Childhood Cancer
Children’s Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research (CCIA)
Contact: Professor Michelle Haber
Web: http://www.ccia.org.au/
CCIA encompasses basic, translational and clinical research. CCIA is the only independent medical research institute in Australia devoted to conducting research into the causes, prevention and treatment of childhood cancer. With a staff of 130, CCIA has an established national and international reputation for scientific excellence in the field of childhood cancer research, as well as a significant and continuous record of attracting state, national and increasingly, international, competitive peer-reviewed grant funding over the past decade. Major advances have been made in:
- The development of novel iron chelators with potential as anticancer drugs;
- Establishment of a major drug discovery program including the development of molecular-trageted therapy through the use of high throughput screening of chemical small molecule libraries;
- Understanding the biology of two major childhood cancers, neuroblastoma and leukaemia and the development of unique experimental models of these cancers;
- The early detection of relapse in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. This research has led to an NH&MRC-funded clinical trial involving the introduction of intensified therapy for patients with molecular evidence of residual leukaemia;
- Establishment of a Molecular Epidemiology program aimed at elucidating causative agents in childhood cancer, with the long-term goal of implementing public health strategies directed towards childhood cancer prevention.
Centre for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCCBD)
Contact: Professor Glenn Marshall
Web: http://www.kids-cancer.org/
Centre for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCCBD), School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Sydney Children’s Hospital
CCCBD is active in research addressing aetiology, therapies and survivorship in children with cancer. A priority is translating multi-disciplinary research into a bedside scientist-practitioner model with scientists and clinicians working together in all areas of basic science, clinical and support services, and psychosocial and nursing research - addressing the full spectrum of care for children and their families.
CCCBD participates in several externally funded multi-centre clinical trials as a fully accredited member of national and international children’s oncology groups (currently 24 trials open or in follow-up phase), with many CCCBD staff on study committees. CCCBD projects include the following key goals and directions:
- Improving outcomes and cure rates for specific therapies (e.g. stem cell transplant);
- Evidence-based updates to risk-management protocols in charting negative late-effects of therapy, both medical (e.g. bone density, fertility) and psychosocial (e.g. prevalence of PTSD);
- Nursing initiatives which are population-specific (e.g. adolescent health), and/or enhance quality improvement, education and benchmarking in patient care (e.g. symptom management);
- Behavioural science and psychosocial studies in all domains of the cancer experience: diagnosis (e.g. financial impact), active therapy (e.g. medication compliance, CAM use), survivorship (e.g. quality of life), and bereavement (e.g. hospital versus home deaths);
- Cohort-specific studies of patient needs (e.g. brain tumours);
- Quality and continuity of care using telemedicine initiatives to support rural patients, isolated health professionals, and improve networking between paediatric oncology centres.