The Andrews Labor Government will provide $10 million to help Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre cancer researchers uncover new breakthroughs in the fight against cancer and save lives.
Minister for Health Jill Hennessy today announced a Victorian Cancer Agency grant to support world leading cancer research and discoveries across the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) alliance.
The VCCC alliance links the work of 10 leading Melbourne-based institutions, all working together to accelerate the control and cure of cancer.
This new funding boost will harness expertise across the VCCC alliance, and across the world, in new research projects designed to fast-track the conversion of cancer research findings into clinical practice and new treatments that deliver better care and outcomes for cancer patients.
New projects will explore cancer biomarkers, diagnosis, early detection methods and new therapeutics. They will use the latest medical technologies, develop more personalised cancer therapies and provide educational resources and training to improve cancer care in metropolitan Melbourne and regional centres.
The funding will also help to facilitate the historic Memorandum of Understanding between the USA’s National Cancer Institute and Victoria, where we have agreed to work together on ground-breaking research.
In addition to this grant, the VCCC alliance received $5.8 million in the Victorian Budget 2016/17 to deliver expanded cancer research and clinical trial capacity.
Recent data shows that in 2014, 30,585 Victorians were diagnosed with cancer and 10,744 died from the disease – this equates to 84 new diagnoses and 29 deaths every day.
The five-year survival rate for Victorians diagnosed with cancer is now 67 per cent compared to 60 per cent five years ago and 47 per cent 20 years ago – a testament to the ongoing investment in cancer prevention, treatment and research in Victoria.
The Government’s Victorian Cancer Plan 2016-20 has set an ambitious target of saving 10,000 lives from cancer in the next 10 years.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Jill Hennessy
“We’re helping more Victorians touched by cancer get the world-class care and treatment they need sooner.”
“We were elected to put Victorians first and that’s exactly what this investment will do.”
“Through the Labor built and Labor funded Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre we’re bringing the best and brightest medical minds together to fight cancer and change and save the lives of so many Victorians.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020