Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

In a Peter Mac-led clinical trial, patients with a rare #bloodcancer that had relapsed or become resistant to treatment have shown a high response rate to a potent new #immunotherapy drug. “These are impressive results in a group of patients with heavily pre-treated MCL, a cancer that is usually considered incurable,” says Professor Michael Dickinson who leads the Aggressive #Lymphoma stream at Peter Mac. Find out more about this ground-breaking trial: https://lnkd.in/eENJhtmf

Peter Mac will soon introduce a groundbreaking initiative by linking up patients with peer mentors to help them navigate the challenges of cancer. Today marked a significant milestone of the Volunteer Peer Mentor Program as the first cohort of peer mentor volunteers completed their training. These dedicated volunteers bring with them a wealth of personal experience, having faced cancer themselves, either as patients, carers, or family members. As trained peer mentors, their role is to offer practical and emotional support to patients and their carers, helping them to understand and access healthcare services, and to navigate the often-complex systems involved in cancer treatment. “Our peer mentors have lived the experience and have been through the health system before.” says Peta Wright, Peter Mac’s Patient Experience Project Lead “They understand the emotional and physical challenges of a cancer diagnosis, and their insight is invaluable in guiding others through the healthcare journey.” The program, currently in its pilot phase, will initially focus on patients with head and neck cancer and upper gastrointestinal cancers. “The goal is to provide targeted support to these patient groups while exploring the potential of the peer mentoring model to improve healthcare outcomes,” Peta says. This pilot program is being conducted in partnership with Northern Health and is funded by a research grant from the Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund. As the program prepares for full implementation in the coming months, patients and carers will soon have the opportunity to connect with peer mentors for support. More information on how patients and carers can access the program will be made available soon. The team is also actively seeking more volunteers, particularly those who have lived experience of upper gastrointestinal cancers. If you're a patient or carer with lived experience of upper GI cancer and would like to get involved, email [email protected].

We're so proud of our Research Flow Core team which has achieved our very first LEAF “Gold Certification” for #sustainable laboratory operations. The first Peter Mac labs joined LEAF in 2022 and since then, 27 groups have become involved with 13 achieving bronze, four silver and this month the RFC team receiving their gold. Green initiatives across Peter Mac’s labs have so far led to a reduction of 32 tonnes of CO2 emissions, and at least $43,000 in cost savings. "When our LEAF Champion Elle Aydogan came to me with this initiative I didn't think we could make much of an impact but once the whole team was involved, we could see small easy changes could make a big impact," RFC Manager Eva Orlowski-Oliver said. LEAF is the globally recognised, industry standard for green laboratory operation that encourages more efficient and eco-friendly practices and a culture of sustainability. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gA_YpSBM

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal sat down Voluntary Assisted Dying Care Navigator Susan Jury to hear about about her role leading the statewide team and some of the challenges facing VAD in Australia, including the Federal "carrier law" that doesn't allow VAD discussions via telehealth. Peter Mac is a signatory to a joint statement from leading organisations across the country to urgently amend this law. Click the link to read more about Susan's role which she says is "enormously satisfying to see the great comfort people get in just having the option of VAD at end of life".

The Consular Corps of Melbourne today participated in a biotech and med-tech outreach tour of Melbourne, visiting the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Alfred Health Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre. Thank you to DFAT Victoria State Office and the scientists and administrators who shared their activities in fighting cancer and caring for patients.

We are pleased to announce that Medical Oncologist and Nuclear Medicine Physician Dr Dishan Herath has been selected as Peter Mac’s next Chief Medical Officer. Dr Herath is currently Acting Executive Director, Digital Healthcare Innovation at Peter Mac, Head of Cancer Services at Western Health and Clinical Director of the Western and Central Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (WCMICS). He was formerly Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) at Peter Mac and has been instrumental in the introduction and continual adaptation of the Epic Electronic Medical Record across Parkville Precinct health services. We also thank Dr Sonia Fullerton for her hard-work and dedication taking up the role as Acting Chief Medical Officer over an extended period of time - she will continue in her role as as Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Palliative Care Physician. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gkHs2_nb

Big news in #melanoma research! Associate Professor Shahneen Sandhu has received a $5M National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Synergy Grant to lead groundbreaking work that could revolutionise our understanding of melanoma treatment. The research by A/Prof Sandhu and her powerhouse team (including Peter Mac, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) and University of Melbourne researchers) focuses on the role of compounds produced by gut bacteria called microbiota-derived metabolites (MDMs) in melanoma therapy. “We have assembled a team of immunologists, microbial ecologists, computational biologists, and melanoma clinicians with diverse expertise to address these questions using advanced integrative analyses and prospective melanoma patient datasets,” A/Prof Sandhu said. “Collectively, our research will provide new insights into how the microbial metabolites regulate immune responses against melanoma and to identify new ways to treat melanoma patients and so improve their outcomes.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gU2YE4jB #cancerresearch #cancer #skincancer #MelanomaResearch #GutHealth #CancerBreakthrough #ICIs #MedicalInnovation

Are you a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, exercise physiologist or allied health assistant with an interest in cancer care? Peter Mac Allied Health is running its Foundations for Allied Health in Cancer Care course on October 21 - come and hear from leading experts in the field and learn more about working in oncology. Click the link for more information and to register.

Introducing Let's Talk About Cancer a course for all #interpreters who would like to learn more about cancer. During the session, you will hear from health professionals and interpreters working in the cancer space You will learn more about cancer, cancer terminology and how to approach challenging situations such as: Delivering bad news, navigating family meetings, interpreting in palliative care and in environments where Voluntary Assisted Dying is being discussed. Click the link to register.

Craig Connelly knows more than most about cancer, and how pushing the boundaries of medicine can save lives. As a survivor of T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia he has great personal motivation to support the search for cancer cures. Today he is announced as the incoming Chief Executive of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation. Craig joins the Foundation with deep knowledge of the philanthropic sector and exceptional corporate finance experience. Read more about Craig’s story here: https://lnkd.in/giiMgTZv