Cancer Council Australia
Surry Hills, NSW
Cancer Council Australia (CCA) is Australia's peak non-goverment cancer control organisation. It advises the Australian Government (and other bodies) on practices and policies to help prevent, detect, and treat cancer, as well as advocates for the rights of cancer patients for best treatment and supportive care. CCA works with its eight state and territory cancer organisations to undertake and fund cancer research, prevent and control cancer, and provide information and support for people affected by cancer. Researchers at CCA investigate the psycho-social aspects of cancer and cancer treatment, using both qualitative and quantitative research techniques.
Quantitative research examining psycho-social aspects of the experience of cancer, including diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship: quality of life and spiritual well-being, cancer coping styles, expectations vs experience in chemotherapy, chemotherapy and cognition, the effectiveness of clinical psychological interventions in cancer, informed consent, stress and cancer, smoking cessation.
Qualitative research examining the interpersonal and ethical aspects of cancer and cancer treatment: complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), hope, perceptions of cancer clusters, family and difficult decision-making in cancer, decision-making at the end of life, cancer and the media.
Mixed methods: survivorship issues in testicular cancer; assessment of the experience of chemotherapy-induced nausea; peace and meaning across the cancer journey.
Centre for Health Research & Psycho-oncology (CHeRP)
The Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle
The Centre for Health Research & Psycho-oncology (CHeRP) is a behavioural research group established in 1988 with funding from the Cancer Council NSW and is based within the Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle.
CHeRP’s mission is to undertake the highest quality research and relevant training in order to contribute to a reduction in the burden of illness imposed by cancer. Our research focus is on:
- primary and secondary prevention of cancer
- behavioural aspects of the consequences of cancer
- the care of cancer patients
Contact: Professor Afaf Girgis
Website:
www.newcastle.edu.au/centre/cherp/index.html
Centre for Medical Psychology and Evidence-based Decision-making
School of Psychology, The University of Sydney
CeMPED is co-directed by Professor Phyllis Butow (School of Psychology), Professor Martin Tattersall (Central Clinical School) and A/Professor Alexandra Barratt (School of Public Health). CeMPED is a cross-faculty, multidisciplinary organisation that sits within the School of Psychology, the School of Public Health and the Department of Medicine within the Faculties of Science and Medicine. It combines the two very active existing research groups within the University; the Medical Psychology Research Unit (MPRU) and the Sydney Health Decision Group (SHDG).
CeMPED's mission is to support excellent research across the interface of Psychology, Medicine and Public Health to answer questions about: the behavioural factors which promote good health and prevent disease; ways to enhance the psychosocial adjustment of patients and carers; ways to increase use of evidence in health care decision making; and ways to support patients to be more involved in their own health care. CeMPED's research strengths lie in three themes:
- Doctor-patient communication
- Evidence-based, shared decision making
Contact: Professor Phyllis Butow
Psychosocial Research Group
Department of Medical Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney
The Psychosocial Research Group is part of a research team dedicated to the exploration of all psychosocial aspects of cancer. We are based within the Department of Medical Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney.
The Psychosocial Research Group began in 1997 and instigated a research program in psycho-oncology.
Contact: A/Professor Bettina Meiser
Email:
b.meiser@unsw.edu.au
Website:
http://powcs.med.unsw.edu.au/POWCSWeb.nsf/page/prg
Centre for Palliative Care Research and Education
Queensland
The Centre for Palliative Care Research and Education (CPCRE) is a Queensland Health initiative whose primary role is to enhance palliative care services in Queensland, through research and education activities. The CPCRE (based at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Qld) was established in 2001 and continues to be committed to building and fostering partnerships with the palliative care community in its endeavours.
Objectives: Developing the capacity of the palliative care workforce to provide quality palliative care, Improving the links between research and practice in palliative care, Undertaking research to enhance the quality of palliative care, Providing information which supports the delivery of palliative care services.
Research Themes include: Health Services Delivery – eg, PCOC (Palliative Care Outcomes Collaborative), Symptom Management – Current studies in Cancer Pain, Metastatic Cancer and Chronic Disease,Person-Centred Care – Current studies in Advanced Heart Failure and Cancer Patients.
