Cancer Services at Barwon Health has a long and distinguished history conducting clinical research through a dedicated clinical trials unit established in 1997 at the Andrew Love Cancer Centre – the Cancer Services Trials Unit (previously known as the Haematology and Oncology Trials Team (HOTT)).
The unit conducts cooperative, investigator-initiated and sponsored phase 1b-III/IV studies across a wide range of haematological malignancies and solid tumours. Trials are selected by investigators according to scientific and ethical merit as well as clinical need, enabling local patients to access novel therapies in the first-line treatment setting or beyond second-line when patients are less likely to have readily available and accessible standard of care treatment options.
Our clinical trial portfolio has grown significantly in recent years and our aim is to provide patients with increasing access to clinical trials in line with the state government’s Victorian Cancer Plan. The CSTU is currently involved in 80 active trials featuring more than 700 patients, with 30 more now open for recruitment and approximately 12 new trials opening per year. These trials span a range of cancer types including lymphoma, leukaemia, myeloma, breast, melanoma, lung, prostate, head & neck, colorectal and urology.
Our research activity benefits our regional patients, minimising their requirement to travel to larger metropolitan centres to access the latest novel therapies.
Keen to find out more about clinical trials at Barwon Health?
Click here to watch CSTU trials in cancer and chemotherapy: Dr Chiara Bortolasci, Clinical Trials Manager, Cancer Services Trials Unit (CSTU), Barwon Health (5 min)
Recent Research Highlights
- Implementation of the Medical Oncology Research Fellow position
- Taylor Gardner received the 2024 Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate (ANZUP) Cancer Trials Group Study Coordinator Scholarship
- Implementation of a patient experience survey in collaboration with other Victorian health services
Research Areas
- SKILLED internship program
- Medical Oncology clinical trials in breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, genitourinary cancers, head and neck cancer, lung cancer, melanoma, rare cancers
- Haematology clinical trials in leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma
- Clinical registries in medical oncology and haematology
Collaborating Organisations
Research Team
Research Staff
Director
Haematology Investigators
- Dr Hannah Rose, MBBS (Hons) FRACP, Head of Haematology
- A/Professor Philip Campbell, MB ChB FRCP FRACP FRCPath FRCPA
- Dr Sumita Ratnasingham, AdvDipMedSci BMedSci MBBS FRACP FRCPA
- Dr Sam Hunt, MBBS (Hons) FRACP FRCPA
- Dr Mridula Mokoonlall, MBBS FRACP FRCPA
Medical Oncology Investigators
- Dr David Campbell MBBS FRACP, Head of Medical Oncology,
- Dr Patricia Banks, MB BS Bsc(Hons) FRACP
- Dr Anna Lomax, MBBS BSc FRACP
- Dr Caitlin Murphy, MB BS(Hons) BA FRACP
- Dr Madhu Singh, MBBS FRACP
- Dr Karen White, MBBS FRACP
- Dr Shu Fen Wong, BMedSci MBBS FRACO Master of Applied Science
- Dr Catherine Dunn, MBBS FRACP
- Dr Emmy Sneath, MBBS FRACP
Radiation Oncology Investigators
- Dr Michael Francis, MBBS FRANZCR
Haematology & Oncology Trials Team
- Chiara Bortolasci, BPharm, MSc, PhD, Clinical Trials Manager
- Sonja Gauci, Clinical Trial Team Leader (Haematology)
- Katrina Golden, Clinical Trial Team Leader (Medical Oncology)
- Adele Stronach, Clinical Trial Coordinator
- Alana Napier, Clinical Trial Coordinator
- Bianca Sawyer, Clinical Trial Coordinator
- Chloe Ristevski, Clinical Trial Coordinator
- Emily Knights, Clinical Trial Coordinator
- Jamie Wright, Clinical Trial Coordinator
- Lisa McGrenaghan, Clinical Trial Coordinator
- Mandy McPhee, Clinical Trial Coordinator
- Peta Pocock, Clinical Trial Coordinator
- Roxanne Alexander, Clinical Trial Coordinator
- Scott Betteridge, Clinical Trial Coordinator
- Taylor Gardner, Clinical Trial Coordinator
- Sara Biviano, Administrative Assistant
- Jodie Toohey, Administrative Assistant
- Amy Dang, Data Manager
- Omer Kebire, Clinical Trial Pharmacist
- Katherine Snowden, Clinical Trial Pharmacist
- Deirdre Martin, Clinical Trial Pharmacy Technician
- Elizabeth Gail Wilmot, Clinical Trial Coordinator – Revitalise Project
- Lauren Smith, Clinical Trial Coordinator – Revitalise Project
- Alana Neale, Data Manager – Revitalise Project
Research News
We are extremely proud to have contributed to the release of a new treatment for people suffering from a common form of chronic leukaemia.
CSTU led the recruitment and management of the local phase 3 clinical trial of Calquence, which was tested across the world and was found to be a useful treatment for chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL), particularly in patients with relapsed disease. The treatment has just been listed through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), meaning it is available to patients by prescription at an affordable price.
Local patients enrolled in the trial included Mr David Selway-Hoskins. As Mr Selway-Hoskins, 76, told the Geelong Advertiser, the drug’s listing on the PBS was “absolutely” a good thing, and he will continue to take Calquence after its PBS listing.
Barwon Health Director of Cancer Services and Head of Haematology Philip Campbell said the listing was testament to the importance of clinical trials. “It’s very exciting for patients, and essentially provides people with relapsed disease another treatment option in oral form.”
To read the full article from the Geelong Advertiser, click here.
