Download Clinical Oncology Society of Australia

ANALYSIS: EXCLUSIVE
Collaboration
against
cancer
Dr Sandro Porceddu
President, Clinical Oncology Society
of Australia
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Leading the fight against cancer in Australia, Dr Sandro Porceddu is committed to joining Together Health
Professionals in cancer care and control in order to improve the prognosis of those affected by the disease
and ensure they receive the best quality of care available. Here, he discusses how they endeavour to achieve
their objectives within the Australian cancer landscape and highlights the importance of collaboration in
the realisation of these goals
The Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) has a
fascinating story behind its emblem. Could you describe how the
legend of the Marryalyan became associated with COSA? What
does its message mean to the organisation?
The Marryalyan is the two-snake emblem of the Warramirri indigenous
people. The Marryalyan was one of their major gods, possessed with
infinite inventiveness. It lived under the sea and created living beings
such as man, giving him special powers including those of reasoning
and control over his own destiny. The two-snake emblem arises out of
the story that as time passed the spirits of the ancestors, concerned at
what was going on in the world of the living, sent one of their number
in the form of a snake to report on the situation. When he came back,
they were much disturbed at his account, and sent another to verify
the story. When the second returned, his tale was different from that
of the first. They placed the two snakes opposite each other and asked
them to reason out why, although they had seen the same things, their
stories were different. The truth emerged out of this discussion, and
this, say the Warramirri, is a principle of life: review brings doubt, but
good sense emerges after, and so people learn.
The story behind the emblem encapsulates COSA’s multidisciplinary
focus, so we approached the Warramirri elders who generously allowed
us to adopt the two snakes as the official COSA logo. COSA is the
top multidisciplinary cancer society in Australia. It is uniquely placed
to bring together all health professionals working in cancer care and
control, improving patient outcomes through collaboration and high
quality care.
How did your professional background guide you towards your
current role as President? What are your main responsibilities?
Our organisation is made up of a wide range of health professionals
that traverse the entire spectrum of the cancer journey. COSA
provides the right forum to network, collaborate and learn from
colleagues of differing oncology disciplines. I initially became involved
with the organisation a decade ago when I was invited to convene
the Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM). The quality of the research
and presentations at the meeting were outstanding and provided an
insight into how much I still needed to learn and understand about
cancer care, particularly from a psycho-social aspect. I have been
involved with the organisation ever since, initially on Council, then on
the Executive Committee (no longer in existence) and following that,
as President of the organisation. The Board is primarily concerned
with the governance and strategic direction of the organisation.
The COSA Council (consisting of around 40 committee members),
which meets separately to the Board, is our medical and scientific
advisory committee. The implementation of the strategic goals and
the day-to-day running of our organisation and staff are overseen by
our CEO Marie Malica. While as a clinician the number of patients
that can benefit from my treatment is limited, through my advocacy
and networking role as COSA President the impact I have on cancer
control and the care of patients in Australia is significantly amplified.
Who are COSA’s members and how does the Society facilitate
networking between them?
COSA hosts and supports a range of activities that facilitate
networking between members and various groups. These include
regular educational activities for cancer health professionals and
trainees, consumer forums and meetings with key stakeholders, such
as government cancer agencies. COSA’s ASM is considered Australia’s
premier annual cancer conference providing the best networking
opportunity for cancer health professionals in our region, but also for
the many international delegates who attend. We also occasionally
host conjoint ASMs with other cancer organisations. For example,
this year’s conference will be held in conjunction with the Union
for International Cancer Control (UICC) World Cancer Congress in
Melbourne. We also provide opportunities for our members to interact
and network through our website and social media forums. As the
medical and scientific advisory body to Cancer Council Australia
(CCA), our opinion is frequently sought on various cancer topics,
providing an opportunity for our members to communicate with the
community through traditional media platforms.
COSA is affiliated with multiple organisations. Are there any
particular examples you could share of how such associations
have led to successful collaborations?
COSA is closely affiliated with the CCA, which considers public policy
in cancer control as one of its primary foci. Our co-location in the CCA
Sydney offices ensures close collaboration on day-to-day issues as well
as a ready access to each other’s members and executives. Our two
organisations often partner on submissions to government, such as a
recent House of Representatives Parliamentary inquiry into skin cancer
in Australia, as well as federal election health policy prioritisation.
COSA also collaborates closely with Cancer Australia, the Federal
Government Cancer Agency. The two groups have worked toward
improving cancer care access in rural and regional Australia,
resulting in a number of new cancer care facilities being established
throughout the country.
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COSA also has a longstanding relationship with the Cancer
Cooperative Clinical Trials Groups (CCTGs), whose work leads efforts
in investigator-driven clinical trials. Collaboration has since resulted
in the improved productivity of the CCTGs. On behalf of the CCTGs,
COSA facilitated a large National Health and Medical Research
Council (NHMRC) enabling grant which assisted in the development
of an umbrella medical indemnity insurance scheme allowing the
groups to conduct trials at an affordable cost and therefore maintain
their financial viability. It has also assisted with the unification of
Standard Operating Procedures across groups and provided Good
Clinical Practice training to research staff. Also emerging from
this has been the formation of the Executive Officers Network,
promoting improved collaboration between CCTGs.
COSA organises other educational events sponsored by the
pharmaceutical industry using unrestricted educational grants. One
such event is the ACTNOW meeting. This event is an educational and
networking opportunity for training and practicing oncologists across
the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales.
