- Published:
- Friday 19 June 2026 at 1:30 pm
The Allan Labor Government is marking two decades of lifesaving work at the world-renowned Victorian Cancer Biobank.
The largest of its kind in Australia, it has made an extraordinary contribution to improving the detection and treatment of cancer.
The Biobank is a consortium comprised of five leading health services and is led by the Cancer Council Victoria.
It includes Austin Health, Eastern Health, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Monash Health and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Labor has backed the Biobank with more than $37 million – including $3.8 million in the Victorian Budget 2025/26.
The Biobank has put Victoria at the cutting edge of cancer science through clinical trials, research projects and international partnerships.
The numbers tell the story:
- More than 500,000 cancer biospecimens now support cancer research globally
- More than 42,000 Victorians across 26 participating hospitals have donated samples
More than 150 clinical trials have been conducted.
This work has directly contributed to significant progress in early detection, personalised care, and new technologies that can treat cancer more effectively and save lives.
The Biobank also sits at the heart of Labor's Victorian Cancer Plan 2024-2028 – the third cancer plan to be legislated.
The plan identifies ways to prevent cancer, increase survival rates and improve the experience of treatment.
Across Victoria, Labor is continuing to deliver more funding to improve cancer outcomes for more Victorians.
While earlier this year, the Government announced the inaugural cohort of recipients as part of the new $41.2 million Cancer Research Fellowships Victoria.
The 2026-27 Budget also included an additional $10 million for cancer care, research and outcomes that will help the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Alliance build a nationally recognised cancer data system.
It supports the next generation of cancer research leaders – continuing the fight for a cancer-free Victoria.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Harriet Shing
"Victoria has some of the best cancer survival outcomes in the world, and the Victorian Cancer Biobank is a big reason why.”
“We’ll always back the incredible work of Victoria’s cancer researchers because we know they are the key to a cancer-free future.”