivery using telehealth platforms
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.