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Leading the way in prostate cancer trial

07 Dec 2022

Western Health Foundation has committed $50,000 towards a world first prostate cancer trial which aims to improve decision-making in treatment.

Led by, Associate Professor Niall Corcoran, the VCCC Alliance Research and Education Lead for Genito-urinary Cancers, the study aims to provide definitive answers on whether genomic screening can improve patient outcomes, while also revealing the economic impacts of surveillance and treatment decision-making over time.

The initial stage of the project will be implemented primarily at Western Health and will be the largest genomically informed trial in intermediate-risk patients ever undertaken.

The lifetime risk in Australia of being diagnosed with prostate cancer is four-times that of the global risk. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and the second most commonly diagnosed cancer. It is also projected to have the highest increase in medical costs of any other cancer.

"We are seeing larger numbers of new diagnoses of prostate cancer but at the same time know that some may be over-treated due to the distinctly variable and unpredictable outcome of the disease. Genomic tests will help us to remove some of that unpredictability."

— Associate Professor Niall Corcoran said

The study has been designed by leading clinicians and cancer researchers in Victoria, with significant consumer input. It will bring together a diverse and multidisciplinary team to develop and implement the world’s first practice-changing study in early prostate cancer.

Additional funding of $200,000 has been invested by RULE Prostate Cancer, a leading philanthropic organisation who raise money and awareness to help more Legends and their families survive prostate cancer. Through RULE’s, Australian Prostate Centre it will further develop the research between Western Health and the Australian Prostate Centre (APC) to accelerate the translation of the research findings into clinical implementations.

The Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions have committed $250,000 to the trial.

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