The latest news from the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC) for August 2009.
Federal funding to support rural women diagnosed with breast cancer
National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC) and Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) have been awarded funding of $2.7 million by the Australian Government to undertake a joint program of work to provide information and supportive care to women in rural areas diagnosed with breast cancer.
In Australia, approximately 30 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer live outside a major metropolitan city. In addition to their cancer diagnosis, they face specific challenges such as geographic isolation and limited contact with specialist health care workers may impede access to the full range of treatment options and support services.
The Supporting Women in Rural Areas Diagnosed with Breast Cancer program aims to:
- target gaps in the provision of information and supportive care for rural and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, families and health professionals;
- improve access to information about the latest advances in breast cancer treatment and care; and
- explore, develop and implement innovative ways, through technology, to provide support networks for rural and Indigenous women, including providing locally tailored information.
NBOCC is pleased to be partnering with BCNA on this important initiative, launched in Melbourne on 15 August, through joint Government funding.
Under the program, NBOCC will focus on providing rural health professionals with access to the latest evidence-based information, linking families through an online video communication tool when women travel away from home for treatment, and improving knowledge and skills of Indigenous women and health workers.
BCNA will focus on improving social support networks using technology, creating interactive web-based information services and strengthening capacity to provide support to rural women with breast cancer.
Funding for the Supporting Women in Rural Areas Diagnosed with Breast Cancer Program extends to the end of June 2011. For further information about the Program, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (Ph: 02 9357 9402).
The year ahead for NBOCC
NBOCC has commenced an exciting program of work to take us to the end of our current Strategic Plan to 2011.
Key projects build on work undertaken in 2008-09 to extend NBOCC’s impact at a strategic level – translating evidence into improved outcomes through informed policy, behaviour change and service delivery redesign.
NBOCC will continue to investigate shared care for the delivery of follow-up care after breast cancer treatment to promote and support continuity of cancer patient care, whole person care, and equity of access to evidence-based care.
Following on from NBOCC’s work to investigate the impact of shortened length of stay on the information, clinical and supportive care needs of women following breast cancer surgery, recommendations will be developed for best-practice models of post-surgical care.
In collaboration with the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, NBOCC will undertake an analysis of data on the management pathways for ovarian cancer to enable comparison with best-practice recommendations and to inform the development of targeted intervention strategies.
NBOCC will continue its focus on closing the gap in breast cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with breast cancer through the development and implementation of a community education module to promote the importance of breast awareness and early detection.
Just some of the other projects on NBOCC’s Business Plan for 2009-2011 include:
- the development of information to assist women dealing with the transition from curative to palliative care;
- the promotion of information for men about breast cancer – both supporting a woman they care about through a breast cancer diagnosis and information about breast cancer in men;
- the review and update of a number of topic-specific clinical practice guidelines;
- the release of statistical overviews of breast and ovarian cancer in Australia (in partnership with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare);
- the pilot of the gynaecological cancer clinical minimum data set (in partnership with Cancer Australia); and
- the development of online learning modules for general practitioners and practice nurses (in collaboration with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners).
NBOCC looks forward to updating you in future editions of NBOCC News on the progress of these, and other, important initiatives in breast and ovarian cancer control.
Promoting a nationally consistent approach to clinical breast cancer data collection
NBOCC has launched the Breast cancer specific data items for clinical cancer registration, aimed at improving the quality of data collected.
The National Health Data Dictionary recommends a core set of generic data items for clinical cancer registration however these often lack the detail required by groups interested in specific tumours.
In response, NBOCC has developed breast cancer specific data items for clinical cancer registration to facilitate comparative analysis, and where appropriate, data pooling.
The data items and data definitions were developed through a multidisciplinary working group, in consultation with key stakeholders. Where possible, these items and data definitions have been aligned with those already in use across Australia.
NBOCC is committed to working in collaboration with key stakeholders to promote the adoption of the clinical minimum dataset for breast cancer to help ensure a nationally consistent approach to data collection and reporting of breast cancer data.
Breast cancer specific data items for clinical cancer registration is available to download from NBOCC’s website. Hard copies can be ordered by phoning 1800 624 973.
For information on the development of Breast cancer specific data items for clinical cancer registration, please contact Trenna Rowe (Ph. 02 9357 9437).
In the News: Discovery of cells responsible for aggressive form of breast cancer
On 3 August 2009, research findings from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute received extensive coverage in media outlets including The Age and ABC Radio.
Published in the journal Nature Medicine, the findings suggest a population of breast cells called ‘luminal progenitor cells’ may be responsible for the development of ‘basal-like’ breast cancer, a particularly aggressive form of the disease. Click here to read NBOCC’s perspective on this research.
To register for an email alert when a new edition of In the News is published, click here.
Staff News
NBOCC is pleased to welcome back Dr Karen Luxford in the role of General Manager. Dr Luxford has been on leave of absence while undertaking a Harkness Fellowship in Healthcare Policy in the United States.
Dr Anne Nelson filled the position of General Manager during Dr Luxford’s leave. NBOCC is delighted Dr Nelson is staying on with NBOCC as Evidence Review and Research Team Leader.
NBOCC also welcomes Rachel Scott as Senior Project Officer and Sarah Thew as Program Manager.
Upcoming events
Save the date!
Join NBOCC at our 2009 Pink Ribbon Events to hear the latest breast cancer information, be inspired and celebrate October, Australia’s Breast Cancer Month.
- The 2009 Melbourne Pink Ribbon Lunch will take place on Tuesday, 13 October 2009 at the Park Hyatt, Melbourne.
- The 2009 Sydney Pink Ribbon Breakfast will take place on Monday, 26 October 2009 at the Westin Hotel, Sydney.
For further information about the events or to purchase tickets, visit our pink ribbon events website.
Paying tribute
National Breast Cancer Foundation, Breast Cancer Network Australia and National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre invite you and your family to attend a service to honour and remember loved ones whose lives have been affected by breast and prostate cancer.
- The Melbourne service will be held at St Michael's Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne on Sunday 4 October 2009 at 2pm.
- The Sydney service will be held at St James Church, 173 King St, Sydney on Sunday 18 October 2009 at 3pm.
To attend the service, please phone 1800 000 118 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please RSVP by Thursday 24 September 2009 for both services.