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For patients undergoing cancer treatment, getting the right dose of chemotherapy is critical and can mean the difference between effective treatment, manageable side effects, and overall quality of life. This is where therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) plays a vital role. By measuring drug concentrations in the bloodstream, TDM helps tailor treatment to individuals, ensuring the safest and most effective outcomes. However, for patients in regional, rural, and remote areas accessing standard TDM methods isn’t always easy. Traditional approaches rely on venous blood draws and specialist lab facilities, resources that aren’t always close to home. These barriers can ...
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F or Fern Beschi, becoming a Palliative Care Pharmacist was the natural intersection of her lifelong passion for science and deep desire to help others. From early experiences in aged care as a teenager to her current role at Calvary Mater Newcastle, Fern’s career has been shaped by a profound respect for compassionate, patient-centred care at the end of life. “Working in palliative care has taught me that making the best of the time we have looks different for everyone,” she says. “The role of medicines is not just to manage symptoms, but to help people feel well enough to live their lives, on their terms.” In palliative care, standard methods ...
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The NSW Regional Cancer Research Network (NSWRCRN) is thrilled to announce that Dr Jennifer Mackney, a recipient of the NSWRCRN Shovel Ready Translational Research Grant, has been awarded $800,000 through the Cancer Institute NSW’s Accelerated Research Implementation Grant . This funding will support the scaling-up of her prehabilitation model across community settings. Dr Mackney’s expanded program, known as C-SPRITES (Supported Prehabilitation – Improving Fitness, Ensuring Well-Being Before Surgery in People Living with Cancer), builds upon the success of her pilot project , which was funded by the Network. This pilot work helped to further develop ...
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The Cancer Institute NSW have announce that abstract submissions for the NSW Cancer Summit 2025 have been extended to Monday, 28 April 2025. Abstract Submissions Now Open. The Cancer Institute NSW has called for Abstracts for this year's inaugural NSW Cancer Summit, to be held on 13 - 14 August 2025 at the ICC Sydney. Multiple abstract topics are open across two presentation types. Delegates are welcome to submit multiple abstracts, however each abstract must be submitted separately. For further information visit the NSW Cancer Summit webpage . We encourage NSW Regional Cancer Research Network members to consider submitting an abstract for ...
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Adult cancer survivors often experience psychological and physical challenges such as anxiety, depression, fatigue and pain. These factors can negatively impact their quality of life, highlighting the need for holistic care to improve mental and physical health. Exercise and mindfulness-based interventions, when implemented independently, are proven to improve many of the challenges cancer survivors face. However, research on their combined effects on cancer survivors remains limited despite promising evidence suggesting they may work synergistically to improve outcomes. Study Objectives The successful applicant will design and conduct a pilot study ...
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The Cancer Institute NSW is thrilled to announce the inaugural Summit, which will be taking place over two days in 2025. When : Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 August, 2025 Where : ICC Sydney Further details to come. For early access to sponsorship packages please contact us via cinsw-events@health.nsw.gov.au For further information as it becomes available visit the NSW Cancer Summit webpage .
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The NSW Regional Cancer Research Network is pleased to announce the successful recipients of the 2024 Research Starter Grants. These grants are designed to grow research capacity and capabilities within the Network’s footprint by supporting new and emerging researchers, including medical and health professionals, to undertake translational cancer research projects. The Research Starter Grants scheme, funded through a Translational Cancer Research Capacity Building Grant from the Cancer Institute NSW, seeks to support building new research capacity and growing research experience across northern NSW – in the areas included in the Central Coast, Hunter New England, ...
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The NSW Regional Cancer Research Network is pleased to announce the successful recipients of the 2024 Clinician Research Fellowships. These fellowships aim to build translational cancer research capacity and capability and will support clinical staff located at regional sites to undertake impactful research within their health services. The Clinician Research Fellowship scheme, funded through a Translational Cancer Research Capacity Building Grant from the Cancer Institute NSW, seeks to increase research capacity and capability across northern NSW – in the areas included in the Central Coast, Hunter New England, Mid-North Coast, and Northern NSW Local Health ...
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Dr Alex Flynn, Medical Oncologist and Clinical Trials Fellow at the Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) is leading research aimed at developing chemotherapy dosing methods. Her project entitled "Validation and feasibility of dry-blood spot testing for infusional 5-fluorouracil dosing," seeks to improve the efficacy of treatment while minimising toxicity for patients. Traditionally, chemotherapy dosing for 5-fluorouracil (5FU) has been calculated based on a patient's height and weight. However, emerging evidence suggests this may not be the best method to calculate treatment doses, as individuals can respond very differently to this treatment based on ...
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NSW Cancer Research Education State-wide Seminar Series | Early-onset bowel cancer – detection & treatment gains amid the biggest cancer killer in the under-50s Tuesday 18 June, 12.30pm - 1.30pm | Online Webinar The NSW Regional Cancer Research Network, in collaboration with the Maridulu Budyari Gumal (SPHERE) Cancer CAG and Sydney Cancer Partners host the 2024 NSW Cancer Research Education State-wide Seminar Series. These online seminars are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Session Information A diagnosis of colorectal cancer is always life-changing but it is particularly devastating in the under-50s. This seminar ...
