Anne is a PhD student working within the Health Behaviour Research Group based at HMRI. She is being supervised by L/Prof Rob Sanson-Fisher, Dr Alix Hall and Dr Nicholas Zdenkowski. Anne has received a University of Newcastle/HCRA PhD scholarship to research patient-centred decision making in cancer care.
Anne aims to help better understand what factors need to be taken into account when designing and implementing decision support for cancer patients. Her research examines cancer patients’ experiences and preferences for deciding on their treatment. Anne is also investigating how patient and cancer-related characteristics influence treatment decision making. She is using a mixed-methods approach combining both qualitative interviews and large-scale surveys. For example, she has been conducting in-depth interviews with early stage breast cancer patients who had to decide on whether to have neoadjuvant (pre-operative) systemic therapy or upfront surgery. Anne is also working on a Discrete Choice Experiment to investigate cancer patients’ preferences for different consultation styles when making treatment decisions. She has published a literature review to help identify where research efforts in this area are needed (http://bmcmedinformdecismak.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12911-016-0273-8).
Anne’s research will help inform clinical practice about what should be considered in order to provide a patient-centred approach to treatment decision making in cancer care. Developing a sound academic grounding in this area is a key element to improving the lives of cancer patients in the Hunter.
The next step of her work will be exploring patient decision making in other patient populations and settings. This will help expand our understanding of how we may best support different cancer patients in making decisions about their treatment. The knowledge gained from Anne’s work could be used to inform future intervention studies aimed to improve decision support for cancer patients.
Anne has been invited to work at the University of Oxford later this year. She will prepare a cross-country comparison study on medical decision making. Anne will combine this site visit with presenting one of her studies at the 3rd ESO‐ESMO Breast Cancer in Young Women International Conference. She has been awarded travel grants by the HCRA and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation/European School of Oncology to present at this conference. Anne has recently won the people’s choice award and the first place in the pre-confirmation round of the University of Newcastle’s final of the Three Minute Thesis Competition. The video of her winning performance can be found on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gUl0FG0Wew
HCRA Supporting Young Researchers to Attend
International Conferences
HCRA supports a very successful initiative to fund RHD students, ECRs and MCRs to travel to present their research findings at conferences and scientific meetings. Since the start of this initiative in 2015 we have enabled 37 researchers to travel to far flung destinations and will continue to provide this support for our members. As part of this initiative we encourage recipients of travel grants to share their experiences with the HCRA community. Keep reading for accounts from two recent recipients who travelled to international meetings.
Report from Joshua Brzozowski
Earlier this year I was awarded an HCRA Travel Grant to attend the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles Annual Meeting – ISEV2016, which was held in the De Doelen Conference Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands from 4-7 May, with an Pre-Meeting Education Day on May 3.
The education day had 2 streams: Novel Developments of Isolation and Characterisation of Extracellular Vesicles, and Extracellular Vesicle Therapeutics. I attended the therapeutics stream, which had very interesting and informative talks from various experts in the field of EV research.
On the first day of the conference proper, there were in excess of 800 delegates in attendance, which was quite an extraordinary turnout for such a young, and relatively specific field of research. The first session of the conference was a plenary session on EVs and Cancer, which was a sign of things to come – there was a large focus on cancer-related aspects of EV research throughout the entire conference. The first day of the conference was also when I was to present my poster titled “Lipid profiling of normal and tumourigenic cell-derived extracellular vesicles reveals differences in composition”. My poster received a lot of attention, helped by the fact that in the plenary session that morning, it was mentioned that the lipidomics of EVs is a very neglected area and that more work needs to be done – I couldn’t have planned it any better myself!
The following days of the conference saw many more interesting talks and posters by research groups from around the globe. Networking coffee/lunch breaks and poster sessions were a great time to approach those delegates who sparked my interest, and talk about their research in more depth. I made many contacts whilst at this conference, including researchers from Europe who had taken a keen interest in my work and were wanting to be kept updated on its progress, as well as the new ISEV president, who is an AUSTRALIAN!!!
One of the experts was able to sum up the entire field nicely when she said that “none of us really know what we are doing yet”, and this mentality created a very warm and supportive environment, which was perfect for the sharing of ideas and opinions. Overall, this was a fantastic meeting, and I’m grateful for the financial support of the HCRA for my attendance.
