Melanoma March 2016 is launched
2 February 2016
Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) officially launched the 2016 ‘Melanoma March’ initiative in Sydney today.
The launch event held at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth revealed plans for the new project that will receive funds from this year's Melanoma March campaign. Channel 7's Dr. Andrew Rochford hosted the event, with MIA"s new CEO Carole Renouf helping to get the campaign off to a flying start. Melanoma patient and author of Dear Melanoma Emma Betts also spoke passionately about the importance of research.
Professor Graham Mann, Research Director at MIA, explained how the Melanoma March campaign provides critical funding for an ambitious new project that will ultimately transform the way patients are treated by shining a research light on melanoma care.
Participating melanoma centres around the country will link databases, for the first time bringing together the key information about the treatment of their patients on a national scale. At present melanoma is only recorded by national cancer registries at the time it is initially diagnosed. Data suitable for research about the patients’ treatment and progress is currently only collected in a few specialist centres. This project seeks to expand this substantially and facilitate the appropriate combination of this invaluable information to provided new insights into treatment responses, especially with the less common forms of melanoma where our aggregated national experience will be so informative.
The world-leading ‘Big Data for Melanoma’ project will feature an online platform designed to engage with melanoma care, wherever it takes place.
“With melanoma cases still rising, it’s critical we find ways to keep improving the quality of care. Part of this challenge is to understand the real-world situation of melanoma across the country. This sort of clinical research register has not been attempted before in melanoma. It’s ultimately about improving patient care and saving lives,” MIA’s Research Director Professor Graham Mann said.
During the launch, MIA also updated progress on world-first research into treatment for melanoma brain metastases funded by money raised during the 2014 Melanoma March.
The ground-breaking ‘ABC Trial’, supported by Australia and New Zealand Melanoma Trials Group (ANZMTG), is comparing the use of various immunotherapies in patients with melanoma that has spread to their brain. Running since 2014, the study is showing promising early findings. Patients who once were given just months to live are now surviving longer than a year.
“It’s only early days, but so far we are seeing a tripling of life expectancy for some patients with melanoma that has spread to the brain. There are also added benefits because this kind of work is a world first. Everything we are using is unique – we’re developing new techniques to investigate and learn from the patients’ blood and tumour samples, together with much more advanced brain imaging, which is allowing us to stay at the forefront of research," MIA's Deputy Director Associate Professor Jonathan Stretch said.
Melanoma March events will be hosted in these 24 locations nationally from February 27–April 10, 2016:
VIC: Melbourne
ACT: Canberra
QLD: Bribie Island, Brisbane, Cairns, Coolangatta, Townsville
SA: Adelaide, Port Lincoln
NT: Darwin
WA: Bunbury, Karratha, Perth CBD, Rockingham
NSW: Bathurst, Bonny Hills, Forster Tuncurry, Gosford, Manly, Picton, Wagga Wagga, Western Sydney, Wollongong
TAS: Devonport.
For more information about Melanoma March please visit: www.melanomamarch.org.au.
Jay's Longest Melanoma March Trivia Night
Come and join us for a trivia night with Jay and his crew to raise funds for the ABC-X trial!
Cancer Council awards Melanoma Institute Australia researchers funding for ground-breaking cancer research projects
Almost $9 million of new funding was awarded to 13 ground-breaking cancer research projects at the 2019 Cancer Council NSW Research Awards.
Making a difference to many
Georgina V. Long is co-medical director of Melanoma Institute Australia and Chair of Melanoma Medical Oncology and Translational Research. She is the first woman president of the Society for Melanoma Research.
Aussie icon Sophie Monk calls on Australians to get behind Melanoma March
Quintessential Aussie girl and media personality Sophie Monk has been announced as a National Ambassador for Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) and its national awareness and fundraising campaign, Melanoma March.
Melanoma breakthrough paves way for personalised treatment for all cancer patients
Australian researchers have for the first time identified specific cells and receptors in the immune system which predict how a patient will respond to treatment with immunotherapies, potentially paving the way for the development of personalised therapy for all cancer patients.
Melanoma March announces 2019 Principal Partner
Melanoma March is thrilled to introduce Ricky as our official Principal Partner for 2019!
Swimming champion Cate Campbell spearheads national campaign to save lives from melanoma
World record holder, Olympian and Australian swimming champion Cate Campbell has been announced as National Ambassador for Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) and its national awareness and fundraising campaign, Melanoma March.
MIA experts collaborate on groundbreaking research
MIA's expertise was essential to a recent Nature publication spearheaded by Perth’s Telethon Kids Institute and The University of Melbourne.
World-leading pathologist Associate Professor Michael Tetzlaff visits MIA
MIA is delighted to be hosting the MD Anderson pathologist on his first ever trip to Australia.
Possible PBS listing for dabrafenib and trametinib
Clinicians, patients and other stakeholders in the cancer community are invited to make submissions in support of the PBS listing for dabrafenib and trametinib.
Arden Anglican School wins SunSafe Ambassador competition
Three students from Arden Anglican School in Epping have won Melanoma Institute Australia’s (MIA) inaugural SunSafe Student Ambassador Award.
DON'T CLOUD THE SUN-SAFE MESSAGE
Mark Whittaker’s ‘Here comes the sun; Defending our summer rays’ (GW 24 Nov) clouds the sun-safe message – which could have disastrous consequences.
Professor Georgina Long named as one of world's most highly cited researchers
Professor Georgina Long is among only 12 researchers from the University of Sydney to be named in the 2018 Highly Cited Researchers List.
Aussies need to protect themselves from 'everyday' sun damage
‘Wearing sunscreen should be as automatic as wearing a seatbelt. Both are potential life savers.’
The Poche Centre to host 3D total-body imaging system as part of world-first initiative to save lives from melanoma
A prestigious $10 million Australian Cancer Research Foundation grant has been awarded to ACEMID, an initiative that aims to use 3D total-body imaging and a remote medicine network to improve the detection and diagnosis of early-stage melanoma.
Major award for world-leaders in melanoma research
Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer have been recognised as world leaders in melanoma research for their ground-breaking work that has changed the diagnosis and treatment landscape of melanoma world-wide, and tripled the life-expectancy of advanced melanoma patients.
Melanoma Institute Australia shines at prestigious Cancer Research Awards
Leading researchers from Melanoma Institute Australia have taken out the top accolades at the NSW Premier’s Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research.
Women of MIA lead the way in melanoma research at SMR
An impressive contingent of female delegates from Melanoma Institute Australia have presented findings across the whole spectrum of melanoma research at the Society for Melanoma Research 2018 Congress in Manchester, England.
Immune cell research presented at SMR
Over 800 researchers and clinicians from around the world were welcomed to Manchester for the 15th International Congress of the Society for Melanoma Research (SMR). Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) has again sent an impressive number of delegates to present both oral presentations and posters with the latest in translational research.
Professor Georgina Long makes history as the first woman and first Australian to lead the Society for Melanoma Research
Professor Georgina Long makes history as the first woman and first Australian to lead the world’s most prestigious international melanoma research association.