Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre
Chairman’s message Christmas 2013
A year of achievement and consolidation
Professor Richard Larkins AO (Chairman)
As Australia’s first multisite, multidisciplinary comprehensive cancer centre, it is important
to take stock of our achievements. Looking back at 2013, many collaborations and
accomplishments within the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre’s (VCCC’s) member
organisations are already contributing to better patient outcomes:
•
We established five chairs in cancer — cancer medicine, primary care cancer research,
medical genomics, leukaemia research, and melanoma and skin cancer — providing a
national and international focus on these areas, and contributing more than $9 million
to our programs (see box, ‘Leaders in cancer’, on page 2 for additional information).
•
We conducted our first Cancer Patient Experience Survey that, together with the Patient
Reported Outcomes Measures survey (PROMs), will be benchmarked against 70,000
patients in the United Kingdom and used to inform future programs.
•
Ten staff from our member organisations participated in the Graduate Certificate in
Clinical Teaching and the Graduate Certificate in University Teaching.
•
A Research Business Development Group was established to optimise industry
interactions with VCCC-affiliated researchers. It also developed an industry strategy.
•
The Cancer Research Advisory Committee facilitated a number of new, successful
cooperative joint grant applications to the National Health and Medical Research Council
(NHMRC). We enabled four successful large multisite grants in 2013, realising around
$10.5 million for members; the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) awarded
$2 million to establish the ACRF Translational Proteomic Facility at The University of
Melbourne (UoM).
•
A clinical trial improvement program was funded to address the identified need for
further support and infrastructure for clinical trials. Two new studies were funded in
psycho-oncology, as well as a pilot project in cancer symptom awareness in general
practice.
•
A new psycho-oncology research collaboration across VCCC hospitals has enabled
180 delegates to discuss best practice at the inaugural Victorian Psycho-Oncology
Conference: Implementing Effective Psycho-Oncology Interventions into Usual Care in
June 2013. Our member organisations also collaborated to put on a successful gynaeoncology symposium and a breast cancer symposium.
•
A business case for future funding was submitted to the Victorian Government.
Leaders in cancer
There have been many collaborative firsts and individual achievements this year (see box,
‘Awards, fellowships and chairs’).
Awards, fellowships and chairs

Professor Terry Speed (the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research [WEHI])
won the 2013 Prime Minister’s prize for science.

Professor Doug Hilton (WEHI) was awarded the 2013 Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in
Biomedical Research.

Professor Jim Bishop was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Australasian Leukaemia
and Lymphoma Group.

Professor Jon Emery received the 2013 Australian Association for Academic Primary Care
(AAAPC) Bridges–Webb Medal.

Professor Andrew Roberts was appointed as the Metcalf Chair of Leukaemia Research at
UoM, a joint appointment with WEHI and Melbourne Health.

Dr Michael Dickenson (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre [Peter Mac]) was awarded the
Julie Borschmann Fellowship in Myeloma.

Three Herman Clinical Research Fellowships were awarded to Dr Kylie Mason (WEHI and
Melbourne Heath), and Drs Constantine Tam and Mark Dawson (Peter Mac). A fourth
will be awarded in 2014.

The Research@Melbourne Accelerator Program (UoM) funded a Chair in Cancer Health
Services Research, and a candidate is currently being sought for this role. This position
will be linked to the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health (UoM) and
Western Health. A Herman Fellowship in Cancer Health Economics is being established
in the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health to support the Chair in Cancer
Health Services Research.

A Chair in Palliative Medicine is being established in partnership with St Vincent’s
Hospital Melbourne.

Leadership roles in neuro-oncology, psycho-oncology, cancer informatics and statistics,
and a number of tumour streams are also being developed.

The Lorenzo Galli Chair in Melanoma and Skin Cancer will be announced in 2014.
All of the above appointments complement the appointments of Professor Jim Bishop,
Herman Chair of Cancer Medicine (UoM); Professor Jon Emery, Herman Chair of Primary
Care Cancer Research (Western Health, VCCC and UoM); and Professor Graham Taylor, Chair
of Medical Genomics (UoM).
Student awards
In March 2013, six high-achieving students in the VCCC were awarded prizes to support
career development. All recipients participated in international scientific meetings to
present their research. The 2013 recipients have now been decided and will be presented
with their awards early in 2014.
Cancer education
In 2013, a VCCC study examined the experiences of PhD students in VCCC member
organisations. Key recommendations included better customisation of induction packages
for students, the need to raise awareness of available activities and support, development of
online resources that support ‘just-in-time’ learning, design of professional development
programs for effective supervision strategies for better communication and feedback, and
support for student independence.
The Master of Cancer Sciences concept proposal was approved by UoM, and the first
component, the Graduate Certificate in Cancer Sciences, is expected to be launched in
semester 2, 2014. This contemporary, evidence-based masters program has been designed
for health professionals who care for patients with cancer, or who are involved in canceroriented research and teaching.
Living with Cancer Program
The Living with Cancer Program initiated two patient-oriented surveys — a key achievement
this year. Cancer patients from VCCC member clinical sites — Melbourne Health, the Royal
Women’s Hospital (the Women’s), Peter Mac, Western Health and St Vincent’s Hospital
Melbourne — have contributed to the first Cancer Patient Experience Survey. Information
from patients will be used to drive quality-improvement initiatives and better models of
clinical care.
The second survey, Patient Reported Outcomes Measures survey (PROMs), assesses overall
quality of life and experience of cancer survivors with different cancer types and at different
time points since diagnosis. PROMs can assess the contribution that their care,
demographics and other factors have on their quality of life, and will be used to improve
future programs.
General practitioner engagement
There has been extensive work on cancer symptom awareness — specifically aimed at early
diagnosis — in general practice and the community. A funded pilot project will review the
QCancer general practitioner (GP) decision aid, which aims to increase GP awareness and
evidence-based response to cancer, especially early detection and prevention.
Clinical care audit
The 2012 clinical audit revealed that VCCC hospitals have performed 1.68 million occasions
of care for 110,000 cancer patients in 2006–11. Areas of strength were identified in most
cancers, including lymphoma, head and neck cancer, brain tumours, bowel cancer and
sarcomas. Non-precinct partners contribute around 25% of VCCC activity. This audit will help
identify cost-effective models of care, and inform service planning by providing a full
understanding of cancer patient distribution and service capability.
Molecular Tumour Board
Our first Molecular Tumour Board (MTB) provides a forum for clinicians and scientists to
examine and discuss patients’ genomic test results, and how these results may influence
clinical care. In addition to promoting best clinical practice, the MTB provides a valuable
opportunity for clinicians and scientists to interact and learn from one another.
The MTB is proving to be a great success, and the first four meetings saw a diverse range of
cases being presented and discussed. The Peter Mac Whole Exome Sequencing Feasibility
Study, the Molecular Profiling and Therapeutic Approaches for Carcinoma of Unknown
Primary, and Variant Management System projects have also been showcased.
Cancer research
Our grant income has remained stable at about $100 million per year according to the two
recent Research Activity and Capability censuses. These audits provide vital information
about the combined strength of the VCCC member organisations and reinforce the power of
effective collaborations.
The box ‘Census findings’ shows additional results from these surveys.
Census findings (2010–12)
Research activity