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Dr Sunil Rai is a Medical Oncologist based at North West Cancer Centre in Tamworth Hospital. With a passion for enhancing the wellbeing and experience of his patients, Dr Rai's research and involvement in clinical trials are gaining recognition. Recently awarded a Clinician Research Fellowship from the NSW Regional Cancer Research Network, Dr Rai is spearheading a project entitled, “Assessing the feasibility and clinical and patient-reported impacts of the use of ctDNA testing in adjuvant breast cancer: A rural pilot study.” The project's primary objective is to evaluate the practicality, cost-effectiveness and patient experiences associated with Circulating ...
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Liquid Biopsy in Cancer Tuesday 1 6 April , 12.30pm - 1.30pm | Online Webinar The NSW Regional Cancer Research Network , in collaboration with the Maridulu Budyari Gumal (SPHERE) Cancer CAG and Sydney Cancer Partners host the 2024 NSW Cancer Research Education State-wide Seminar Series. These online seminars are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Session Information Liquid biopsies of blood, urine, or other body fluid such as ascites are gaining interest in cancer diagnostics and treatment. Liquid biopsies are used to identify ...
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NSW Cancer Research Symposium on Data Linkage 8.30am - 5.30pm | Thursday 4 July | Central Coast Clinical School & Research Institute| Level 10/77a Holden St, Gosford T he 'NSW Cancer Research Symposium on Data Linkage’ will explore health and population data linkage in cancer research and help NSW cancer researchers and health professionals increase their knowledge in the health record linkage process. The program is designed to assist researchers to gain a better understanding of the data sources available for cancer research, how to access this data, and ways to integrate it into their work. The Symposium will include project presentations ...
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Dr Christine O'Neill, head of general surgery at Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital and VMO General and Endocrine Surgeon specialising in treating thyroid cancer, is committed to enhancing patient autonomy and optimising psychosocial care outcomes for thyroid cancer patients. In Australia, thyroid cancer ranks as the ninth most common cancer, with approximately 4000 new diagnoses every year. The issue of 'overdiagnosis’ – where the cancer found would be unlikely to have produced symptoms or led to serious outcomes if undiscovered - is also significant. Frequently, thyroid cancer is detected incidentally in patients who are having scans for unrelated reasons, ...
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The purpose of the NSW Regional Cancer Research Network's Clinician Research Fellowship scheme is to build translational cancer research by increasing research capacity and capability across the geographical area covered by the Central Coast , Hunter New England , Mid-North Coast and Northern NSW Local Health District boundaries. This scheme is aimed at supporting regional clinical staff to undertake translational cancer research within their own institution and to contribute to the wider goals of the Network. Funding Support Available The Clinician Research Fellowship award is a maximum of $100,000 ...
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The NSW Regional Cancer Research Network’s Research Starter Grants are designed to grow research capacity and capabilities within the Network’s footprint by supporting new and emerging researchers , including medical and health professionals, to undertake translational cancer research projects. Is this scheme for you? 'Emerging researchers' (including health and medical professionals who have recently commenced their research careers) who are working in the geographical area covered by the Central Coast , Hunter New England , Mid-North Coast and Northern NSW Local Health Districts are ...
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Dr Jennifer Mackney, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist (Perioperative medicine), respiratory scientist and honorary lecturer at the University of Newcastle, is based at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, New South Wales. Dr Mackney is the lead for prehabilitation services in the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) and is part of a clinical team that has advocated for and developed the exercise testing service to identify risk and facilitate optimisation for people preparing for major, high-risk surgeries in hospital. Dr Mackney's research and clinical work has demonstrated that ‘prehabilitation’ – improving a patient’s function capability ...
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The NSW Regional Cancer Network will soon be calling for Applications for Research Starter Grants | Applications opening 1 February 2024 Important Notice: This scheme does not open for applications until February 2024 therefore scheme documents are subject to minor change up to 31 January 2024 . Any modifications will be communicated through our online platform prior to the scheme opening date. Overview The NSW Regional Cancer Research Network will be opening the Research Starter Grants scheme in February ...
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Professor Hubert Hondermarck’ s research is positioned at the frontier between oncology and neuroscience, exploring the neural regulation of cancer. For the last two decades, Professor Hondermarck’s research has increased our understanding of the complex relationship between the nervous system and tumour development and survival. "It's an emerging area in research called Cancer Neuroscience” Professor Hondermarck explains “Our laboratory is contributing to this. It means looking at the role of the nerves and nervous system in the initiation and progression of cancer. This is something which has been underestimated up until now." By using cutting-edge ...
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Alison Hofman highly values patient-reported measures (PRMs) for enhancing psychosocial support for patients with cancer. With over two decades experience in oncology, emergency, and intensive care nursing, and as a dedicated Cancer Care Coordinator at Tamworth Hospital, Alison recognises the challenges and opportunities facing the implementation of PRMs in regional and remote areas. This has been further highlighted for Alison while undertaking her master's in advanced nursing. It’s this knowledge and practice gap that inspired Alison to seek new and innovative methods to utilise PRMs, aiming to improve healthcare professionals' insight into patient experiences ...
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