NEWS October 2014 Austin Health welcomed as new VCCC member Professor Richard Larkins AO (Chairman) The VCCC Board welcomes Austin Health as a full VCCC member, and Austin Health CEO Dr Brendan Murphy as a Board Member. The inclusion of Austin Health brings the VCCC membership to nine organisations. The VCCC Cancer Program development continues with the Western & Central Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (WCMICS). The WCMICS Governance Committee and the VCCC Board have endorsed a joint discussion paper that outlines how VCCC and WCMICS will work together on future clinical quality-improvement initiatives. A brief strategic plan will now be developed. In broad terms, VCCC will focus on generating research, reviewing the evidence base and providing analysis, and WCMICS will provide the implementation program based on this and other evidence to promote system-wide improvement (see figure). VCCC Prevention and early detection Cancer services and Clinical Audit tumour stream and Quality development Improvement Research and industry Program engagement Education and training Information and analysis WCMICS Integrated and patient-centred care Information management and technology Supportive care Survivorship and follow-up Patient surveys Clinical audits and analyses Clinical implementation programs Health services research Shared-care models Conferences and events Data sharing and analysis Figure VCCC/WCMICS relationship and joint programs This message follows the October 2014 Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) Board meeting, and summarises the topics discussed by members and other important news. Psycho-oncology conference a success The Second Victorian Psyc ho-Oncology Research Conference Psycho-oncology Across Friday 5th September 2014 8:30am – 5:00pm Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Resea rch Level 7 Lecture Theatre 1G Royal Parade, Parkvi lle VIC 3052 Australia. Refreshments and lunch provided. Networking drinks after the event. Registration Early bird rate – closes 31st July: full $60 student - $30 Standard rate – closes 3rd Sept: full $90 student - $50 the Lifespan International Speakers James Coyne James C. Coyne is Professo r of Health Psychology, at The University of Groninge Medical Center and Professo n r Emeritus of Psychiatr y, University of Pennsylv he was also Director of ania, where Behavioural Oncology Research, Abramson Cancer critical commentaries have Center. His challenged whether psychoso survival of cancer patients, cial intervention extends the whether distress and depressio patient outcomes, and n screening programs whether meta analyses improve of behaviou professional organizations ral medicine commissioned are valid and credible. by http://www.victorianccc.o rg.au/ VCCCVictorianPsychoOnc ology ResearchConference Enquiries: Fiona Macken [email protected] du.au (03) 9035 8170 Note: Program may vary due to speaker availability Tom Hack Tom is a clinical psycholo gist and Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the Manitoba. He holds a Canadian University of Breast Cancer Foundati on Chair in Psychosocial Supportive Care Oncology and Research. He has conducte d the largest consultat studies to date. Professo ion recording r Hack is a Visiting Professo r at the University of Central Preston, UK. He received Lancashire, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal in recognition of his research. Christopher Recklitis Christopher is Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical Director of Research, Perini School and Family Survivors’ Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. interests include quality-of His -life and psychiatric morbidity in adolescents and young and assessing mental health adults, outcomes and promotin g health behaviors in oncology Among his many current projects, Christopher is patients. developing interventions and promote sun protectio to treat insomnia n in childhood cancer survivors self-report measures of and investigating the validity anxiety and depression of in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. National and Local Speakers : Bettina Meiser, University of New South Wales. Bianca Devitt, St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne. Chris Steer, Border Medical Oncology, Albury Wodonga . Ingrid Winship, Melbourn e Health. Maria McCarthy, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Phyllis Butow, University Melbourne. of Sydney and PoCoG. Sarah Drew, Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourn e. This year, the VCCC is proud to support the Psycho-o Concept Development ncology Co-operative Research Workshop in Melbourn Group (PoCoG) e on the 4th Septembe Psycho-oncology Research r 2014 in conjunction with Conference. For further the information on the workshop attend, please click here http://www.pocog.org.au/co and how to apply to ntent.aspx?page=cdw Jointly auspiced by: Supported by: Themed ‘Across the lifespan’, the conference included presentations on topics such as children, adolescents and young adults; genetic predisposition to cancer; and gerontology. The day was rounded out with