The theme of COSA’s 40th ASM was Cancer Care Coming of Age,
focusing on geriatric oncology. Why is this an emerging area
of interest for COSA members? Can you reveal anything about
future COSA events?
As a not-for-profit organisation, how does COSA manage
funding? Could you outline the grants and awards COSA
currently bestows?
The incidence of cancer in Australia is rising as a result of the
ageing population, however research into optimal evidence-based
cancer care of the elderly is lacking. In addition, the rise in cancer
incidence and prevalence represents a major economic burden to
our community. The title ‘Cancer Care Coming of Age’ for the 2013
ASM was chosen based on the fact that the organisation was turning
40 years old, but also that is was the right time to explore the issues
surrounding geriatric oncology through our conference. COSA’s
Geriatric Oncology Group is very active, fostering the development
of the field in a multidisciplinary approach through research
initiatives, education and examining service delivery.
The theme for COSA’s 41st ASM to be held in Melbourne on 2-4
December 2014 will highlight cancer survivorship, supportive care
and palliative care, an emerging focus for our organisation.
Further to the ASM, in what ways does COSA support its
members’ professional and educational needs?
In addition to the COSA ASM, we also hold an annual Trainees
Weekend – an intensive two-day course for advanced trainees in
surgery, medical and radiation oncology; as well as junior medical
staff, nurses and allied health professionals. The COSA Cancer
Pharmacists Group also holds two annual educational seminars –
one for early-career pharmacists and an advanced course. Similarly,
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In addition, COSA members receive a copy of the official CCA
and COSA journal Cancer Forum, Australia’s leading journal for
multidisciplinary health professionals working in cancer. It is
published three times a year and features an in-depth forum on key
aspects of cancer treatment and control; articles, research reports
and cancer news; reviews of the latest cancer publications; and a
guide to national and international cancer meetings. We do not receive any direct financial support from government.
COSA’s main sources of income come from membership
subscriptions, registrations and sponsorship from the ASM. Every
year, we allocate a sum of money to provide grants to eligible
members to assist with travel to the ASM; we provide Clinical
Professional Day grants to COSA Groups for the conduct of
‘professional day’ meetings or educational sessions aimed at
fostering the professional development of COSA members.
The Tom Reeve Award formally recognises a national leader who
has made a significant contribution to cancer care. The most recent
recipient of this award was former Australian of the Year and
developer of the cervical cancer vaccine, Gardsil®, Professor Ian
Frazer AC.
Do you believe there is a uniform spread of funding across all
cancer research in Australia? Which cancer types are in need of
further investment?
Funding is always a difficult topic. Based on the current global and
national economic environment it is unlikely that there will be a
significant increase in government spending allocated to cancer
research in the foreseeable future. It is therefore incumbent on us,
as cancer researchers, that we ensure grant funding is spent in a
way to maximise our outcomes. Better collaboration, rather than
duplication is paramount, ensuring we adequately prioritise our
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research such that projects likely to change practice, rather than
satisfy scientific curiosity, are supported.
An area that is emerging as an important issue but not well
supported is rare cancers. These cancers collectively account for
almost a quarter of all cancers and a third of all cancer deaths.
Unfortunately, because of their rarity there is a lack of evidence for
optimal management, with clinicians often left with the dilemma
of how best to treat these cancers. COSA is actively supporting
the establishment of a Rare Cancer Group to address many of
these issues.
Why was the Asia-Pacific Mentoring Program established?
The Asia-Pacific Mentoring Program provides mentorship support
in Australia for cancer health professionals from developing
nations. It was established to foster stronger ties with our oncology
colleagues in the Asia-Pacific region. Many COSA members already
have informal relationships within the region and this programme
allows us to broaden our reach and add value from the expertise and
resources in Australia.
Could you reveal COSA’s plans for future progression? What are
the most prevalent challenges in the field?
Cancer is the major cause of death in Australia. By 2020, 150,000
new cancer cases will be diagnosed in Australia per annum, which
for a country of our size is a significant amount. One in every
two Australians is likely to be diagnosed with a cancer during
their lifetime (excluding non-melanomatous skin cancer). Due to
our improved ability to screen and diagnose cancers, and better
treatment outcomes, patients are living longer. Therefore the
prevalence of cancer is also rising in our community. This in itself
has major economic and resource implications which we are only
beginning to deal with. Many of these patients will carry the physical
and psychological burden from the treatments received. As a result,
survivorship is emerging as an important challenge for us. COSA has
now formed a Survivorship Group to begin the process of examining
this area, and accordingly it is a major theme of this year’s conference.
COSA’s key objectives
-To promote excellence in multidisciplinary cancer
care – from prevention, diagnosis and treatment
to follow-up, palliation and survivorship
- To encourage the multidisciplinary
collaboration of all professionals involved in
cancer care and research
-To foster and promote cancer research
These aims are achieved through:
-Supporting cancer healthcare professionals and
their educational needs
- Enhancing cancer care and control through
network development
- Advocating for improvements in cancer care
and control
-Facilitating research across the wide spectrum
of cancer
Many of the other challenges we face are common to other nations,
such as the rising costs of healthcare and targeted anticancer
therapies (that often have small survival benefits) as we move
toward the era of personalised cancer care.
www.cosa.org.au
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