Report from Chloe Goldsmith
The 10th World Congress on Polyphenol Applications focuses on the potential applications of polyphenols in a huge number of fields including polyphenols in: health & diseases, the valorisation from foods & bio-products, polyphenols and microbiota, polyphenols & preventive / therapeutic medicine, polyphenols & natural preservatives as well as revolutionary research investigating polyphenols & industrial innovations.
The conference included workshops designed to encourage collaborations between researchers of different fields with the goal of better tuning basic science towards developing human trials. I work on the anti-cancer activity of certain phenolic compounds extracted from plant matrices. This conference has led me to look at, not only the activity of the phenolic compounds I extract, but also to look at the activity of the bio-transformation products and degradation products of the compounds as well.
The interdisciplinary nature of this conference meant that I was able to broaden my knowledge in fields that are intertwined with my research. I was also able to discuss my research with experts in my field and get a better understanding of what some of my results mean. Furthermore, this conference expanded my knowledge of the influence of the microbiome on polyphenols uptake, absorption and biotransformation and the influence that these things have on health and disease outcomes.
Armed with my new understanding of the influence of the microbiome on polyphenols, I will be taking a new approach to certain experiments I planned to conduct. This will benefit my current role by improving the quality of my research papers and my overall contribution to the field.
HCRA Member Survey 2016: Summary
Background: In July 2016 the HCRA membership were invited to participate in an online survey relating to the research support initiatives & services offered by HCRA. It was intended that responses to this survey would assist the HCRA Executive, Steering Committees & Operations Team with decision-making and planning, to ensure that HCRA remains focused on supporting initiatives that will produce the best outcomes for our research membership, and ultimately HCRA more broadly.
Results: 56 HCRA members completed the survey, which is approximately 16% of the total HCRA membership (354 members as of August 2016) with 27 respondents aligned with Implementation science program, 20 with biomarkers and targeted therapies and 7 with the Clinical Cancer Research Network.
Figure 1: Prioritising HCRA funding initiatives, all responses
Initiative
Weighted Average (%)
Ranking based on weighted average
a) Pilot project funding
2.66
1st
b) Travel grants (conferences)
3.55
2nd
c) PhD Research Awards
3.65
3rd
d) Statistical Support Grants
3.77
4th
e) Employment of Translational Research Associates
4.29
5th
f) Literature review funding
4.58
6th
g) Visiting Fellows travel contributions
4.9
7th
Overall, pilot projects, HCRA Travel Grants, PhD Research Awards, & Statistical Support Grants were perceived as most beneficial from the options suggested (see Figure 1). New initiatives of (e) employment of fractional Translational Research Associates, and (g) contributions to visiting fellows were generally not well support by those who responded to this survey.
Figure 2: Intended engagement with HCRA activities or services over the next 12 months, all responses
A high proportion of our respondents indicated they would be engaging with HCRA activities via the symposium, rapid fire news, Connect Newsletter and HCRA website (see Figure 2). This information will allow the HCRA office to target our communication of HCRA activities towards our member preferences.
Member suggestions for HCRA activities
Members were asked an open ended question that allowed for suggestions as to additional or alternate activities HCRA could consider to support our members and their research endeavours. A number of suggestions related to:
Capacity building e.g. mentoring researchers to engage with industry, building the research capacity of the clinical and nursing workforce, providing opportunities for clinician and scientist collaboration.
Support for ECRs e.g. ECR targeted funding schemes, support for career progression, involvement in HCRA committees/sub-committees
Funding support for equipment, software, service contracts, bioinformatics, open access publication.
These suggestions will be considered by the HCRA Executive and Flagship Committees in planning of our future HCRA activities. If you would like further details of the member survey results please contact our office by emailing HCRA@newcastle.edu.au.
Latest Membership News
HCRA 2016 Hunter Cancer Research Symposium: REGISTER NOW
After a steady planning stage, the HCRA Operations team are pleased to report that the HCRA Consumer Advisory Panel (CAP) is starting to take shape. At present, there are 13 people who have generously volunteered to serve on the panel, with a breadth of cancer experience and interests. The HCRA CAP is a valuable resource for HCRA members who are looking to gain a community perspective on research programs & projects. Many of the volunteers on the HCRA CAP have completed the consumer training offered by Cancer Council NSW and Cancer Voices NSW, and are looking forward to helping HCRA members in any way they can. If you would like to find out more about the CAP and how you can request to work with a consumer member visit the HCRA website.
