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Peter Mac nurses joined cancer nurses from across Australia to share new knowledge and exchange expertise this week, at the Cancer Nursing Society of Australia (CNSA) Annual Congress in Adelaide with the theme of ‘Equity in Cancer Care’.
The program commenced on Wednesday with several pre-congress symposia, in which several Peter Mac nurses participated:
- Director of the Academic Nursing Unit Professor Mei Krishnasamy and Clinical Nurse Educator Nikki Dean joined educator colleagues to explore challenges and opportunities in nursing education
- Nurse Practitioner Belinda Lambros shared her antimicrobial stewardship and vaccinations expertise in a Haematology context
- PhD candidate and Bank nurse Kerrie Curtis led a symposium on advances in central venous access device (CVAD) care
Throughout Thursday and Friday, Peter Mac nurses contributed to sessions exploring the congress’ equity theme, including:
- A Peter Mac-led ‘Equity at the Bedside’ session in collaboration with the VCCC Alliance and consumers from South Australia
- Nurse researcher Elizabeth Crone shared work around optimising health outcomes for vulnerable Australians with cancer, through a social determinants of health checklist for nurses
- And Professor Krishnasamy joined a panel discussing research-informed approaches to caring for people from diverse backgrounds
They also presented a diverse selection of other new work:
- Ambulatory Clinical Nurse Consultant Melanie Meneghetti-Tabone spoke on expanding the range of complex cancer therapies we now provide for patients at home
- Professor Krishnasamy presented new co-developed educational resources that are helping clinicians identify and respond to elder abuse
- Jessica Balson presented a new online ‘Fundamentals of Cancer Nursing’ education resource – the result of a Peter Mac led collaborative research study
- Cancer Nursing Discovery Program Coordinator Louise Wilks shared strategies that were critical to the unique program’s success
- Skin and Melanoma Service Clincial Nurse Consultant Alethea Lobo shared data on the role of the Nurse Consultant in telephone support
Chief Nursing Officer Andy Dimech joined the delegation, saying, “I am extremely proud of the diversity and quality of the work our nursing teams have presented this year.”
“As a leading cancer centre it is vital that we share our findings and service improvements, but also that we meet with and learn from the work of our cancer nursing colleagues.
“Collaborations are key to advancing our mission to provide the world’s best cancer care.”
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A pioneering radiotherapy treatment developed at Peter Mac is emerging as a new treatment option for cancer that has spread to the lungs, following exciting results in a recent study.
Long-term survival data is now available from the SAFRON II clinical trial, which involved patients with up to three spots of cancer that had metastasized or spread from elsewhere to their lungs.
Patients in this Peter Mac-led trial received a type of high-dose and precisely targeted radiotherapy called SABR (Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy) to treat their cancers, instead of either surgery or ongoing drug therapy, which are standard alternatives. The long-term data shows that one-in-three had no active cancer at five years, enjoying many years of excellent quality of life without needing ongoing treatments.
Peter Mac patient John Higgins, 70, was diagnosed with lung cancer 12 years ago after two bouts of pneumonia and subsequently had his right lung removed. A few years later cancer emerged in the trachea that then spread into his left lung, which was successfully treated with SABR.
Having earlier experienced the side effects of chemotherapy, which caused kidney failure, Mr Higgins had little side effects with SABR. While his cancer in the trachea has since re-emerged, Mr Higgins has experienced great quality of life amongst other benefits.
“I had this nurse at Peter Mac and we'd sit and go over all these various questions about how I was feeling and what things I could do and couldn't do, but there wasn't much that I couldn't do,” he said.
“I had no apprehensions at the SABR treatment because everything in the world of medical science moves so swiftly, so rapidly. But I also felt confident because of the people I was dealing with. The whole programme was explained to me in detail, and I felt a lot of confidence and I was more than happy to participate.
“I'm now 70 and was just turning 58 when I was diagnosed. At that time I just thought, well, you know, it happens. I’m in good hands and whatever will be will be. I consider it (cancer) one chapter in my life, it's not the whole book.”
Peter Mac patient, John Higgins.
Peter Mac Associate Professor Shankar Siva presented the trial results at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology conference in Vienna, Austria last month with a simultaneous publication of his paper in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The report described the long-term outcomes of trial participants from 13 centres across Australia and New Zealand.
A/Prof Siva says the SAFRON II trial provides the most robust evidence to date for any metastasis-targeted cancer treatment in the lung.
“Compared to lifelong drug therapies, which is another standard alternative, SABR has little impact on quality of life. We found SABR to be approximately 10 times less costly, and can be delivered in as little as one to four visits of one hour each, without the need for ongoing cycles of therapy” he said.
“This trial shows exceptional long-term outcomes, and we believe this approach to treatment has great promise.”
The single fraction lung SABR treatment was initiated at Peter Mac and introduced nationwide over the last decade. A/Prof Siva has previously led the use of SABR to treat inoperable primary renal cell carcinoma.
Funded by Cancer Australia, this study was led from inception through to delivery by Peter Mac as the lead institution of this TranTasman Radiation Oncology Group trial across Australia and New Zealand.
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Peter Mac is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Ben Hogan to Associate Director of Laboratory Research.
Professor Hogan is Co-Head of the Organogenesis and Cancer Program and Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Melbourne. His work has been published in leading international journals, including recent studies in Nature Cell Biology, Nature Neuroscience, EMBO Journal and Developmental Cell.
Professor Hogan said it is an honour to step into this leadership role.
