It is no secret that cancer rates in Australia are rising, but what we haven’t got to the bottom of yet is how everyone in the oncology community can band together to reduce them.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the annual number of cancer cases diagnosed across the nation increased from approximately 88,000 cases in 2000 to 169,000 cases in 2024 – an increase of 93 percent.
This increase isn’t solely attributed to the growing and ageing population. Had the cancer incidence rates from 2000 remained constant, there would be around 158,000 cases of cancer diagnosed in Australia in 2024 – leaving 70,000 cases unaccounted for.
With cancer rates in Australia set to surpass 200,000 by 2034, the need for breakthroughs in cancer treatment has never been more urgent. Innovation and technology play a huge role in achieving progress, but this must also be combined with collaboration and partnerships at every level.
Partnering for progress and new possibilities in cancer research
The primary goal for collaborations between medtech companies, research institutions, and scientific communities should be for every patient to access the most up-to-date individualised treatments, innovative therapies, and cutting-edge technologies.
One way to achieve this is for organisations to work together in ways that can advance technology and our understanding of cancer simultaneously.
GE HealthCare is currently partnering with Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac) in Melbourne to explore the possibilities of a new, innovative long axial field-of-view positron emission tomography / computed tomography (PET/CT) technology. Thanks to Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF), this technology will soon be available to support some of Australia’s most dynamic and progressive cancer research. Alongside ACRF, the National Imaging Facility (NIF) and The University of Melbourne provided additional support to ensure the project’s success. This is a wonderful example of strong collaboration and pooling of funds to unlock research potential.
With significant funding through the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, the National Imaging Facility and The University of Melbourne, collaborations like these enable the careful evaluation of the technology’s capabilities, working together to fill any gaps that may arise. All of this meanwhile supports Peter Mac’s research in tumour biology and driving new clinical pathways.
The aim of using this technology is to assist Peter Mac’s research into detecting cancer earlier, personalising cancer treatment and accelerating drug development. It is hoped that this collaboration will shape the future of cancer care in a way that could transform treatment for patients.
Partnerships to support treatment for rural Australians
On top of collaborative research opportunities, strategic academic partnerships are crucial to developing the clinical workforce necessary to address growing cancer rates in rural Australia.
According to the Australian Cancer Plan, Australians living in remote areas are 1.3 times more likely to die from cancer and have a lower five-year relative survival rate compared to those living in major cities.
These poorer outcomes may be related to barriers to access that Australians in remote and rural areas experience, such as limited infrastructure and higher costs of delivering care. The trained medical workforce shortage in these areas increases the impact of a cancer diagnosis, despite having a greater need for medical services and practitioners with a broader scope of practice.
All of this makes it imperative for greater funding to be put into scholarships or training programs that equip remote and rural communities with the skills, knowledge and resources they need to overcome these barriers.
Forging relationships with policymakers and advocacy groups for awareness
In the cancer community, it is crucial that medtech developers and research institutions strengthen their relationships with groups that hold important population data.
Like the relationships between medtech companies and research institutions, their relationships with policymakers and advocacy groups are symbiotic.
By combining high priority research questions with real-world data from policymakers and industry groups, developments in medicine and technology can be tailored to address specific problems or gaps.
Armed with knowledge about the latest innovations in technology and medicine, policymakers and industry groups can make informed decisions about the areas in oncology to spend their resources on for maximum impact.
Putting the patient at the centre of all that we do
And finally, as we work towards breakthroughs in personalised medicine and innovation in the latest technology, it’s important that everyone in the oncology community – researchers, clinicians, policymakers and advocates – remembers to put patients at the centre of all that we do.
A patient is part of the collaborative effort that ensures the best possible outcome for their treatment.
As a community we must listen to patient feedback, measuring data on patient outcomes and experiences and maintaining a focus on delivering quality and accessible care to patients in all our research and development plans.
As Australia’s cancer rates increase, we must engage technology while finding innovative ways to collaborate to achieve better outcomes. I believe that some of the swiftest progress happens when people with diverse skillsets from different disciplines combine their expertise. Through working together, we can transform cancer care in Australia.
