Regional Trials Network Victoria welcomes
Victorian Cancer Plan 2024–2028
16 September 2024
Regional Trials Network Victoria (RTN-Vic) has welcomed the Victorian Cancer Plan 2024–2028, tabled in Parliament last Tuesday.
RTN-Vic executive team member A/Prof Craig Underhill welcomes the focus in the plan on addressing equity and collaboration across regional Victoria. “The Victorian Cancer Plan 2024–2028 highlights the important work that RTN-Vic has accomplished to date. We welcome the plan’s target of further increasing clinical trial activity in regional and rural areas. Working alongside the Victorian Department of Health, we aim to improve access to clinical trials and patient outcomes in regional and rural communities.”
Since 2017, RTN-Vic has increased patient recruitment to clinical trials by 49 per cent and increased the number of clinical trials by 64 per cent. Its goal is to bridge the gap between metropolitan and regional trial participation by 2025. RTN-Vic’s ReViTALISE project, funded by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), runs seven initiatives addressing the specific needs of regional and rural Victorians, each led by a regional Victorian health service. Many of these programs strongly align with the Victorian Cancer Plan:
• Consumers are active partners in their health and wellbeing: The ReViTALISE Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander Clinical Trial Access program is co-designing a pilot with consumers (patients and patient advocates), local health groups and researchers to increase cancer clinical trial participation among First Nations communities. ReViTALISE has also established a consumer advisory group, EveryVoiceCan to ensure regional consumers are involved across ReViTALISE initiatives. Consumer and group facilitator Kathleen Wilkins says, “Lived experience in healthcare research is crucial. EveryVoiceCan aims to empower and support regional consumers in meaningful, value-based contributions."
• Empowering Victorians to prevent cancer: Primary liver cancer is the third highest cause of cancer death in First Nations Victorians (compared to seventh in the overall Victorian population). RTN-Vic welcomes the focus on addressing Hepatitis B and C management to prevent primary liver cancer.
• Optimal access and care across the cancer pathway: Cancer is projected to increase the need for palliative care across the state. The ReViTALISE Palliative & Supportive Care research program helps improve patient outcomes by increasing the number of palliative and supportive care clinical trials.
• A workforce that can deliver now and into the future: The Regional Research Teaching Hub (RRTH) has been established to upskill the regional cancer workforce, equipping staff with the skills to conduct meaningful research in regional and rural settings. A dedicated website provides access to training, tools and resources.
• System design and delivery driven by research, data and intelligence: Prior to RTN-Vic, vast regional populations in Victoria were not served by centres that were able to conduct research and clinical trials. ReViTALISE aims to further expand the regional trials network, allowing more Victorians to participate in cancer research closer to home.
RTN-Vic is looking forward to working with cancer colleagues and agencies across the state to address the aims of the Victorian Cancer Plan 2024–2028. Dr Jhodie Duncan, General Manager of Research & Partnerships at Latrobe Regional Health says, “We believe this plan will help reform our care system and improve the lives of all Victorians affected by cancer. Working together across a regional network, we can enhance our cancer workforce, enable more research and trials, while engaging regional and rural communities.”
