These grants provide up to $50,000 per year for up to three years for projects in development or ready for testing in the real-world setting.
The selected projects align with the Network's aim to:
- Improve cancer outcomes in NSW regional communities, with a particular focus on achieving equitable outcomes for Aboriginal communities and other groups within NSW disproportionately affected by cancer;
- Reduce the risk of preventable cancers for people in NSW regional communities;
- Increase one- and five-year survival rates for regional NSW residents with cancer; and
- Enhance the collection and use of people's reported experience and outcomes to drive improvements in care and services
Congratulations to the recipients of the 'Shovel Ready' Research Projects:
Jacqueline Jagger, Central Coast Local Health District. Project: SLAM-B: Self-administration of Bortezomib for patients with myeloma: A pilot study.
Dr Alex Flynn, Central Coast Local Health District. Project: Validation and feasibility of dry-blood spot testing for infusional 5-fluorouracil dosing.
Dr Christine O'Neill, Hunter New England Local Health District and HMRI. Project: Empowering patients and clinicians to make shared treatment decisions in low-risk thyroid cancer.
Dr Jennifer Mackney, John Hunter Hospital, Hunter New England Local Health District. Project: Supported Rehabilitation – Improving fitness, ensuring well-being before surgery (SPRITES) – a feasibility study for people with cancer preparing for abdominal surgery.
Professor Hubert Hondermarck, University of Newcastle. Project: A non-invasive MRI-based quantification of nerves to identify dangerous tumours in prostate cancer and other human malignancies.
Alison Hofman, Tamworth Hospital, Hunter New England Local Health District. Project: Embedding patient reported measures to optimise psychosocial support referral pathways for rural cancer patients.
Professor Joerg Lehmann, Calvary Mater Newcastle. Project: Improving quality and utilisation of breast cancer care in regional NSW through accurate monitoring of the patient position during breast radiotherapy under breath hold.
The Network congratulates all the successful recipients and looks forward to witnessing the positive impact of their research.
The NSW Regional Cancer Research Network is funded by the Cancer Institute NSW through a Translational Cancer Research Capacity Building Grant and established through NSW Regional Health Partners.