At UNSW Medicine, we are committed to transforming the cancer care landscape and solving the most perplexing medical puzzles of our time. We harness collaboration and foster innovation. We focus on health equity, to ensure that under-served populations and rare and under-funded cancers get the attention they deserve. And we fast-track the translation of new discoveries into excellent patient care that improves and saves lives.
Developments in technology and new access to big data are driving opportunities with great potential for improving the diagnosis and treatment of cancer – but we know that insights alone will not change health outcomes for people affected by cancer. To bridge the gap, we are actively investing in networks, facilities and systems to support the rapid, efficient and viable translation of research discoveries into clinical practice.
We have built strategic relationships across connected sectors so that the new knowledge we generate can be applied quickly and efficiently, delivering measurable benefits and tangible improvements to diverse communities around Australia, the Asia-Pacific and beyond. We partner with consumers, government and NGOs to ensure that our research responds to genuine needs. And we work with health service providers including hospitals and with industry partners to support the rapid and efficient implementation of research that is clinically relevant and commercially viable.
“UNSW’s cancer researchers are internationally recognised clinicians, researchers and educators. Their expertise spans the basic sciences, clinical trials, implementation research, public health and health services research and it aims to benefit people at all stages of their encounter with cancer, from prevention to treatment, palliation and survivorship support. We know that cross-disciplinary collaboration is the most effective way to turn scientific discoveries into improvements in patients’ lives. This is why UNSW Medicine is so well-placed to close the gaps that remain.”
Scientia Professor Michael Barton OAM
Principal – Cancer research, UNSW Sydney
Cancer is the most pressing health challenge of our time. By the age of 85, cancer will affect 1 in 2 Australians. While health and medical research has improved the outlook for cancer patients in recent decades, cancer is still a leading cause of death worldwide. To change these statistics, we are uniting against cancer. We are consolidating our research across disciplines, industries, networks and countries. And we’re building on this knowledge to improve the outcomes of every cancer patient.
UNSW Medicine is home to a community of researchers who have dedicated their careers to tackling some of cancer’s most difficult challenges. With representation in some of the key international and national cancer research bodies, our researchers have worked hard to generate significant momentum in recent years. Now, aided by the prodigious technological advances of the last decade and bolstered by the University’s strategic relationships with clinicians and industry, we are poised at the brink of developments that will radically improve outcomes.
Our research looks at all stages of cancer: prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survival and palliative care. We focus on four key areas:
Bringing ‘OMICs’ into clinical practice
There has been an explosion of information on how the human genome, proteome and metabolome affect cancer. Now it’s time to translate these insights into better clinical practice. We’re linking ‘omic’ data with clinical and radiological data to better diagnose and treat cancer.
Cancers with poor outcomes
We’ve seen huge leaps forward for some cancers and little to no improvement in others; these include brain, pancreas, ovary and all rare cancers. We’re making these cancers our priority. We’re finding better ways to find, treat and manage these cancers, paying special attention to the advanced stages of disease.
Living better with and after cancer
Cancer is a journey. It requires whole-of-life care from diagnosis through to treatment, recovery and survival as well as palliative care. There are hundreds of thousands of people in NSW who have had or are living with cancer. Both groups need hands-on support and care. We’re finding innovative ways to make care better, more personal and more affordable. That way, more patients can live better lives – with and after cancer.
Reducing unwarranted variation in clinical practice
Differences in how cancer patients are cared for can be costly – to the patient and our health system. These variations are avoidable. Big data helps us understand how and why clinical variation takes place, and what the consequences are. We’re building a unique platform that accurately collects, analyses and reports on cancer care. This will ensure a consistent approach to care that reduces costly and traumatic variations in the future.
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