a stimulating panel discussion debating whether screening for distress in cancer patients — which is recommended in Victoria — was a necessity, or adds little more to a wellperforming healthcare system. In 2014, 260 people attended, including four high-profile international speakers. This was a huge increase on 2013s attendance — demonstrating the growing interest in and calibre of the event. This year’s delegates represented 76 organisations, many of whom were from interstate, including from Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. There were also some delegates from New Zealand. A post-event evaluation showed that overall satisfaction was rated at 4.6 out of 5, and the vast majority of attendees stated that they would return to the event. The evaluation also revealed that most delegates would like the event to be held annually. 2 The Cancer Research Advisory Committee, and the Cancer Education and Training Committee have been working to further integrate research and education into clinical tumour streams. The VCCC Board has agreed, in principle, to pilot further development of the integration of research and education into tumour streams. The pilot would develop new roles with leads responsible for integrating research, implementing quality review and developing an education framework in clinical tumour streams. The implementation of this concept will be developed for the next board meeting. Chris Nelson Chris is a clinical psycholo gist who is the psychiatr y liaison to Memorial Sloan 65+ Program. He provides Kettering’s psychological support to older cancer patients, research exploring effective while conducting ways to identify depressio n in older cancer patients developing psychotherapy and strategies specifically focused patients. Chris also works on the unique needs of these closely with the Centre’s genitourinary and sexual medicine services. The second Victorian Psycho-oncology Research Conference was held on 5 September at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. This year’s event was jointly auspiced by the VCCC, WCMICS and the Paediatric Integrated Cancer Service (PICS), and was supported by the University of Melbourne (UoM) and the PsychoOncology Co-operative Research Group. In addition, sponsorship from ONTrac@PeterMac and CanTeen was gratefully received. Registrations forms are available at: Tumour stream development Leaders in Cancer program Chair in Cancer Health Services Research Candidates for the Chair in Cancer Health Services Research have been interviewed and an appointment will announced shortly. Additional senior research fellowships in health economics, biostatistics and epidemiology are being developed to quickly establish a new research program — the VCCC Centre for Cancer Health Services Research. So far, UoM has provided $1.2 million to this program, with additional support from Western Health. Professorial appointment in cancer nursing The UoM School of Nursing and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre have supported the VCCC development of a professorial appointment in Cancer Nursing. The successful candidate will be announced shortly. VCCC Genomics and Personalised Medicine Program This program, under its Chair Professor Grant McArthur, has recently made funds available to support VCCC projects in the area of cancer genomics and personalised medicine. The applications for this funding are currently being reviewed by a group of external reviewers. In addition, the VCCC Molecular Tumour Board and Whole Exome Sequencing Feasibility Study have been refunded for another 12 months. To date, tissue samples from 15 patients have been sequenced. Education and training development A Cancer Education Portal framework is currently being designed. In the first instance, the portal will address needs of the research student community, as documented by the recent PhD experience study. It will link to education resources and provide information on the Masters programs. An information brochure and project summaries have been created to promote research training opportunities at the VCCC. These will be distributed during the annual Graduate Recruitment Fair at Tsinghua University, China, in October 2014. The education framework for tumour streams will be further developed by the Cancer Education and Training Committee. Progress on implementation of the VCCC Communications Strategy The VCCC Communications Strategy strongly emphasises a VCCC brand to endorse each partner and the VCCC as a partnership. The brand strategy should enable further collaboration within the VCCC partnership. The VCCC communications committee had been reinstated and, during the past few months, has been working on a VCCC brand strategy with the support of the external brand agency Truly Deeply. Truly Deeply has conducted extensive interviews with VCCC stakeholders. A key finding from this stakeholder review was the support for the concept of ‘partners’ or ‘partnership’ to characterise the VCCC. The VCCC brand strategy and accompanying templates for members will underpin a significant portion of the overall VCCC communications objectives. Specifically, a