Of all VCCC research activity, 40% is focused on the biology and the causes of cancer.

Biology and treatment categories have attracted the most funding (42% and 29%,
respectively) and prevention the least (less than 2%).

Approximately 960 full-time equivalent staff (around 1300 individuals) are dedicated to
cancer research across the VCCC member organisations.

Grant income from the NHMRC has increased.

Breast cancer, followed by colorectal cancers and haematological diseases, generated
the most grant income of all tumour streams.

Clinical trials, bioinformatics, datasets, and data linkages and statistical services have
been identified as the areas that researchers need better access to, in terms of research
infrastructure.
Bibliometric data

Of all VCCC member publications, 73% were collaborations between institutions; 45% of
all publications were international collaborations.

Of all tumour streams, VCCC publications on skin cancer had the highest relative citation
impact (RCI; 3.86), whereas the overall Australian RCI for skin cancer was 1.75. The
VCCC’s higher RCI was due mainly to a few highly cited clinical trial publications between
2009 and 2010.

Overall, the VCCC had a far higher RCI and relative journal impact (RSNIP) than the
international benchmarks and Australian publications. The VCCC RCI and RSNIP were far
greater than those of other Australian states and territories with more than 500
publications. There were 6187 VCCC publications from 2006 to 2011.
Implementing research evidence to obtain better cancer outcomes
Clinical trials provide the latest research treatments to patients and translate evidencebased research findings into clinical practice. Cancer Council Victoria data from 2012 reveal
that 79% (up from 60% in 2011) of all cancer trials open to accrual in Victoria are offered to
patients at VCCC member organisations, and 69% (up from 45% in 2011) of all patients
recruited to cancer clinical trials in Victoria participated in a trial at a VCCC member
organisation (1200 patients in 2012, up from 836 in 2011). As a result, two key projects were
established in 2013 to attract more early-phase cancer trials and increase accrual rates on
clinical trials.
Concluding comments
2013 has been a year of outstanding achievement for the VCCC, ensuring that — when the
building program is complete — VCCC members will already have a record of collaboration
in clinical service, research and education, which will place the VCCC at the forefront of
comprehensive cancer centres in the world.
This has been achieved because of the positive and collaborative attitude brought to the
Board, and its subcommittees and working parties by all the participants. Much work
remains to be done, but the vision of achieving a cancer centre undertaking world-class
research at all levels, resulting in reduction of the burden of cancer in our community, will
be realised. The research will lead to prevention of many cases of cancer, better treatment
with more cures and better management of survivors of cancer. Education will ensure that
our health workforce is equipped to take advantage of advances in cancer management and
that the community is properly informed. Clinical care will be of the highest quality,
benchmarked against the world’s best, and coordinated between member institutions so
that it is cost-effective and efficient for the patients.
We thank the Victorian and Australian governments for their support for the VCCC and look
forward to ongoing commitment for the next five years and beyond.
I would particularly like to thank and congratulate the staff of the VCCC under the
outstanding leadership of Professor Jim Bishop AO. Their efforts have been responsible for
the outstanding achievements.
I wish everyone involved in this venture a restful, safe and enjoyable festive season, and
look forward to working with the Board and the VCCC in 2014 to continue to realise the
exciting vision of the VCCC.
Richard Larkins, VCCC Chairman
Contact us
Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre
PO Box 2148, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Vic 3050
Level 3, 766 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, Vic 3000
telephone: +61 3 8344 8708 email: victorianccc-info@unimelb.edu.au
website: www.vcccproject.vic.gov.au/TheAlliance
Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Ltd trading as Victorian Comprehensive Cancer
Centre
The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, a joint venture between:
Peter Mac
Melbourne Health
The University of Melbourne
The Royal Women’s Hospital
Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne
Western Health
St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne