Medical cannabis
In response to recent national and state
discussion in the media and political parties, we have developed a position
statement on medical cannabis in cancer care.
CCV’s election platform
update
In recent months our CEO Todd Harper and
representatives from CCV Board, Clinical Network Executive (Miss Orla McNally),
and Medical & Scientific Committee met with the Liberal, Labour and Greens
political parties to present Cancer Council Victoria’s priorities for the state
election.
Meetings included current Health Minister,
and the Opposition Leader and shadow Health Minister. The meetings were
very positive, with follow up conversations with all three parties to keep them
informed of CCV priorities. This advocacy work has been supported by
public engagement campaigns. Continued advocacy will focus on political
advisors to the major parties.
Refinement of the standard
list of items associated with conducting Clinical Trials in Australia
The results of the refinement of the list of
standard clinical trial items developed last year conducted by Health Consult
on behalf of NHMRC have been released, with a call for feedback on section
3 of the report. The Clinical Research Professionals Committee
developed a response to this call for comments, noting the change in emphasis
from costing items to costing activities associated with clinical trial
conduct, which is considered a shortcoming. For a copy of the submission
please contact clincal.network@cancervic.org.au
Call for better protection
at work from cancer
Cancer Council Victoria today welcomed a
commitment from both the Victorian Liberal Government and Labor State
Opposition to introduce new laws that will make it easier for career and
volunteer firefighters with cancer to get compensation. However, the evidence
shows more needs to be done to prevent occupational cancers, which, based on
latest estimates may account for between 2 and 5 per cent of all cancer cases
in Australia.
Read the position statement in full here.
Long standing Clinical
Network member A/Prof Ray Snyder retiring
Ray has dedicated 37 years to medical
oncology at St Vincent’s Hospital. He joined VCOG when it was established in
1976 and has been a loyal member, leader and mentor since then. Throughout this
time Ray has provided clinical direction through several leadership roles
including chairing the Clinical Network, Breast Cancer Committee, Breast Trials
Committee and Psycho-Oncology Committee. Ray’s dedication to CCV can be further
seen through his current appointments on the CCV Council and the Standing
Subcommittee on Research. Ray was also heavily involved with the Victorian
Breast Cancer Research Consortium managed by the Cancer Council. Throughout the
years Ray has been a champion of supporting clinical trials research in
Victoria leading to a number of long-term initiatives here at CCV.
World Cancer Congress Dec
4-6 in Melbourne
The Clinical Network are presenting posters
at the World Cancer Congress relating to:
- The views of oncology
professionals regarding the Victorian Cancer Trials Link (VCTL), an online
clinical trials portal
(Authors:
Cat Parker, A/Prof Michael Jefford, A/Prof Jeremy Millar)
- An exploration of the
relationship between funding and patient accrual to oncology clinical trials:
Additional Funding Intervention Trial (AFIT)
(Authors:
A/Prof Jeremy Millar, Cat Parker, A/Prof Ray Snyder)
- Making the law work
better for people affected by cancer
(Authors:
Danielle Spence, Nicola Quin, Esther Sadek, Rachel Whiffen, A/Prof Michael
Jefford, Sondra Davoren, Dr Deborah Lawson, Sue Merritt). This relates to
CCV’s Strategy and Support Division’s (encompassing Clinical Network)
collaboration with the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer to progress
advocacy efforts to improve the Victorian Patient Travel Assistance Scheme
(VPTAS).
The COSA ASM December 2-4
workshops and forums
Treatment as a form of
liver cancer prevention: The clinical efficacy and cost effectiveness of
treatment
Prof Henry Chan
Professor in the Department of Medicine and
Therapeutics, Director of Chen Suen Man Shook Centre for Hepatitis Research and
Director of the Centre for Liver Health of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
We are delighted to have Professor Chan join
us for a special presentation as part of his appointment with the World Cancer
Congress.
Cancer Council Victoria, 4th December,
6.30pm-8.00pm. An invitation will be circulated in the coming
weeks.
Integrated Cancer Services
State-wide Lung Cancer Summit: improving lung cancer care in Victoria
The lung summit is a clinician-led forum for
reviewing data about diagnosis, treatment and system factors impacting care of
lung cancer patients in Victoria. This is the second of a series of tumour
specific summit meetings hosted collaboratively by Victoria’s Integrated Cancer
Services and Cancer Council Victoria.
Discussion topics include:
- Delays in diagnosis
- Multidisciplinary
approach to treatment
- Referral pathways to
specialist care
- Proportion of patients
receiving active treatment for lung cancer
- Access to palliative
and supportive care
Friday 14 November, RACV Club, 501 Bourke
Street, Melbourne. Register here.