By the time they reach age 85, one in every two people in Queensland will be diagnosed with some form of cancer. Survival rates in Australia are among the best in the world, but the reality is with an ageing population, particularly on the Sunshine Coast, incidence rates continue to rise and the burden on individuals, families and healthcare systems is intensifying.
That's why the University of the Sunshine Coast has formed a Cancer Researcher Cluster , bringing together leading researchers dedicated to advancing our understanding of cancer, driving innovative solutions and improving patient outcomes across the Sunshine Coast and regional Queensland.
How the Cluster was formed - Hattie and Cindy's story.
Dr Hattie Wright is co-leader of UniSC's Cancer Research Cluster , an Associate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics and a well-respected nutrition researcher in chronic disease prevention.
But sitting in a doctor's office in South Africa in 2018, she was a daughter coming to terms with a terrible reality.
"My mum was diagnosed with advanced multiple myeloma. There's no cure," Dr Wright said.
That day would profoundly divert the course of her life.
"Seeing her go from having a really good quality of life, to watching her deteriorate as the disease progressed and the treatments stopped working…I felt helpless. It really hit home," she said.
Hattie with her mum, Cindy.
"Luckily, I was able to support her from a nutrition perspective. But you need input from other health disciplines, and she wasn't referred to any Allied Health Services."
"I remember thinking 'what else can I do to make a change to her quality of life?' It really highlighted the need to improve access to these services during survivorship."
After her mum's passing, Dr Wright focused her research to addressing what they had experienced and the important role that nutrition, alongside other allied health services, plays in improving outcomes and the quality of life of people touched by cancer. She quickly found an ally in UniSC's Social Work Discipline Lead, Professor Cindy Davis, with whom she co-leads the Cancer Research Cluster.
Professor Davis has previously worked at Australia's Breast Cancer Institute, where she'd seen first hand the destruction cancer leaves in its wake for sufferers, survivors and families.
"A lot of my research looks at how people deal with cancer. Why some people cope well, why others don't and what we can we do to help," Professor Davis said.
"Even when the hospital visits are behind them, for many survivors there's still a sense of fear there. Every time you feel a lump, every time you're sick, you're thinking 'is my cancer back?'"
With a common goal of addressing knowledge gaps in cancer research, creating equitable access to treatment and services, and improving patient outcomes, Professor Davis and Dr Wright reached out to other UniSC academics who shared their vision.
With the support of UniSC's School of Health , they formed the Cancer Research Cluster.
The Cluster now boasts more than 20 researchers performing cutting-edge research across a range of disciplines including genetics, exercise, nutrition, education, economics, psychology and more.
Research with lasting impact in the fight against cancer
A multi-disciplinary team allows the UniSC Cancer Research Cluster to take a comprehensive approaching to cancer research and improving patient outcomes, from preventative measures through to detection, treatment and post-cancer survivorship.
It also creates a connected pool of resources and expertise, that fosters collaboration and research opportunities for cancer researchers within UniSC and with valuable external partners including: Sunshine Coast Health , Bloomhill Cancer Care and Wishlist .
Some of the projects underway include:
The epigenetic secrets of rare cancers - Dr Lochlan Fennell
UniSC biomedical researcher Dr Lochlan Fennell is helping unlock the genetic secrets of rare cancers as part of an international research project.
Led by the University of Birmingham and the CRUK Manchester Institute, the research aims to improve access to targeted treatments for people suffering from cancers occurring in less than four out of every 100,000 people. Despite the rare nature of these cancers, in aggregate, they are responsible for approximately 50 percent of cancer-related deaths
Dr Lochlan Fennell
Dr Fennell will lead the epigenetics branch of this research, as part of a global team of researchers will draw on data from the award-winning DETERMINE clinical trial in the United Kingdom and aided by a grant from Cancer Research UK.
