Cancer Australia Connections December 2008

From the CEO

As the end of the year rapidly approaches, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have shown an interest in and contributed to the work of Cancer Australia in 2008 and to wish you a safe and happy holiday season.

We value greatly the relationships we have with people involved in cancer control activities across Australia, and know that your advice and support is pivotal in helping Cancer Australia achieve its objectives.

An enormous amount has been achieved in 2008, with the continuing development of partnerships being a highlight. Cancer Australia’s focus on partnerships is a key means of ensuring that we do not duplicate the excellent work already being done in cancer control in Australia, but that we add value by assisting to better promote and coordinate excellence nationally.

These partnerships include (but are not limited to):

• Collaboration with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australasian Association of Cancer Registries, to produce a number of reports, including the first ever national prevalence data on cancer survivors;
• Continued work with a growing number of funding partners, through the Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme, to fund quality, people-focussed, cooperative cancer research in identified priority areas nationally;
• Co-funded partnerships with the Cancer Councils in every state and territory, aimed at building capacity and enhancing supports for people affected by cancer, through the Building Cancer Support Networks Grants Program; and
• The CanNET Project, which continues to foster strong links between states and the Northern Territory, as they share their learnings in the process of establishing cancer service networks.

Highlights of Cancer Australia’s work over the past three months are detailed below. I would also like to take this opportunity to again acknowledge the outstanding team at Cancer Australia, because without their tireless work, energy and commitment, none of these achievements would be possible.

National Meetings

September and October were a busy time for meetings – the National Research Advisory Group, the National Consumer Advisory Group and the National Centre for Gynaecological Cancers Advisory Group all met by teleconference.

The Strategic Forum, which combines state and federal government representation as well as clinicians and consumers, met in Sydney in October. Opportunities for data use to improve cancer control, particularly in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, were discussed. Representatives from all the CanNET projects also presented to the Forum. The Meeting Communique provides a more detailed outline of discussions.

National Centre for Gynaecological Cancers update

Cancer Australia’s first ever consumer fellowship, the Jeannie Ferris, Cancer Australia Consumer Churchill Fellowship, is now open to applicants. This fellowship will enable a consumer who has been affected by a gynaecological cancer to travel overseas to research an area of interest that will benefit women affected by gynaecological cancers in Australia. The closing date is 27 February 2009, and for more information on this consumer opportunity go to http://www.churchilltrust.com.au/.

Following open tender processes, the National Centre for Gynaecological Cancers has recently signed contracts for:

• production of a suite of information resources on gynaecological cancers for both consumers and health professionals. The suite will avoid duplication by linking to and/or modifying existing best practice resources, and, where required, include newly developed evidence based fact sheets on gynaecological cancers.
• survey services for the establishment of baseline referral practices by general practitioners and gynaecologists for women with gynaecological conditions. Results of this survey will inform future work of the Centre with regard to the education and training requirements of GPs and gynaecologists concerning the referral of women with gynaecological cancers.
• development of succinct, print-ready clinical guidance material which outlines best practice in the management of women with endometrial cancer at key points in their care.

The final National Institute of Labour Studies report reviewing the gynaecological cancers workforce has been received. The Centre has consulted with its Advisory Group and the Department of Health and Ageing, and is scoping the next stage of related work.

On 12 December 2008 the Centre released the tender ‘The Development of an Interactive Training Module for Health Professionals to Address Psychosexual Care of Women Affected by Gynaecological Cancers’. This tender will close on 30 January 2009.

The Centre is well advanced in implementing the ministerially approved workplan for 2008 which builds on the knowledge and results of projects and achievements of the National Centre for Gynaecological Cancers' first year.

New Advisory Council Appointments

Cancer Australia is delighted to announce the reappointment of Dr Bill Glasson as Chair of the Advisory Council and the appointment of two new members. Bill continues to provide excellent leadership for Cancer Australia's Advisory Council. The new members’ backgrounds, in radiation oncology and prevention and public health, will add to the experience and expertise of other members, who are drawn from areas including oncology, general practice, community cancer care, cancer research, academia and politics, and several of whom have had personal experience of cancer.

Dr Liz Kenny is a senior radiation oncologist with the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, who has a special interest in breast and head and neck cancers. She was also the President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists during 2005-2007, and from 2002-2003 was the President of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia (COSA). Since 2004, Dr Kenny has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Breast Cancer Network of Australia, and she is also a member of Cancer Australia’s National Research Advisory Group.

Professor Simon Chapman is a professor in public health and a tobacco control researcher at the University of Sydney, with a strong interest in men’s health. He is the author of 14 books and major government reports, and of over 360 papers, editorials and commentaries that have been published in peer-reviewed journals. In 2008, Professor Chapman received the NSW Premier’s Award for Outstanding Cancer Research.

