Breaking Down Silos: How MPCCC is Transforming Cancer Care

05/01/25 • 34 min

Welcome to Episode 29 of The Oncology Podcast 's Experts On Point series, brought to you by The Oncology Network. Hosted by Rachael Babin.
How do we tackle inequities in cancer care? What role do collaborative networks play in ensuring better outcomes for patients and their families? And how can molecular tumour boards bridge the gap for those outside metropolitan areas, giving them access to life-saving treatments and clinical trials?

To explore these critical questions, our Host Rachael Babin is joined by Professor Mark Shackleton—Director of Oncology at Alfred Health, Professor of Oncology at Monash University, Chair of Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials Ltd, and Co-Director of the Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium (MPCCC).

The Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium (MPCCC) is transforming cancer care by creating networks that ensure equitable access to precision oncology across Victoria, regardless of a patient's location.

Did You Know?

• The MPCCC Fellowship program embeds early-career oncologists in partner hospitals to build expertise and connections
• The Precision Oncology Program has processed over 1,000 patient referrals
• 20% of referred patients receive recommendations for targeted therapies matched to their cancer's molecular profile
• 5% of patients connected to clinical trials they wouldn't otherwise access
• Regular molecular tumour boards discuss 5-10 cases per session
• MPCCC has delivered a significant increase in regional cancer patient referrals, especially from Gippsland

Visit our website for information on the simple referral process through the Omico CaSP program and access this incredible resource for your patients.

So, let’s dive into the groundbreaking work being done to break down barriers and expand access to precision oncology.

We hope you enjoy listening.

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Visit our website for information on the simple referral process through the Omico CaSP program and access this incredible resource for your patients.

So, let’s dive into the groundbreaking work being done to break down barriers and expand access to precision oncology.

Previous Episode

S3 E3 The Oncology Journal Club Podcast: To INFINITY and Beyond! Rethinking Treatment Paradigms and Common Sense Trial Design

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Welcome to The Oncology Journal Club Podcast Series 3
Hosted by Professor Craig Underhill, Dr Kate Clarke & Professor Christopher Jackson | Proudly produced by The Oncology Network
The Oncology Journal Club team take a deep dive into three standout papers:

Craig kicks us off with a timely perspective on the long-term toxicity of immune checkpoint inhibitors—are we ready to widen the lens? He highlights the need for more comprehensive research on survivorship issues including quality of life, financial impact and psychological outcomes.
Kate brings us the exciting results from the INFINITY study on gastric and gastroesophageal cancers which shows impressive complete response rates in dMMR gastric cancers but at prohibitive costs — and poses a big question: are we ready to rethink treatment paradigms?
And CJ unpacks the Common Sense Oncology principles for designing better phase 3 trials — Common Sense Oncology principles offer a patient-centred framework for designing and reporting clinical trials.
Of course, we’ve also got our Quick Bites—those quirky, surprising papers that made us raise an eyebrow or two. From RNA vaccines in pancreatic cancer to updated ASCO guidelines for small cell lung cancer, it’s a rapid-fire segment you won’t want to miss.

For links to the papers discussed and bios of our hosts, head to the show notes on oncologynetwork.com.au.

Subscribe to The Oncology Newsletter for regular updates on the latest cancer research and join our community at oncologynetwork.com.au.
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No longer invisible. Addressing the unique challenges of metastatic cancer survivorship

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Welcome to the latest Series of Supportive Care Matters, a podcast hosted by Medical Oncologist and International Cancer Survivorship Expert, Professor Bogda Koczwara AM.

The landscape of cancer survivorship is evolving before our eyes. As treatment advances allow people with metastatic cancer to live longer, we're witnessing the emergence of a population that exists in what medical oncologist Dr Lori Spoozak calls "the place in between" – not curable but not actively dying.
In this eye-opening conversation, researchers Associate Professor Nick Hart and Dr. Andrea Smith (who herself lives with metastatic breast cancer) explore the unique challenges faced by those living with advanced cancer. While survivorship programs have traditionally focused on post-treatment care, metastatic patients are typically on treatment for life, navigating constant healthcare interactions, accumulating side effects and facing the certainty rather than just the fear of disease progression.
The discussion reveals how metastatic cancer patients have often fallen through the cracks – excluded from survivorship programs yet not appropriately served by palliative care services that focus primarily on end-of-life needs. This growing population faces what Dr. Smith describes as supportive care needs "on steroids" – intensified physical, psychological, financial and practical challenges that require specialised approaches.
Hart and Smith share their ground-breaking work developing the first international standards for metastatic cancer survivorship care, now translated into 14 languages to guide implementation worldwide. They emphasise that improving care requires action on multiple fronts: better education for healthcare professionals, redesigned care models, dedicated peer support programs and recognition that survivorship care is everyone's responsibility rather than the domain of any single provider.
Whether you're a healthcare professional, researcher, patient advocate or someone living with cancer, this conversation challenges conventional thinking about survivorship and offers a compelling vision for more inclusive, responsive care. Discover why supporting those living for years with incurable cancer represents both an urgent challenge and a tremendous opportunity to enhance quality of life for this overlooked population.
Visit www.oncologynews.com.au for show notes and more information about Supportive Care Matters.

This conversation is proudly produced by the Podcast Team at The Oncology Podcast, part of the Oncology Media Group Australia.

The Oncology Podcast - Breaking Down Silos: How MPCCC is Transforming Cancer Care

Transcript

Rachael Babin00:00:02.024

Hello , I'm Rachael Babin from the Oncology Network . Welcome to the Oncology Podcast's Experts on Point series . How do we tackle inequities in cancer care ?

Rachael Babin00:00:14.621

What role do collaborative networks play in ensuring better outcomes for patients and their families ? And how can molecular tumour boards bridge the gap for those outside metro