Ovarian Cancer Breakthrough
A team of Newcastle researchers, led by HCRA Member, Dr Pradeep Tanwar, has identified a game-changing link between the use of the contraceptive pill and the risk of developing ovarian cancer. The study, published in Oncotarget August 20, 2016, explores the role that oestrogen and progesterone play in the growth and suppression of ovarian cancer cells.
Ovarian Cancer is a deadly gynaecological disease, primarily because most patients are asymptomatic and diagnosis occurs late – when cancer cells have spread to other organs. As the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in women, the ovarian cancer five-year survival rate has sat at around 40 per cent for the last 20 years.Researchers have highlighted the need to understand the signalling pathways involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. This will allow them to identify therapeutic targets and means of treating the disease.Various lifestyle and genetic factors have been associated with the predisposition to developing ovarian cancer – with studies of large cohorts of women showing that breastfeeding, pregnancy and combined oral contraceptive use significantly decreases the risk of developing ovarian cancer.Conversely, infertility and nulliparity (a woman who has never carried a pregnancy or been pregnant), increases the risk of developing ovarian cancer.
The study suggests that the high levels of progesterone in combined oral contraceptive formulations reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer. Through the use of mouse modelling, the team have discovered that progesterone suppresses the growth of ovarian cancer initiating lesions by targeting proteins belonging to the Wnt signalling pathway and thereby provides protection against developing ovarian cancer. The practical research backed up a large body of international empirical research including a large study of 31, 658 Catholic Nuns that showed that these women are more likely to die from reproductive cancers compared to the general population. Another study of 17,032 women revealed that oral contraceptive use significantly lowered the risk of developing ovarian cancer.
The findings published in this journal raise the exciting possibility that ovarian cancer is a disease caused by rogue cells. The next step in this study is to investigate the role of the fallopian tube stem/progenitor cells in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer and determine how changes in ovarian hormones regulate their growth in normal and carcinogenic conditions.
It’s an exciting field of study that could be a game-changer in reducing women’s risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Read this ABC article on Pradeep Tanwar’s work here.
Publication of the Month
Smoking cessation care among patients with head and neck cancer: a systematic review
Kristen McCarter, Úrsula Martínez, Ben Britton, Amanda Baker, Billie Bonevski, Gregory Carter, Alison Beck, Chris Wratten, Ashleigh Guillaumier, Sean A Halpin, Luke Wolfenden
Abstract
Purpose:To examine the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions in improving cessation rates and smoking related behaviour in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC).
Methods: We searched the following data sources: CENTRAL in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL up to February 2016. A search of reference lists of included studies and Google Scholar (first 200 citations published online between 2000 and February 2016) was also undertaken. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool (EPHPP). 2 study authors independently screened and extracted data with disagreements resolved via consensus.
Results: Of the 5167 studies identified, 3 were eligible and included in the review. Trial designs of included studies were 2 randomised controlled trials and 1 non-randomised controlled trial. 2 studies received a weak methodological rating and 1 received a moderate methodological rating. The trials examine the impact of the following interventions: (1) nurse delivered cognitive–behaviour therapy (CBT) via telephone and accompanied by a workbook, combined with pharmacotherapy; (2) nurse and physician brief advice to quit and information booklets combined with pharmacotherapy; and (3) surgeon delivered enhanced advice to quit smoking augmented by booster sessions. Only the trial of the nurse delivered CBT and pharmacotherapy reported significant increases in smoking cessation rates. 1 study measured quit attempts and the other assessed consumption of cigarettes per day and readiness to change. There was no significant improvement in quit attempts or cigarettes smoked per day among patients in the intervention groups, relative to control.
Conclusion: There are very few studies evaluating the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions that report results specific to the HNC population. The 3 trials identified reported equivocal findings. Extended CBT counselling coupled with pharmacotherapy may be effective.
We are always looking for information and news items to share with our members. If you have any news, information or feedback, please send it to us at hcra@newcastle.edu.au
For more information on Hunter Cancer Research Alliance please refer to our website www.hcra.com.au
