It’s been a complex year. As I write, the community is preparing for a festive season free of the restrictions we have had to navigate in recent years, yet these freedoms are associated with a fourth COVID-19 wave, continuing pressures in our hospitals and healthcare systems, workforce shortages and ongoing restrictions in many of our work places. Tough times continue for our healthcare colleagues and for those seeking care in our hospitals, including those affected by cancer.

 

Despite this context and testament to the commitment of all those engaged with the MPCCC; we have continued to achieve significant change and growth throughout 2022. This could not have been achieved without the commitment of our partners and our community including the dedicated consumer representatives who have tirelessly committed many hours of support across the MPCCC program of work.

 

We’ve welcomed some fantastic new team members, including the MPCCC Program Manager, Lama Karroum; Communications Manager, Hannah Machin; and (co-funded) MPCCC & VCCC Alliance Project Manager, Karen Harris. In October, the expanded MPCCC team moved to a new office location in the Biomedical Precinct at Monash University Clayton Campus (Building 77, 23 Innovation Walk) bolstering our connections with the Biomedicine Discovery Institute Cancer Program and its network of innovative cross-program collaborations.

 

The MPCCC, via the commitment of our partners, have delivered:

The Precision Cancer Program Seminar series and the complementary Tech Talks.

These forums have continued to communicate research activity from across the MPCCC partnership, Victoria and internationally.

 

Sponsored access to comprehensive tumour profiling.

Our contributing partner organisations have made increasing use of this capacity which was made possible via an extension to our partnership with the Australian Cancer Genomics Medicine Centre (Omico) ‘Molecular Screening and Therapeutics’ (MoST) study.

 

MPCCC Molecular Tumour Boards.

The MTBs are attended by multidisciplinary teams of health professionals and researchers from both metropolitan and regional services. In 2022 we have introduced a Gynaecological cancer MTB to increase the diversity of cancer types considered and supported in this setting.

 

MPCCC Clinical Research and Education Fellows.

These appointments have been confirmed at MPCCC partner hospitals and many are ready to commence in February 2023.

 

Consumer voices.

A small network of 5 trained and highly skilled consumer representatives are now well integrated within each of the MPCCC program steering committees. This was achieved after adopting the Cancer Australia’s National Framework for Consumer Involvement in Cancer Control (2011).

 

The inaugural MPCCC Precision Cancer Early Career Scholarship. This was awarded to Trang Tran, a PhD student in the Hormone Cancer Therapeutics Lab, Hudson Institute, supervised by Prof Peter Fuller and Dr Simon Chu.

 

Engagement with the Victorian Clinical Trials Education Centre (V-CTEC).

This engagement will leverage and promote the V-CTEC online platform for the benefit of our partners’ cancer workforce.

 

Closer collaborations with the VCCC Alliance

Together we have developed a Research Advisory Committee to identify priorities and opportunities for improving cancer care in older Victorians and are progressing towards delivering a co-organised Victorian precision cancer symposium in early 2023.

 

Continuation of the Victorian COVID19 Network (VCCN)

This coordinated, state-wide response to support and enable appropriate cancer care, consistent messaging and enhanced workforce wellbeing in response to the challenges presented by COVID19 has continued throughout 2022.

 

These achievements are made possible with the commitment and dedication of our stakeholders. Combining our knowledge, dedication and strengths is what makes MPCCC so successful. We extend our gratitude to all those who participate openly, generously and consistently, mindful of the real challenges that we all have faced, and currently face in our healthcare settings.

 

We look forward to 2023 and the opportunity to build on our successes. We are extremely grateful for the support we have received from the Chair of our Governance Group, Felicity Topp and the Victorian Cancer Agency. We look forward to further capitalising on the opportunities presented by medical research returning to the health portfolio under the guidance of Minister Mary Anne Thomas. We will continue to strive to remain true to our dedication to achieve greater diversity and equity in all that we do.

 

I hope that you take some well-earned rest and relaxation over the holiday period.

 

PROFESSOR MELISSA C. SOUTHEY OAM
PhD, Grad Dip Law, FHGSA, FFSc (RCPA)
Director Research, Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium