Cancer
In 2017, more than 130,000 Australians will be diagnosed with cancer.
More than 45,000 Australians will die from cancer.
That's why our cancer researchers are dedicated to finding new and better ways to diagnose and treat cancer.
Our cancer focus
SAHMRI's cancer research focuses on:
- acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)
- chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)
- myeloma (blood cancer)
- prostate cancer
- colorectal cancer (gastrointestinal cancers including bowel cancer)
A core focus of the cancer theme are blood cancers - these are a leading cause of childhood death.
Bench to bedside
With a strong focus on translating scientific discoveries into better outcomes for patients, a number of our cancer researchers are also clinicians. Led by Professor Timothy Hughes, our cancer team works across the entire research spectrum, from fundamental genomic discovery, to developmental biology, translational research and the development of innovative clinical trials. Our goal is to make a difference to cancer patients and their outcomes.
A breakthrough for leukaemia patients
Earlier this year, SAHMRI cancer researchers revealed they had developed a test to predict how a patient with chronic myeloid leukaemia will react to standard CML treatment. This test means doctors may not have to wait until a patient fails to respond to treatment before adjusting their treatment strategy. A percentage of CML patients will develop resistance to standard CML treatments, and the ability to identify these patients before drug resistance surfaces gives new hope for their long term outcomes.
SAHMRI’s Cancer Theme is supported with funding from the Cancer Council’s Beat Cancer Project.