Boosting Cancer Research

2008 PdCCRS grant recipients announced

Cancer Australia partnered with beyondblue: the national depression initiative, Cure Cancer Australia Foundation, Cancer Council Australia and the National Breast Cancer Foundation in the 2008 round of the Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme (PdCCRS). The Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Nicola Roxon announced the successful studies in early December.

The research scheme has grown significantly since its inaugural year in 2007, and continues to expand:

• The number of applications received increased by 250% compared with the 2007 PdCCRS round.
• 42 applications have been identified for funding (up from 24 in 2007).
• The amount of funding awarded has increased from approximately $10.5 million in 2007, to over $14 million in 2008.
• The number of partners has grown from 3 in 2007, to 11 in 2009.

The PdCCRS brings government and other funders of cancer research together, to support cancer research and improve patient outcomes.

Follow the links to details of the successful 2008 PdCCRS applicants as well as information relating to the funding partners, their research priorities and the 2009 partners and their priorities.

2009 PdCCRS grants round open

Applications are currently being invited for Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Grants, to commence in 2010. Researchers working in Australia are eligible to apply.

Grants will support Australian researchers to work collaboratively towards generating evidence, increasing knowledge and improving outcomes for people affected by cancer.

Grant applications must relate to research priority areas identified by Cancer Australia and/or one or more its funding partners: beyondblue: the national depression initiative, Cancer Council Australia, CanTeen, the Cure Cancer Australia Foundation, the Leukaemia Foundation, Meat and Livestock Australia, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the National Centre for Gynaecological Cancers, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Radiation Oncology Section of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, and Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia. The following links will direct you to information on the:

• 2009 cancer research priorities
• Information for applicants
• Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme

Improving Cancer Data

The following data documents have been published on our website this month:

A National Cancer Data Strategy for Australia;

The Framework for Specialist Minimum Data Set Development for Specific Cancers in Clinical Cancer Registration; and

Data Sets for Cancer Control and Research in Australia.

A review of the Clinical Cancer Core Data Set (formerly known as the NCCI Minimum Data Set) is well underway. The review is to ensure that the data elements are still current. This data set is generic, and forms the basis for the development of specialised cancer minimum data sets, such as those for ovarian, endometrial and cervical cancers, developed by the National Centre for Gynaecological Cancers and National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre. Such minimum data sets aim to encourage consistent collection of key tumour-specific data elements nationally.

Building Consumer Supports

Consumer training in evaluating research

In September 2008, Cancer Australia provided funding for 9 consumer representatives to attend the NSW Cancer Research Review Training Workshop. This workshop was a training initiative of the Cancer Council NSW. It provided consumers with an opportunity to learn about the research review process, in order to effectively assess research proposals and provide valuable input into the allocation of future research grants under Cancer Australia’s Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme.

Australian Cancer Trials Online website

The Australian Cancer Trials Online (ACT Online) website is being evaluated before going live for public use in mid 2009. The website will be the first of its kind in Australia, covering all types of cancer and providing quality, consumer-friendly information about cancer clinical trials being undertaken in Australia. This project is being undertaken in partnership with the University of Sydney, the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry and Cancer Australia.

CanNET Update

CanNET Consumer Survey

Cancer Australia has commissioned a ‘national assessment of cancer care to determine the perceptions and experiences of people affected by cancer’ (CanNET Consumer Survey). This includes both those living with cancer, and those who care for those living with cancer. The CanNET Consumer Survey will play a central role in Cancer Australia’s consumer engagement strategy.

The primary objectives of the survey are to:

1. Gain baseline information about the current strengths and gaps in cancer care delivery across Australia from a consumer perspective; and

2. Provide information to the cancer care sector to support the development of strategies to strengthen the delivery of cancer care to the Australian community.

The project has two key phases:

Phase 1, where the feasibility and optimal approach to conducting the survey will be determined based on industry consultation and desktop research. A draft survey instrument will be designed and tested in this phase; and

Phase 2, where the survey will be administered, collated, analysed and reported

Explaining Cancer Service Networks

Glossaries have been developed by the CanNET team, to help encourage national consistency in terminology use when discussing the work of cancer services.

Additionally, a schematic has been developed which outlines the key elements involved in Cancer Service Networks. These key elements all play a crucial and interwoven role in producing robust networks, which deliver best practice care for people affected by cancer.

These resources and information on the CanNET consumer survey can be accessed here.

• CanNET Evaluation Glossary
• CanNET Glossary
• CanNET Consumer Survey Literature Review