The Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit (PCCTU) is an integration of the Medical Oncology and Haematology Cancer Trials Units of Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and the Royal Women's Hospital.
The PCCTU;
- Is the largest cancer trials unit in Australia with over 60 research staff providing support for over 70 clinicians who currently undertake cancer trials.
- Brings together the strengths of the clinical trial units at each institution, increasing collaboration and efficiencies as well as the likelihood that an individual precinct patient will have the opportunity to consider a clinical trial.
- Brings together an experienced team of nurses, study co-ordinators, data managers, scientists and other research professionals to support a sophisticated cancer clinical trial program. The trials program reflects the expertise of the investigators and the strengths of the basic and translational research work within the VCCC.
- Has a strong focus on the highly specialised and complex trials work including early drug development.
- Participates in important Australian studies undertaken by the national cooperative groups, as well as encouraging translational research (bench to bedside and bedside to bench).
- Has access to sophisticated cancer imaging technologies, molecular pathology and other critical platform technologies.
Most commonly, clinical trials involve new cancer medicines but also may examine new approaches to surgery, radiation therapy, pain control or ways of imaging and staging tumours. Thus, the current trial portfolio is focussed on Medical Oncology and Haematology trials, but over time, the PCCTU aims to provide resources to other craft groups and groups undertaking clinical trials.
All PCCTU clinical trials are conducted according to Australian and International guidelines for medical research under the approval of a Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC).
For patients
Find out more about taking part in clinical research at Peter Mac.
For researchers and sponsors
The PCCTU has an experienced team of nurses, data managers and other research professionals who support a sophisticated cancer clinical trial research program.
The PCCTU consists of 9 multidisciplinary clinical trials teams;
Early Drug Development
Team Leaders: Kate Khamly and Carmela Rooney
Breast
Team Leader: Lauren Keller
Gynaecology
Team Leader: Thoboklie Mthethwa
Haematology Team A
Acute leukaemia, allogenic bone marrow transplant, myelodysplastic syndrome and non-malignant haematological cancers
Haematology Team B
Myeloma and aggressive lymphoma
Haematology Team C
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, chronic myeloid leukaemia, myelofibrosis and polysythaemia rubra vera
Melanoma
Team Leader: Carol Russell
Medical Oncology 1
Urology, head & neck and brain cancers
Team Leader: Courtney Thornely
Medical Oncology 2
Upper gastro-intestinal, colorectal, sarcoma and lung cancers
Team Leader: Helen Stevens
Related experts
PCCTU Director
Prof Mark Rosenthal - Medical Oncologist
PCCTU Manager
Ms Marian Lieschke
Head of PCCTU Early Drug Development Group
Dr Jayesh Desai
Medical Oncology Trial Leads
- Breast: Dr Sherene Loi
- Colorectal: Dr Peter Gibbs
- Gynaecology: Assoc/Prof Linda Mileshkin
- Haematology trial leads: Prof John Seymour & Prof Andrew Roberts
- Head & Neck: Prof Danny Rischin
- Lung: Dr Ben Solomon
- Melanoma; Prof Grant McArthur
- Neuro-oncology: Prof Mark Rosenthal
- Sarcoma: Dr Jayesh Desai
- Urology: Dr Ben Tran