Education: PEPA - The Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (Funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing): Clinical exchanges, Palliative Care workshops for Specialists Doctors, General Practitioners, Nurses and Allied Health,Indigenous education: PEPA Indigenous Health Worker workshops, Indigenous Culture and Palliative Care workshops.
CPCRE/Karuna Specialist Palliative Care Nursing training, Clinical Skills updates.
Annual conferences: CPCRE Research Conference, Updates in Palliative Research/Education/Practice targeted at Medical/Nursing or Allied Health Professionals
(Available to health professionals who are interested in furthering their education in Palliative Care – refer to cpcre website for details)
Resources: Centre Line Newsletter, Guidelines for Syringe Driver Management in Palliative Care, When Children have a Life-Limiting Illness, When a Child Dies – A Guide to working with Bereaved Parents after the Death of a Child from Illness (Copies available as above).
Contact:
Email:
cpcre@health.qld.gov.au
Website:
www.cpcre.com
Cancer Prevention Research Centre
School of Population Health, The University of Queensland
The Cancer Prevention Research Centre (CPRC) is part of the School of Population Health, in the Faculty of Health Sciences at The University of Queensland. CPRC is a largely externally-funded centre, led by Professor Neville Owen and Associate Professor Elizabeth Eakin, and comprising postdoctoral, research higher degree, research and administrative staff and students. CPRC's research program centres around understanding and influencing the major behavioural risk factors for cancer, with an emphasis on physical inactivity, diet and weight gain. The research is comprised of descriptive epidemiology studies that use population-based datasets to elucidate social and environmental determinants of health behaviours, as well as intervention trials. The latter investigate broad-reach intervention delivery mechanisms, such as telephone, tailored print and website-delivered interventions, and target both the general adult population, as well as at-risk subgroups. Recently funded telephone-delivered intervention trials are targeting physical activity and dietary change in primary care patients with type 2 diabetes, and exercise rehabilitation in women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.
Contact: Cathy Swart
Email:
c.swart@sph.uq.edu.au
Website:
www.uq.edu.au/cprc
icanhop – improving cancer health outcomes for people
School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology
icanhop represents a program of research centered around improving cancer health outcomes for people. Research that relates to cancer prevention and early detection, as well as cancer recovery, comprise the two primary areas of focus for
icanhop. The work relating to early detection and prevention involves descriptive work and randomized trial aiming to facilitate health behaviours. The cancer recovery program component seeks to improve our understanding of the issues involved in cancer recovery, and the ways in which the disease burden can be minimised and overcome, leading to long-term survivorship.
In total, icanhop has over 10 nationally-funded research projects currently active, involving women with breast or gynaecological cancer, men with prostate cancer and people with colorectal cancer or brain tumours. We are also working with groups within the general population towards early skin cancer detection and prevention. The research program is translational in nature, as results contribute to the development and testing of cancer screening and prevention programs, as well as the development of evidence-based recovery programs aimed at reducing treatment-related burden and optimising quality of life and survival. The projects bring together expertise in various disciplines, including medical oncology, epidemiology, public health, health economics, genetics, biostatistics and behavioural medicine, and involve postgraduate students, postdoctoral fellows, senior research fellows and research staff.
So why the frog….The frog undergoes fascinating transitions throughout its life, spends time in various environments (land and water) representing duality of the soul and symbolises creativity, luck, cleansing and forward thinking. We think the ‘frog’ aptly reflects the type of work we do and the changes in the lives of people we study.
Contact: Dr Sandi Hayes
Email:
sc.hayes@qut.edu.au
Dr Monika Janda
Email:
m.janda@qut.edu.au
Website in preparation
International Program of Psycho-Social Health Research (IPP-SHR)
Central Queensland University, Brisbane
IPP-SHR is a collaborative initiative jointly funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and CQUniversity, which aims to examine and document the human experience of serious physical and mental illness.
The program is concerned with contributing to the development of psycho-social services that assist people to deal with the many challenges associated with serious physical and/or mental illness. IPP-SHR publishes the Psycho-Social Review and IPP-SHR podcasts that document advances in the psycho-social enterprise.
