Research and clinical trials

Australia is a world leader in cancer research and the Australian Government is committed to ensuring Australia remains internationally competitive and at the forefront of research and discovery regarding cancer, its origins, treatment and the care of people affected by cancer.

Cancer Australia administers funding for cancer research and provides support to Australia's Multi-site, Collaborative National Cancer Clinical Trials Groups.

Clinical trials are fundamental to establishing whether new cancer treatments or new ways of using existing therapies, diagnostic tests, preventative or supportive interventions are effective and they help generate the evidence for best-practice cancer care. The Support for Cancer Clinical Trials program provides funding to Australia's Multi-site, Collaborative National Cancer Clinical Trials Groups to build their capacity to undertake cancer clinical trials and the Boost Cancer Research measure provides support to establish additional new Multi-site, Collaborative National Cancer Clinical Trials Groups, extend the conduct of cooperative clinical trials into regional and rural areas, and will provide research grants to undertake cancer clinical trial research in identified priority areas.

Cancer research and clinical trials are vital to increase our understanding of how to prevent cancer, develop new approaches to detecting, diagnosing and treating cancers, and improve support and care for people affected by cancer.

Cancer Australia also manages a dedicated budget for cancer research through the Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research scheme.

Cancer Australia has established a National Research Advisory Group to guide this work and to provide advice about:

• current and emerging issues in cancer research (horizon scanning),
• priorities for cancer research in Australia, and
• supporting Australia’s representatives on the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) councils.

Cancer research in Australia: An overview of cancer research projects and research programs in Australia 2003-2005 is the report from Cancer Australia's survey to examine national and international government and non-government funding provided directly to cancer research projects and research programs at the national level. These data were developed by contacting major funders of cancer research. It provides, for the first time, an overview of cancer research projects and research programs funded across Australia, and outlines how and where funds were being spent across different tumour streams and the continuum of cancer research.