Western Health is celebrating a major milestone marking three continuous decades of conducting cancer clinical trials.
The impact of our local efforts has had global significance with experimental therapies, now standard life-saving treatments given to millions of patients worldwide.
“I’m incredibly proud of our Western Health Cancer Services Clinical Trials team who have made a significant contribution to improving cancer treatment over three decades," Director of Cancer Services Dr Dishan (Dish) Herath said.
"An example is the team’s work on circulating tumour DNA to diagnose early recurrence of cancer, which has been world leading.”
Game-changing breast cancer drug
Take Herceptin, a game-changing anti-cancer drug that has been used by doctors to treat 2.3 million people with breast and stomach cancer since 1998.
Western Health was a trial site for the drug.
In fact, some same staff who helped trial the treatment are still key members of our Western Health Cancer Clinical Trials Unit (WHCCTU).
Staff like Oncology Research Study Coordinator Lisa Wilkinson.
“Even after 30 years, I’m blown away by our patients, who want to have the best treatment available, but also want to help others by taking part in medical research,” Lisa said.
Lisa was recently awarded the 2024 Breast Cancer trials Study Coordinator Prize for her outstanding commitment to breast cancer research at Western Health.
One of the highlights of Lisa’s career was supporting a clinical trial for Herceptin.
“They called us to Sydney to a special meeting to give us the results of the trial, it was so exciting,” she recalls.
A career in clinical trials
Lisa began her career at Western Health in 1994, fresh out of her Health Information Management Degree at La Trobe University.
Her role involves working pharmaceutical companies, clinicians and researchers to conduct clinical trials at Western Health.
The Cancer Services Research Unit has supported more than 375 clinical trials in oncology, haematology, radiation and palliative care since 1996.
Lisa remembers when faxes, office phones and snail mail were the only ways to communicate information and the huge storage files in Sunshine Hospital highlight the volume of paperwork that the team has completed over the years.
“A big part of my role is ensuring we follow the strict protocols for each study, any small deviation can have a have a big impact on the trial,” she said.
“We used to fill out a little paper booklet that would have carbon paper the pharmaceutical company would rip off the top layer, leaving an imprint of the information for us to file.”
Now, patient information is communicated with the click of a mouse and samples of patients’ blood and tissue can be frozen and sent around the world in record time.
Patients care is key
“I really enjoy the face-to face time with patients during the trials,” Lisa said.
“I help make sure they have the right information about the trial, gather information about any side effects and book their appointments and tests.”
“Some patients I’ve known for more than 10 years, which is lovely.”
Despite the huge changes she has witnessed over the past three decades, there are some things that remain the same.
“Most of the patients who enroll in a clinical trial do so because they want to have access to the best treatment they can, but they also want to help others.
“I recently had a patient the other day who was travelling all the way to Sunshine Hospital to receive her treatment because she wanted to be part of a clinical trial and ensure others could benefit from advancements in years to come.”
The highs of the role are tempered by the lows.
Like when a promising experimental drug does not turn into a treatment, or if a patient doesn’t benefit during a trial.
For patients, the benefits of participating in a trial can be immense.
For instance, Western Health was participating in a phase four trial for a breast cancer drug, which was in the final stages of approval, which meant that patients could benefit from a new cutting-edge treatment far earlier than expected.
“We had patients from all over Victoria coming to Western Health to have the treatment and I know of at least one patient who is still on it!”
The unit wants to continue to increase access to and participation in clinical trials because they know it forms an integral part of providing high-quality patient care.
Find out more about the current clinical trials in cancer research or get in touch with our team.
