Calling All Meso Sufferers & Carers PBAC Consultation 2021

January 18, 2021 By Vicki Hamilton

PBAC consultation calling all mesothelioma sufferers and carers alike – ACV/GARDS encourages you to participate if you can offer anything from your experiences – Medicines subsidised on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme must be assessed by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) and found to be good value (clinically and cost effective).

In March, PBAC will assess a combination medicine called nivolumab (Opdivo®) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy®) for people with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). They are a type of immunotherapy called immune checkpoint inhibitors. PBAC is considering listing them on the PBS for (1) patients with MPM who have not received therapy for MPM before (1st line treatment), and (2) patients with MPM who have received chemotherapy for MPM and the MPM has continued to get worse (2nd line treatment).

PBAC has a lot of data from trials as well as economic evidence, but your input can help them learn more, especially about accessing treatment, what having treatment is like, what matters most in terms of quality of life, and other needs. Your experience can help them better understand the value of a treatment. You can submit your input online (no later than 10 February) at this site: https://www1.health.gov.au/…/PBAC_online_submission_form

10 year Carbon Capture Celebration at AGL Loy Yang 2018

October 26, 2018 By Vicki Hamilton

26.10.2018 – ACV/GARDS rep Vicki was at AGL Loy Yang Traralgon at the carbon capture pilot plant site to celebrate 10 years of research into carbon capture and storage – just another new technology being developed in Latrobe Valley – well done AGL, IHI & CSIRO – it was very interesting listening to how this technology works and to hear about other initiatives into carbon capture which are emerging along with technology like Hydrogen for energy use. Others who were in attendance and spoke were those who have been attending The 14th International conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, known as GHGT-14. The event, held every two years in a different country, is the main global forum to discuss the latest developments in CCS. The Melbourne Convention Centre has hosted the event from Monday the 22nd to 25 October 2018.- some of those from the conference came up by bus today to attend the 10 year celebrations at AGL Loy Yang. It was wonderful to meet so many people from other countries who are looking at ways to control greenhouse gases and take those ideas & projects into the future. Pictured below with Vicki are those attending the carbon capture pilot plant today.

Mesothelioma Gets Research Boost

November 8, 2016 By Vicki Hamilton

Cancer Council Victoria has announced a much-needed injection of funds into mesothelioma research today, providing hope for the future in the fight against the devastating form of cancer.

160 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in Victoria, and 726 nationally. It remains one of the deadliest cancers, with a 5-year survival rate of just 7%.

Cancer Council Victoria hopes this can be improved with more research.

Thanks to the philanthropy of the late Lyall Watts, his partner Gary Kenny and Lyall’s sister Sandra Harbison and mother Marjorie Watts, Cancer Council Victoria has been able to award $700,000 for two new research grants.

Dr Peter Janes at Monash University and Prof Andrew Scott and A/Prof Tom John at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute have received funding to continue their work into targeted antibody therapies for malignant mesothelioma.

“We developed antibodies against two cancer targets abundant in malignant mesothelioma, which are currently in trials for other cancers,” Dr Janes said.

“We will screen mesothelioma patient tissues to define eligible patient populations and use mesothelioma mouse models to develop effective therapy strategies. Our team of translational cancer researchers and clinicians, with collaborative ties to trial sponsors, is uniquely positioned to develop strategies that allow rapid translation into clinical trials.”

At the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Associate Professor Kieran Harvey and his team hope to decipher the role of the Hippo pathway in mesothelioma.

“The Hippo pathway is an important group of genes that relays messages from the surface of the cell to the nucleus to change the cell’s behaviour. Normally it controls how big our organs grow,” A/Prof Harvey said.

“The activity of Hippo pathway genes can change and cause cancer and this occurs in at least half of mesotheliomas. We will use cutting edge technologies to investigate the causes of mesothelioma and search for possible new treatments of this disease by using our unique knowledge of the Hippo pathway.”

“The Lyall Watts Mesothelioma Research grants are an important contribution to helping improve treatments and provide hope for those affected by this insidious disease,” CEO Todd Harper said.

Both projects will be funded for three years.

Friday 28th October 2016

Olivia Newton John Wellness Centre Visit

August 30, 2016 By Vicki Hamilton

Today our members were very excited to travel by chartered bus to the Olivia Newton John Wellness Centre to meet with Dr Tom John, Consultant Medical Oncologist and his dedicated team, who are doing some ground breaking work in the area of mesothelioma research. It was a real privilege and honor to be shown around the centre and the research facilities.
The Austin Health’s Medical Oncology Unit boasts integrated quality patient care with global cancer research. For those who do not know a medical oncologist is a doctor who specialises in cancer and oversees your chemotherapy and other medical treatments.
The medical oncologists work as part of a larger multidisciplinary team that includes radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, pathologists, radiologists and specialized cancer nurses. In consultation with their patients, the team plans and oversees patient treatments to help achieve the best possible outcome.
The Medical Oncology Unit works collaboratively with the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute. This relationship means the latest in cancer research is quickly translated into better care with patients having access to the latest treatments and clinical trials.
The Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Center is also home to a number of cancer research laboratories. Their research is patient-focused and patients are encouraged to participate in the research to find new treatments for cancers.
These include
Melanoma and Cancer Vaccines – Prof Jonathan Cebon
Tumor Targeting and Imaging – Prof Andrew Scott
Molecular Diagnostics and Cancer Genetics – A/Prof Alex Dobrovic
Cancer Epigenetics – Prof John Mariadasen
Translational Lung Cancer – Dr Tom John
The Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre also includes a Wellness Centre on site. The unique facility offers cancer information to patients, comfortable rooms for group education or peer support and a patient sanctuary for quiet reflection. Wellness therapies to complement medical treatment are also conducted – such as meditation, acupuncture, massage, art and music therapy.
A bit of information on Dr Tom John he is a consultant medical oncologist recognized both nationally and internationally as an expert in cancers of the thoracic cavity, which includes lung cancers, thymus cancers and mesothelioma. He also has an interest in genetics and cancers that may run in some families.
He trained at Monash University in Melbourne from 1991 – 1996 (MBBS). He obtained his Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of Physicians in 2004 (FRACP). He completed a PhD through the University of Melbourne in 2008. He undertook a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto and under the mentorship of Professors Ming-Sound Tsao and Frances Shepherd, two internationally acclaimed lung cancer researchers. He moved back to Australia in 2010 and is heavily involved in both basic research within a laboratory and clinical trials. He is the head of the Lung Oncology Clinic at the Austin Hospital.

It was a truly magical day and we appreciated all the time he and his fellow co-workers took to explain the research they are doing and the positive outcomes they are trying to achieve for mesothelioma sufferers – thank you so much from all our members.