brand strategy will help to: • implement consistent referencing to the VCCC and the partner organisations by each member • improve communication across the VCCC partner organisations • develop a consistent message for the VCCC partnership to position it as a leader in cancer care • establish a recognisable visual identity for the VCCC as an endorsing and endorsed partnership. The Board endorsed a next step to provide templates for each partner organisation to use. These will be available by the end of October. This will include material for each partner to include on their website and intranet. VCCC-Picchi Award for Excellence in Cancer Research Dr Matthew Hong receives the VCCC-Picchi Award for Excellence in Cancer Research from Mr Joseph Lukaitis, Chairman of the Picchi Brothers Foundation Board. VCCC Project update The external structure of the building is nearing completion (‘topping out’) and, as is tradition on these occasions, key project delivery staff from member organisations, consortia and state government were invited to sign the final beam on-site. The beam was one of the facility’s exposed skylight atrium beams. The topping out signified the facility reaching its highest point of 72 metres above ground. At an event on Sunday 12 October, the Premier Dr Denis Napthine, Minister for Health David Davis and guests celebrated this milestone and watched as the final beam was lifted into place. Beam signing (l–r): Frank Domantay (a volunteer business and corporate consultant at Peter Mac, and a cancer survivor), Dominic Wilson-Ing, Kerrie Jarman, Emeline Ramos, Kathy Campbell, John Seymour, George Morstyn, Zeus Villanueva The second linking bridge is due to be installed in December. It will be double storey, and will connect levels 6 and 7 of the south and north sides of the building. Work continues to focus on completing the building’s façade and complex fit out, which will see us through to operation in 2016. 3 University research review Prof Jim Bishop led the submission with extensive input from the Cancer Theme Group to the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences (UoM) Research Review. Prof Bishop and Prof Melissa Southey appeared before the International Review Panel (IRP) on Monday 15 September. The IRP will now critically assess and provide feedback on the submissions from nine theme groups in key research fields. The Cancer Theme Group’s submission outlined a strategy for the further development of cancer research and education at UoM. It proposes that the faculty: • establish the Melbourne Centre for Cancer Research (MCCR) as a university centre that is headquartered in the VCCC building, but networked across all UoM schools and departments • invest in a number of internationally outstanding cancer researchers who will occupy the laboratories in the UoM space of the VCCC facility • support the development of the research and education program of the VCCC tumour streams by investing in worldclass clinician–scientists in the roles of Lead Research Clinician for each tumour stream. Prof Bishop acknowledged the valuable contributions of the Cancer Theme Group (Prof Melissa Southey, Prof Andrew Roberts, Prof Geoff Lindeman, Prof Jon Emery, Prof Joe Trapani, Associate Professor Penny Schofield, Prof Mark Jenkins, Prof Graham Taylor, Dr Mark Dawson, Assoc/Prof Lynette Joubert, Prof Linda Denehy, Assoc/Prof Kate Drummond) and the support of the broader cancer research community who attended ‘town hall meetings’ or assisted in preparing the submission. Breast cancer researcher wins prize for clinical trials research excellence Professor Michael Green, winner of the Alan Coates Award Professor Michael Green has been awarded the Alan Coates Award for excellence in clinical trials research by the Australian and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group (ANZBCTG). Professor Green is the Director of Cancer Services at Western Health and a consultant medical oncologist with the Department of Haematology and Medical Oncology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He has a long association with both the ANZBCTG as well as its international partner the International Breast Cancer Trials Group (IBCSG), on whose board he sits as a director. The ANZBCTG research program brings together more than 700 researchers in 87 institutions in Australia and New Zealand. Professor Green has been involved in several clinical research trials that aim to introduce new treatments for breast cancer patients, including several world-leading research projects on new, ‘first-in-man’ treatments. Several hundred patients have had the opportunity to participate in these trials. Professor Green said he believed the quality of any clinical program could be assessed by its participation in a clinical research program. ‘The award which I received is a tribute to a great University of Melbourne Alumnus, Professor Alan Coates, and acknowledges a multidisciplinary research team of leading surgeons, radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and nurses working across two University of Melbourne teaching hospitals: the Royal Melbourne and Western Health,’ he said. ‘I am privileged to have great mentors at both these hospitals as well as colleagues who share their skills and knowledge freely. Any of them would merit this distinction.’ Source: Daryl Holland, MUSSE 4 Upcoming events Tuesday 28 October — Austin Health Smallwood Oration Monday 24 November — VCCC and UoM public seminar on cancer prevention 28 Oct Professor Richard Kefford AM, Director Westmead Institute for Cancer Research, will deliver this year’s annual Smallwood Oration. The public lecture honors the immense contributions made to Australian medicine and Austin Health by Prof Richard Smallwood AO. Professor Kefford’s presentation is titled ‘D-day for cancer: at what cost?’ The event will be held at Austin Health on Tuesday 28 October at 5.30 pm (John Lindell Lecture Theatre, Studley Road, Heidelberg). Professor Graham Colditz, Deputy Director of the Institute for Public Health at the Washington University School of Medicine, and Associate Director for Prevention and Control at the Alvin J Siteman Cancer Center, St Louis, United States, will give a public seminar in association with the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health on Monday 24 November at 12.30 pm. Prof Colditz was this year’s recipient of the ASCOAmerican Cancer Society Award. He is an internationally renowned epidemiologist and public health expert with a longstanding interest in cancer prevention research. He has conducted award-winning research into the effects of smoking, weight and weight gain, physical activity, diet, and certain medications on the risk of developing breast cancer. He currently leads transdisciplinary research studying the associations between obesity and cancer causes, prevention and survival, as well as a program that uses community-based partnerships to reduce disparities in cancer prevention. With the American Cancer Society, he is working to apply research findings in cancer prevention to broader population programs. All are welcome to attend; please RSVP to [email protected]. Pink Ribbon Breakfast 2. Stakeholder logos and the visual 24 Nov Details of the venue will be advertised soon at http://pgh.unimelb.edu.au/. identity A ‘logo strip’ has been developed for project specific external-facing marketing collateral, specifically: • communityupdates • 2.externalreports Stakeholder • kitfolders. logos and the visual identity A ‘logo strip’ has been developed for project specific external-facing marketing collateral, specifically: The logo strip is to be used in conjunction with the VCCC Joint Venture visual identity and only in • communityupdates instances where the VCCC Joint Venture logo is placed in a prominent position on collateral (refer to • externalreports • kitfolders. template examples masthead and external Dr Helen Zorbas, of CEO Cancer Australia, and report cover in section five). The Professor logo isJim to be used conjunction withbottom theofVCCC visual(last identity andonly) only in Bishop, Director the ofJoint The logostrip strip should beinExecutive placed on the theVenture masthead page and on the back page of instances VCCC Joint Venture placed in a prominent position on collateral (refer to VCCC,where with the Kirilly Dutton and thelogo HonisPeter report covers and kit folders. template examples of masthead Dutton, Minister for Healthand external report cover in section five). The purpose of thebelogo strip is to recognise all components theand VCCC Joint Venture. The logo strip should placed on the bottom of the masthead (last pageof only) on the back page of report covers and kit folders. See the example below for the order in which the logos should appear and the versions of each logo The purpose offor the logo strip is tois recognise all components of the VCCC Venture. The vision the VCCC to save lives through the Joint integration of cancer research, education that are to be used. See the examplecare. below for the order ininnovation which the logos should appear and the versions of each logo and patient Through and collaboration, the VCCC will drive the next generation Where the VCCC Joint Venture visual identity does not appear on an item of collateral, the logo strip is that are to be used. of improvements in the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer. not to be used. Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Ltd Victorian Comprehensive Cancer CentreCentre Ltd trading Victorian Comprehensive trading asasVictorian Comprehensive CancerCancer Centre Centre The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Centre, a joint venture The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer a jointbetween: venture between: Contact us Where the VCCC Joint Venture visual identity does not appear on an item of collateral, the logo strip is not to be used. Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre PO Box 2148, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Vic 3050 Level 3, 766 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, Vic 3000 t: +61 3 8344 8708 e: [email protected] website: http://victorianccc.org.au twitter: @CancerVCCC
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