The Jreissati Pancreatic Centre at Epworth in Melbourne has joined forces with Pankind, Pancreatic Cancer Australia, to establish a national pancreatic cancer screening study.
The partnership will create a new nationwide registry for people considered high-risk of developing pancreatic cancer, and enable Australia's participation in a global study on the deadly disease.
Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Australia, due to its aggressive nature and late stage at which it is often diagnosed.
The Jreissati Pancreatic Centre at Epworth will lead the new Australian Pancreatic Cancer High-Risk Screening (APRISE) program, which will evaluate the effectiveness of screening strategies for early detection in individuals at high risk due to family or genetic factors.
The APRISE program is now open for nationwide recruitment, and has confirmed participation from leading hospitals in VIC, ACT, QLD, SA, NSW, TAS, and WA.
The partnership with Pankind, which will contribute $500,000 over 5 years to the study, aims to detect pancreatic cancer at an earlier stage, improve treatment outcomes, and increase survival rates.
Director of the Jreissati Pancreatic Centre at Epworth, Professor Andrew Metz, will lead the study as Coordinating Principal Investigator.
"This new partnership with Pankind is vital to try and improve early pancreatic cancer detection, improve treatment outcomes and, most importantly, save lives," Prof Metz said.
"It also enables Australia's participation in the global Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection (PRECEDE) study - an international collaboration with a Consortium based at UC San Diego.
"With over 30 international sites, it places Australia at the forefront of world-leading pancreatic cancer screening and research," he said.
To support the program, Pankind has developed a quick (around 3-minute) Family Risk Checker tool to help assess whether people may be at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer and guide them through the next steps.
Pankind Chief Executive Officer, Michelle Stewart, said she was proud to be the main funder of this Australia-first screening study.
"This program is part of our Early Detection initiatives; it embodies our vision of a fairer system for people impacted by pancreatic cancer -where those most at risk aren't left behind. We're making it easier for Australians to understand their risk, take action, and to navigate the system, with information and support," Ms Stewart said.
Diane M. Simeone, MD, Founding Director of the PRECEDE Consortium, said: "By uniting Australia's clinical expertise in the local APRISE study with PRECEDE's global data-sharing and screening protocols, we have taken a pivotal step toward early detection of pancreatic cancer worldwide."
"We are grateful to the Jreissati Pancreatic Centre at Epworth and APRISE working group for their leadership in enrolling high-risk individuals, and to Pankind for championing the rollout across academic centres nationwide. Together, we are on the path to finding pancreatic cancer earlier, intervening sooner, and saving more lives."
Learn more about the Australian Pancreatic Cancer High-Risk Screening (APRISE) program here.
This study is proudly funded by Epworth Medical Foundation, Pankind: Pancreatic Cancer Australia, the Viridian Foundation, and the Victorian Government through the Victorian Cancer Agency.