IPP-SHR is a broad program addressing a wide range of topic areas including:
haematology/oncology, mental health, palliative care, acute medicine, bioethics, rural and remote health, Indigenous health, spirituality, paediatrics, birth studies and service delivery evaluation.
Contact: Dr Pam McGrath
Email: pam_mcgrath@bigpond.com
Flinders Psycho-oncology Group (FPG)
Department of Medical Oncology, Flinders Medical Centre and School of Psychology, Flinders University
The Flinders Psycho-oncology Group (FPG) is involved in survivorship and intervention research.
FPG’s survivorship research includes:
1. Fertility and sexuality concerns for young couples facing cancer: Conducting in depth interviews with patients and/or their partners
2. Longitudinal analysis of psychological predictors of quality of life after breast cancer diagnosis: Analysis of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health mid-age data set to identify pre-diagnosis predictors of post-diagnosis quality of life
3. Psychosocial needs and concerns of women with breast cancer in the early survivorship phase: Focus group research of patients', nurses and breast cancer volunteer's perspectives
FPG’s intervention research includes:
1. Self help for early stage breast cancer: Two randomised controlled trials examining the efficacy of self-help workbooks in improving psychosocial outcomes for women who (i) had completed treatment for breast cancer and (ii) had recently been diagnosed.
2. Self help for early and advanced heterogeneous cancer patients (to commence shortly): Evaluating the efficacy of paper and online self-help interventions
3. Group therapy: Pre-Post small study on the effectiveness of group CBT for people with heterogeneous early stage cancer
Contact: Dr Lisa Beatty (Flinders University)
lisa.beatty@flinders.edu.au
Associate Professor Bogda Koczwara (Flinders Medical Centre)
bogda.koczwara@flinders.edu.au
Website: (Flinders Medical Centre)
http://www.flinders.sa.gov.au/surgical/pages/medonc/
The Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer (CBRC)
Victoria
The CBRC aims is to provide a first class behavioural science research program, which will advance cancer prevention, detection and rehabilitation in Victoria.
The Centre's objectives are:
- To conduct applied research, particularly to underpin and evaluate preventive, educational and supportive interventions against cancer.
- To integrate and disseminate the findings of CBRC research and evaluation projects (and those of others) into principles of practice for cancer control policy and programs.
- To form productive partnerships with other Cancer Council program and research units, and enhance our research capacity by fostering other appropriate research collaborations.
- To contribute to the further development of the field of cancer control through publication, conference participation, teaching, research student supervision and staff development.
CBRC has an active program of behavioural research in cancer control, especially tobacco control, skin cancer prevention, obesity prevention and control, and supportive care for patients with cancer. CBRC conducts evaluation of cancer prevention, screening and supportive care programs and services housed within The Cancer Council Victoria. These
include high profile public communication programs such as Quit, SunSmart, and PapScreen Victoria. CBRC also provides research and evaluation capacity to assist the Cancer Council to implement and assess the outcomes of other selected programs and services.
Contact: Belinda Cerritelli (Research Projects Manager)
Email:
belinda.cerritelli@cancervic.org.au
Website:
www.cancervic.org.au/cbrc
Department of Nursing and Supportive Care Research, The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Victoria
The Department of Nursing and Supportive Care Research is based in East Melbourne at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre: Australia’s largest cancer centre, and one of the few comprehensive cancer centres in the world.
In the context of cancer, supportive care is defined as “ …the provision of necessary services as defined by those living with or affected by cancer to meet their physical, social, emotional, informational, psychological, spiritual and practical needs during the pre-diagnostic, diagnostic, treatment and follow-up phases of cancer” (Fitch 2000).
The Nursing and Supportive Care Research Group works within this supportive care framework to identify, explore and further develop knowledge and improve the provision of evidence-based supportive care services. This encompasses a strong commitment to evidence-based practice and the application of research findings to both practice and policy.
The research group is multidisciplinary, extending across nursing, clinical psychology, behavioural science, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiation therapy, pharmacy, palliative care, social work, speech pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and dietetics. Strengths of this multidisciplinary approach include the broad scope of research interest and the coalescence of significant expertise in terms of clinical perspective, research background and expertise in the application of research findings to effect changes in clinical practice.
