NBOCC News - December 2009

In this issue...

Vale Sue Lockwood AM: a passionate breast cancer advocate

National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC) is saddened by the death of Sue Lockwood AM, a dedicated and passionate advocate for women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Sue was a valued and respected member of a number of NBOCC working groups. In particular, Sue made a significant contribution to the development of NBOCC’s recommendations for the management of women with ductal carcinoma in situ and accompanying consumer information.

Sue was also a member of the BreastScreen Australia National Quality Management Committee for a number of years. Her invaluable contribution to the review of National Accreditation Standards ensured consumer needs were considered throughout the review.

As a previous Chair of the Breast Cancer Action Group in Victoria and in her many other commitments in breast cancer, Sue was a strong advocate for consumer involvement in all aspects of breast cancer care, from research through to screening, treatment and practical support. She will be sadly missed.

Scholarships awarded to improve local breast cancer care

Eight nurses across regional and rural Australia have been awarded scholarships to expand their skills in caring for local women with breast cancer.

The scholarships have been awarded as part of the Polo Ralph Lauren Pink Pony Campaign, a collaboration between Polo Ralph Lauren and NBOCC.

The recipients, from New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, will undertake a variety of educational and professional development activities to provide improved care and support for women with breast cancer in their local communities.

Six recipients will undertake post-graduate study at either La Trobe University or the College of Nursing, one recipient will attend the 12th National Breast Care Nurses Conference and one will participate in the Breast Care Nurse Practicum at the NSW Breast Cancer Institute.

The Polo Ralph Lauren Pink Pony Campaign is an international initiative which aims to assist women with breast cancer in medically underserved communities and is administered in Australia by NBOCC.

Over 200 nurses and community health workers across Australia have benefited from scholarships since the program began in 2002.

For more information on the Polo Ralph Lauren Pink Pony Campaign, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (ph. 02 9357 9414).

2008-09 Annual Report

NBOCC’s Annual Report 2008-09 is now available. The Annual Report provides an overview of NBOCC’s activities and achievements in breast and ovarian cancer during 2008-09 and is available to download or order online from NBOCC’s website. To order a hard copy, please call 1800 624 973.

Examining ovarian cancer management in Australia

NBOCC and Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) are collaborating on a project to examine the treatment and management of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Australia. Currently there is no national population data on ovarian cancer treatment and management patterns.

The project will use data collected from women enrolled in the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study during 2005, together with matched state and territory cancer registry data. Additional information will also be collected for both groups to provide a comprehensive database for analysis. An NBOCC advisory group, chaired by Professor Michael Quinn, has provided input into the development of a data form and data analysis plan that will allow comparison of patterns of care with the national best practice recommendations in the Clinical practice guidelines for the management of women with epithelial ovarian cancer.

The final data analysis in 2010 will enable NBOCC to determine the impact of different management pathways on outcomes for women with ovarian cancer and also inform the development of targeted strategies to improve care.

For more information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (ph. 02 9357 9413).

Encourage your breast diagnostic service to complete NBOCC's new online assessment

NBOCC’s online tool to assist breast diagnostic services to self-assess their practices against NBOCC’s Standard of care for breast diagnostic services is now live on NBOCC’s website.

Click here for more information or to complete the assessment online.

Recent Research: service for health professionals

Recent Research, a service for health professionals highlighting the latest breast and ovarian cancer research of interest or significance, is now available on NBOCC’s website.

Click here to view the latest Recent Research and to subscribe for an email alert.

Season’s Greetings from NBOCC

The Board and staff of NBOCC extend our thanks for your support in 2009 and wish you all the best for the Festive Season. To view NBOCC’s Season’s Greetings e-card, click here.

The NBOCC office will close on Thursday 24 December and re-open on Monday, 4 January 2010.

We look forward to working with you to continue to improve outcomes in breast and ovarian cancer in 2010.

Staff news

NBOCC welcomes Justine Lee in the role of Personal Assistant to the General Managers.

Cancer Australia