"Every cell in the body has the same DNA, but it's epigenetics that tells the cell which parts of the DNA to use and when to use them. This allows cells to perform specialised functions, and form specific tissues and organs," he said.
"We're searching for abnormalities in the epigenetic make-up of these rare cancers in patients, which can provide us with better information on treatment options, causal factors, and how the cancer might progress.
"While cancer is normally caused by a mutation of the genes, epigenetics - which can be influenced by a variety of factors like diet, behaviour and physical activity - can cause the cells to malfunction and in some cases develop into cancer."
Treatment options are more limited for people with rare cancers, due to a lack of research compared to more common cancers. This means patients can struggle to get an accurate prognosis and access to clinically approved treatments.
"The hope is that this trial and our research program could open the door to new treatment options for those who don't have any," Dr Fennell said.
"If we can identify rogue features that these rare cancers share with a more common cancer, than we can explore if they might also share similar treatment options.
"The epigenetic information might even tell us pre-determining or preventative factors."
The cost of cancer and the factors that drive it - Dr Katharina Merollini
Cancer doesn't just take a toll on the body. The financial hit to patients, hospitals and the health care system can be extraordinary.
Dr Katharina Merollini is a health economist at UniSC whose research is unearthing just what that cost is, as well as the factors that can cause it to balloon, with her collaborators at Queensland Cancer Council, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and others.
Dr Katharina Merollini
"Our analysis revealed a huge impact to health services and provided policy makers in Australia with data for economic evaluations and reinforce the benefits of investing in cancer prevention," Dr Merollini said.
"We found the average health service cost for cancer patients in Queensland each year was $15,890. The most expensive primary malignancies were bone marrow disease myeloma ($46,000), brain cancer ($30,300) and liver cancer ($29,600)."
In their most recent paper, Dr Merollini and her collaborators identified which factors were most likely to drive up the cost in an average hospital visit related to cancer healthcare - including age, remoteness, marital status, income, type of cancer and the type of treatment occurring.
"Living in a remote location was one of the biggest cost factors, as was receiving palliative care and dying during treatment. But perhaps the most surprising finding was that a hospital admission for rehabilitative care increased the cost of an average visit by 194 percent," Dr Merollini said.
"With an ageing population, increased incidence of cancer and improved survival outcomes, costs will continue to rise.
"Data like this is crucial to helping us understand where those costs are coming from, what we can do to decrease them and where financial resources can make the most difference."
How school teachers can help prevent cancer - Dr Joseph Scott
When Dr Joe Scott was a health and physical education school teacher, he saw firsthand the impression educators can leave on young children.
Now as a researcher and teacher educator at UniSC, he's working to leverage that influence through targeted teacher education to help reduce young people's risk of developing cancer later in life.
"Research has continually shown that teachers who role-model healthy behaviours - such as being active, wearing hats and putting on sunscreen - have a powerful influence on children's behaviour. Young people consistently name teachers among the most important and influential relationships in their lives," he said.
"But many teachers haven't been made aware of the latest cancer prevention guidelines. Our research has identified a concerning lack of physical activity, sleep and sun safety content in teacher education programs across Australia and New Zealand."
To address this, Dr Scott has been working with Cancer Councils around Australia to deliver targeted cancer prevention education to teachers-in training at universities - helping them brush up on their knowledge of physical activity, sleep UV radiation exposure and cancer risk.
"In one of these studies, teachers-in-training reported not only feeling more confident about delivering sun safety education, it also made them aware of their own risk. Most said they were proactively considering changes to their own habits as a result," Dr Scott said.
"Importantly, it embeds sun safety as part of their role without adding more workload to their already busy schedule. It could be as simple as checking the UV index as a class before going outside and taking appropriate measures."
His latest research is exploring how teacher education and school-based interventions can be used to promote a range of health behaviours in young people to prevent risks of developing cancer and other chronic diseases.
For media enquiries or to arrange interviews with any of the researchers, contact [email protected]