“We have a world class research faculty, and the opportunity to positively influence the way we do our research and to bring further impact to Peter Mac research is exciting,” he said.
Professor Hogan completed his PhD in blood development at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in 2005 before a postdoc at the Hubrecht Institute for Stem Cell and Developmental Biology from 2006 – 2009 in the Netherlands, where he took part in the first large scale forward genetic discovery screen focussed on lymphatic biology.
He became a group leader in 2010 at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (UQ) and was recruited to Peter Mac and the University of Melbourne in 2019. His work has uncovered a genetic cause and mechanism underpinning congenital lymphoedema, and he has uncovered a large number of new components and effectors of the VEGFC-VEGFR3 signalling pathway controlling lymphangiogenesis in development and cancer.
His lab currently uses cell biology, genetics and genomics for both fundamental and translational research and he’s exploring the lymphatic vasculature and the formation and function of the blood brain barrier in development and cancer.
“At Peter Mac, we have unique opportunities as a world-class cancer research centre that is embedded in a clinical environment,” Professor Hogan said.
“This is an enviable environment in which to be a scientist, providing unique opportunities for researchers across the spectrum from fundamental discovery to clinical researchers.”
Since 2015, Professor Hogan has served as a division head and program head and has taken on numerous national and international leadership roles in his discipline of vascular biology. He is looking forward to continuing his important work at Peter Mac, a place which holds a special place in his heart.
“I’ve always admired Peter Mac research for supporting and celebrating discovery science, while making sure that discoveries will be translated to impact the lives of our patients,” he said.
“I have also always viewed Peter Mac as the best place for loved ones to be treated for cancer and made sure my Mum was treated at Peter Mac 15 years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“It’s an honour to be able to play a leadership role now in an organisation I have always held in such high regard.”
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Peter Mac oncologist Dr Julia Dixon-Douglas has received an International Fellowship Grant enabling her to take a post at Europe’s leading cancer hospital and research centre.
This Breast Cancer Trials initiative supports early-career breast cancer researchers to further their research, experience and connections overseas.
Dr Dixon-Douglas has taken a post at Institut Gustave Roussy, in France, where she will continue her research into how best to use immunotherapy and other latest treatments for breast cancer.
“In the last few years it has been really exciting to see that there have been a whole range of new treatments become available for patients with breast cancer,” Dr Dixon-Douglas says.
“But we are really just at the starting line in terms of understanding which patients will benefit most from those treatments.”
Dr Dixon-Douglas’ research into biomarkers aims to provide a way to predict which treatment, or combination or sequence of treatments, should work best for each patient.
This “individualised care” aims to “achieve the best cancer outcomes for patients but will also minimise the risk of unnecessary side-effects”, she says.
Learn more about Dr Dixon-Douglas’ research in this extended podcast interview recorded by Breast Cancer Trials or watch below.
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Peter Mac’s Professor Grant McArthur and Dr Sophie Beaumont have received 2023 King's Birthday Honours.
Professor McArthur has been recognised for distinguished service to medicine via his leadership roles, and as a cancer clinician and scientist focussed on melanoma.
He has been made an Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia.
The 2023 King's Birthday Honours for Australia were announced today, and Prof McArthur has been made an Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia.
At Peter Mac, Professor McArthur has been Head of the Molecular Oncology Laboratory and a senior Medical Oncologist directly caring for patients since 1998, has been Executive Director of the VCCC Alliance since 2017 and remains co-chair of the Victorian COVID-19 Cancer Taskforce.
Professor McArthur is also a current Board member of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Co-chair of the International Melanoma Working Group and Vice-President, Melanoma World Society.
He has authored over 300 scientific publications and his public advocacy around the dangers of tanning - following the 2007 death of his patient Claire Oliver from melanoma – was a major driver for Australia’s ban on commercial solariums.
Peter Mac Chief Executive Professor Shelley Dolan has offered her congratulations on behalf of all Peter Mac staff, patients and families.
“This is a really welcome recognition of Professor McArthur’s outstanding, expert and generous leadership locally, nationally and internationally,” Professor Dolan says.
“Via his innovative research, direct patient care and public advocacy, Professor McArthur has improved both outcomes and the experience of care for skin cancer patients, and reduced the burden of this cancer in Australia. He is also a wonderful colleague and mentor to many.”
Dr Beaumont, Peter Mac’s Manager of Dental Oncology, has been recognised for her services to dentistry. She has received a Medal (OAM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia.
Dr Beaumont is co-founder of the SugarFree Smiles initiative, has been a dentist in Peter Mac’s dental oncology team since 2017 and has headed the unit since 2018.
She is also founding Director and Secretary of the Yarta Foundation Australia, established in 2008 to provide disadvantaged children in India the opportunity to access quality education.
Several other health leaders who have made significant contributions to Peter Mac's work have also been recognised in the King's Birthday honours today.
Former Peter Mac Board Director and current Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne, Professor Jane Gunn was made an Officer in the General Division (AO) of the Order of Australia for her distinguished service to medical administration in leadership roles, to tertiary education and research, and to the community. Former Peter Mac Chief Executive, and current CEO of Silverchain Group Dale Fisher has been made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to medicine, health care management, and nursing. Professor Rodney Hicks received an AM, for significant service to nuclear medicine through a range of international and national roles. Medical oncologist and clinician-researcher Professor John Zalcberg OAM has been made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), for distinguished service to oncology and advocacy for those living with cancer.
Peter Mac extends very warm congratulations to all.