The group collaborates with many other research institutions both nationally and internationally, including researchers based at the University of Melbourne; Queensland University of Technology; University of Newcastle; The Cancer Council of Victoria; University of Sydney; University of Stirling, Scotland; Kings College, London; and University of Nottingham.
Reference:
Fitch, M. (2000) Supportive Care for Cancer Patients. Hospital Quarterly; 3(4); 39-46.
Main areas of research:
- Unmet needs and innovative models of care
- Development of psycho-social interventions
- Instrument development
- Communication skills
- CAM
- Quality of Life
- Survivorship
- Management of disease-related symptoms and treatment-related toxicities
Contact: Fiona Hewitt
Email:
Fiona.Hewitt@petermac.org
Phone: (+61 3) 9656-3783
Website:
http://www.petermac-research.org
The Western Australian Centre for Cancer and Palliative Care (WACCPC)
Curtin University of Technology & Edith Cowan University
The WACCPC is a collaboration between Curtin University of Technology and Edith Cowan University.
The principal role of the WACCPC is to coordinate and support the research efforts of the team, and to ensure the dissemination of research findings to appropriate professionals, academics, palliative care/cancer providers and policy makers.
Research strengths of the WACCPC focus on ten key areas: Aged care, Cancer care, Palliative care, Paediatric cancer and palliative care, Primary care, The impact of cancer, chronic and terminal illness on the family, Symptom assessment and management, Instrument development and testing, Psychosocial oncology and
Care of individuals and families living with non-malignant terminal illnesses
Contact: Jo Hale (Manager)
Email
j.hale@curtin.edu.au
Website:
www.supportiveandpalliativecare.org.au
Solaris Care Foundation
Cancer Support Centres:
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia
St. John of God Hospital, Subiaco, Western Australia
Our vision: To be an Australian leader in person-focussed cancer support services. We are dedicated to exploring the benefits of integrating complementary therapies and mainstream medicine, using rigorous research and disseminating authoritative information to the public and health professionals to validate and expand our knowledge and to optimise care of cancer patients.
Our mission: To improve the quality of life of Western Australians with cancer, by alleviating distress, improving understanding, fostering patient empowerment and providing contacts with approved and appropriate supports. To foster psychosocial research in cancer and to determine the efficacy of the complementary therapies offered by SolarisCare. To offer integrated, compassionate support for all with cancer and their carers and through education and training prove the value of this approach. To become a respected national leader in the delivery of high quality, compassionate cancer care, especially in the provision of complementary integrated therapies (CIT).
Main areas of research:
1.Building a body of evidence addressing complementary integrated therapies and cancer care for patients and their carers.
2. Fostering psychosocial research in cancer and to determine the efficacy of each of the complementary therapies offered by SolarisCare.
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands
P: 08-93467630 F: 08-93463797
St. John of God Hospital, Subiaco
P: 08-93889788 F: 08-93889700
E: info@solariscare.com.au
www.solariscare.org.au
ABN 61 116 807 704
Contact: Dr Anna Petterson
Cancer Society Social and Behavioural Research Unit (SBRU)
University of Otago, New Zealand
The Cancer Society Social and Behavioural Research Unit was established in 1990 with core funding from the Cancer Society of New Zealand Inc and the support of the University of Otago. To date, it has worked, mainly, in the priority areas identified for the primary prevention of cancer in New Zealand, in particular, tobacco control, ultraviolet radiation exposure, and healthy physical activity and nutrition. From 2008 research began in the area of psycho-social-spiritual (PSS) supportive care for those affected by cancer. To date, two projects have been undertaken: a qualitative study to find out the PSS research priorities of the Cancer Society's support staff; and a mixed methods study examining the factors influencing referrals to cancer support services in New Zealand (the latter project is still in progress).
Main areas of research:
- Spirituality in hospice / palliative care
- Psycho-social-spiritual referral processes
- Colorectal cancer: perceptions of screening
- Integrative therapies for cancer
Contact: Richard Egan