The Federal Government has announced the successful grant applications under the 2009 round of the Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme (CCRS).
The government entity Cancer Australia is contributing AUD$7.6 million to fund research grants focusing on research that looks at better outcomes for cancer patients. Another $4.6 million is being contributed by other co- funders of cancer research.
At current rates, one in three men and one in four women in Australia will develop cancer by the age of 75. By age 85, the risk increases to one in two for men and one in three for women.
Cancer is the leading cause of premature death in Australia, with more than 40,000 Australians likely to die from cancer this year. However, more than half of all cancers diagnosed in Australia are successfully treated.
The projects that have received funding under the scheme this year include:
- Professor John Seymour, of Peter MaCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, will test if a new scanning technique (PET-CT) can help determine poor-risk patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma who require more intensive treatment. This study has the potential to impact treatment delivery, and possibly improve outcomes, while minimising treatment related toxicity such as infections, late malignancies and infertility.
- Dr Bettina Meiser, of the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, will assess the impact of treatment-focused genetic testing in women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Her team will also assess the impact of psychological and decision-related outcomes about risk-reducing surgery. This study will provide the first economic analysis which will look at the long-term cost-effectiveness of treatment-focused genetic testing compared with standard care.
- Associate Professor Michael Jefford of Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne will evaluate a program comprising individualised information, a nurse-led end-of-treatment consultation and telephone follow-up for people with potentially curative bowel cancer, aiming to reduce psychological distress and unmet needs. If successful, this approach could be disseminated to other cancer survivors.
- Associate Professor Jeremy Millar, of Monash University, will establish a clinical registry of patients with prostate cancer that will progress to becoming a state-wide resource, similar to those that have been developed in Victoria for surgery and trauma. It will provide an accurate representation of the quality of healthcare and treatment outcomes of men with prostate cancer, which will allow prostate cancer to keep pace with developments in other cancer streams. This registry will reduce variation in outcomes by identifying areas of need and directing resources appropriately.
Dr Kerrilyn Deiner from the Hanson Institute in Adelaide will use microfluidic chip technology to isolate rare circulating cancer cells from the blood of people with pancreatic cancer. The development and use of this technology may assist in assessing response treatment and may help increase knowledge about cancer progression.
A list of all successful grant recipients can be found on the Cancer Australia website – www.canceraustralia.gov.au