Research Grants
- Commonwealth of Australia (Commonwealth) as represented by the Department of Health (DH) – ReViTALISE Project: Bridging the metro-regional trials gap by 2025: 2021-2026
- Victorian Cancer Agency (VCA) – Improving Rural Health Outcomes through the Regional Trials Network-Victoria: 2021-2024
Featured Publications
| Daratumumab, cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone for transplant-ineligible myeloma: AMaRC 03-16. Mollee P, Reynolds J, Janowski W, Quach H, Campbell P, Gibbs S, Lee S, Lee E, Taylor K, Cochrane T, Wallington-Gates C, Kwok F, Weber N, Kerridge I, Weston H, Ho PJ, Leahy MF, Horvath N, Spencer A. Blood Adv. 2024 Jul 23;8(14):3721-3730. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023012539. PMID: 38739707. |
| Rucaparib for the Treatment of Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Associated with a DNA Damage Repair Gene Alteration: Final Results from the Phase 2 TRITON2 Study. Abida W, Campbell D, Patnaik A, Bryce AH, Shapiro J, Bambury RM, Zhang J, Burke JM, Castellano D, Font A, Ganju V, Hardy-Bessard AC, McDermott R, Sautois B, Spaeth D, Voog E, Piulats JM, Pintus E, Ryan CJ, Merseburger AS, Daugaard G, Heidenreich A, Fizazi K, Loehr A, Despain D, Simmons AD, Dowson M, Go J, Watkins SP, Chowdhury S. Eur Urol. 2023 Sep;84(3):321-330. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2023.05.021. Epub 2023 Jun 3. PMID: 37277275; PMCID: PMC10527050. |
| Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a consensus practice statement from the Australasian Lymphoma Alliance. Wight J, Hamad N, Campbell BA, Ku M, Lee K, Rose H, Armytage T, Latimer M, Lee HP, Lee ST, Dickinson M, Khor R, Verner E. Intern Med J. 2022 Sep;52(9):1609-1623. doi: 10.1111/imj.15533. Epub 2022 Jul 21. PMID: 34532916. |
| Clinical characteristics of Australian treatment-naïve patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma from the lymphoma and related diseases registry. Nguyen J, Wellard C, Chung E, Cheah CY, Dickinson M, Doo NW, Keane C, Talaulikar D, Berkahn L, Morgan S, Hamad N, Cochrane T, Johnston AM, Forsyth C, Opat S, Barraclough A, Mutsando H, Ratnasingam S, Giri P, Wood EM, McQuilten ZK, Hawkes EA; Lymphoma and Related Diseases Registry investigators. Eur J Haematol. 2023 Apr;110(4):386-395. doi: 10.1111/ejh.13915. Epub 2022 Dec 28. PMID: 36539351 |
| Acalabrutinib Versus Investigator’s Choice in Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Final ASCEND Trial Results. Ghia P, Pluta A, Wach M, Lysak D, Šimkovič M, Kriachok I, Illés Á, de la Serna J, Dolan S, Campbell P, Musuraca G, Jacob A, Avery EJ, Lee JH, Usenko G, Wang MH, Yu T, Jurczak W. Hemasphere. 2022 Nov 14;6(12):e801. doi: 10.1097/HS9.0000000000000801. eCollection 2022 Dec. PMID: 36398134 |
| Rucaparib in Men With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Harboring a BRCA1 or BRCA2 Gene Alteration. Abida W, Patnaik A, Campbell D, Shapiro J, Bryce AH, McDermott R, Sautois B, Vogelzang NJ, Bambury RM, Voog E, Zhang J, Piulats JM, Ryan CJ, Merseburger AS, Daugaard G, Heidenreich A, Fizazi K, Higano CS, Krieger LE, Sternberg CN, Watkins SP, Despain D, Simmons AD, Loehr A, Dowson M, Golsorkhi T, Chowdhury S; TRITON2 investigators. J Clin Oncol. 2020 Nov 10;38(32):3763-3772. doi: 10.1200/JCO.20.01035. Epub 2020 Aug 14. PMID: 32795228 |
| Non-BRCA DNA Damage Repair Gene Alterations and Response to the PARP Inhibitor Rucaparib in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: Analysis From the Phase II TRITON2 Study. Abida W, Campbell D, Patnaik A, Shapiro JD, Sautois B, Vogelzang NJ, Voog EG, Bryce AH, McDermott R, Ricci F, Rowe J, Zhang J, Piulats JM, Fizazi K, Merseburger AS, Higano CS, Krieger LE, Ryan CJ, Feng FY, Simmons AD, Loehr A, Despain D, Dowson M, Green F, Watkins SP, Golsorkhi T, Chowdhury S. Clin Cancer Res. 2020 Jun 1;26(11):2487-2496. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-0394. Epub 2020 Feb 21. PMID: 32086346 |
| Assessment and management of newly diagnosed classical Hodgkin lymphoma: a consensus practice statement from the Australasian Lymphoma Alliance. Cochrane T, Campbell BA, Gangatharan SA, Latimer M, Khor R, Christie DRH, Gilbertson M, Ratnasingam S, Palfreyman E, Lee HP, Trotman J, Hertzberg M, Dickinson M. Intern Med J. 2021 Dec;51(12):2119-2128. doi: 10.1111/imj.15503. Epub 2021 Nov 22. PMID: 34505342 |
Support Our Research
Participate in a Clinical Trial
To find out about Clinical Trials currently underway at Barwon Health, click here.
Donate
Clinical trials require ongoing investment and there are several ways to support this amazing work.
You can make a donation today and contribute to an item on our research wish list, consider a bequest in your will, or establish a lasting legacy fund in your name. No matter what size, your philanthropic support with deliver an immediate impact.
To donate now or for more information and further discuss your support, please contact the Barwon Health Foundation.
Page last updated: December 2, 2024