A person with lived experience is someone who has encountered a health issue, including patients, carers, family members, or close friends affected by that experience. They have the right to access equitable, quality healthcare and to advocate for improved health outcomes.
At MPCCC, our mission is to advance cancer care for millions of Victorians. We achieve this through providing resources, education, and fostering collaborative opportunities across our programs. Involving consumers with lived experience of cancer is essential to this mission. We believe that incorporating the consumer voice is crucial in shaping our work and ensuring that our efforts are aligned with their needs and priorities.
By working closely with those impacted by cancer, we aim to drive research and enhance cancer care services, ensuring that improvements are grounded in the real-life experiences and perspectives of consumers.
At MPCCC, we are proud to work with an advisory group, who contribute to shaping our program of work and approach to cancer care. Our MPCCC advisory group consists of consumers, carers, and community members affected by cancer.
Their living and/or lived experience and hands-on involvement ensures our projects meet the needs and priorities of the cancer community. Members of our consumer advisory group have been nominated through an Expression of Interest (EOI) application process.
The appointment as a MPCCC consumer advisory group member is for an initial 12-month term with the opportunity for renewal. If you are interested in learning more about becoming an MPCCC consumer representative, we invite you to contact our consumer liaison coordinator, Cassie Haynes, The MPCCC advisory group helps us maintain a person centric approach by being an essential part of our governance structure and voicing the views and concerns of the cancer community through a variety of MPCCC projects.
Our flagship program which supports clinician access to personalised cancer treatment and care for their patients. Personalised cancer treatment involves using information about a person’s cancer to better guide their treatment decisions. Improving patient access to personalised cancer treatment is one of MPCCC’s main goals.
Previously, cancer treatments were decided primarily based on the location of the cancer, and patients with the same cancer type would receive the same treatment. However, we now know that this one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for all cancers. Many cancers have subtypes that can only be defined through special testing and are defined by changes in the genes (DNA) of the cancer cells. With advances in diagnostic technology, it’s now possible to detect gene DNA changes in cancer cells and find matching treatment options that are targeted to specific cancer subtypes.
In some circumstances, this approach can be more effective than conventional current treatments, but whether it is suitable for you depends on:
- whether particular gene DNA changes have been identified for your type of cancer
- if there is a test available to detect that gene DNA change
- if there is a treatment that targets the gene DNA change
Please talk to your doctor to find out whether personalised cancer treatment is available or suitable for you.
Consumer-led, collaborative initiative involving MPCCC, VCCC Alliance, Regional Trials Network, Cancer Council Victoria, and the University of Melbourne. The project aims to establish an evidence-based educational program for consumers to become empowered consumer leaders. To learn more, please visit - Cancer Consumer-led Research Partnership | VCCC Alliance
The Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium is supported by the Victorian Government
