Peter Mac is committed to linking patient care with cancer research. Our clinician researchers take their observations from the clinic and plan their research directions with patients in mind.
Our clinician researchers work across all tumour types and services: the Bone and Soft Tissue Service, Breast Service, Cancer of Unknown Primary Service, Colorectal Service, Gynae-Oncology Service, Haematology Service, Head and Neck Service, Lung Service, Melanoma and Skin Service, Neuro-Oncology Service, Paediatric and Late Effects Service, Upper Gastrointestinal Service and Uro-Oncology Service.
Our research complies with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research . The Code promotes research integrity and provides guidelines for responding to allegations of research misconduct.
For further information about participating in clinical research studies and trials, please visit Participating in clinical research.
Current clinical research areas and programs
At Peter Mac, there are many specialised groups actively involved in clinical research:
- Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre (ACSC): The ACSC aims to better understand the issues that survivors experience and their needs, and develop and test interventions that improve survivors' well-being.
- Cancer Allied Health (CAH): CAH research is focused on delivering high-quality evidence-based services to our patients, their families and carers.
- Department of Health Services Research: This group develops novel, patient-centred strategies and interventions. Their research focus is on communication, health literacy, emotional and physical functioning, care coordination, education information, well-being for survival and living well at the end of life.
- Familial Cancer Centre (FCC): The FCC works with families to investigate hereditary cancer syndromes and how they can better manage their cancer risk.
- Imaging and Diagnostic Research: Imaging and diagnostic research is conducted in Peter Mac’s Centre for Cancer Imaging. Our researchers image tumours to develop new therapies and improve imaging technologies for cancer patients.
- Infectious Diseases & Infection Control (IDIC): Peter Mac's IDIC research group aims to improve cancer outcomes through enhanced infection services.
- ONTrac: This multidisciplinary research group is committed to improving the understanding and knowledge of the health outcomes of young people living with cancer.
- Pain & Palliative Care (PPC) Research: PPC research focuses on symptom control, end-of-life care including advance care planning, and models of integration of palliative and acute care.
- Physical Sciences Research: Physical sciences research is focused on the delivery of cancer radiotherapy treatments that increase tumour exposure to effective therapy while reducing exposure to normal tissue.
- Radiation Oncology Research: Radiation oncology research aims to provide the most up-to date and effective evidence-based treatment for patients with cancer who require radiotherapy as part of their treatment.
- Cancer Surgery & Anaesthesia Research: This clinical research group is working to improve the technical aspects and impact of cancer surgeries, and to improve the delivery and efficacy of anaesthesia and interventional pain medicine.
- Victorian Epigenetics Group (VEG): The VEG supports clinical trials of "epigenetic drugs" for patients with blood cancers through pre-clinical evaluation, novel biomarker development and early phase clinical trials of new drugs.
Clinical trials
Clinical trials are a means by which discoveries and potential new treatments are developed and evaluated for their benefit to patients.
Peter Mac has more than 200 active clinical trials.
Centre of Biostatistics and Clinical Trials (BaCT)
Based at Peter Mac for more than 40 years, BaCT provides a full range of services to clinical trials to facilitate the advancement of patient treatments and improved outcomes for cancer patients.
BaCT supports:
- investigator-initiated studies
- company-sponsored trials
- collaborative group studies.
BaCT has extensive expertise in the facilitation of oncology clinical trials, specialist diagnostic trials, translational research, retrospective studies and treatment-based studies. The team implements high-quality biostatistics, clinical trial data management and trial centre project management services to a diverse research community.
Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit (PCCTU)
PCCTU incorporates the cancer clinical trials services of Peter Mac, the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Royal Women's Hospital under the care and management of one unit.
PCCTU has an experienced team of nurses, data managers and other research professionals who support a sophisticated clinical trial research program.
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).
Cohort studies
Peter Mac is home to many large group studies collecting biospecimens and survey data from people with cancer to build large open-access resources for innovative research projects. Some studies also collect information from people who have never had cancer.
As a Peter Mac patient, you may be asked if you wish to participate in one of these studies, to benefit of cancer research.
Contact details
Office of Cancer Research
Dr Carol Ginns, Associate Director Research Operations
Kate Khamly, Manager Clinical Research
Email: [email protected]
