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News & Events
WA Kids Cancer Centre researchers appointed to Brain Cancer Expert Advisory PanelDr Jessica Buck and Associate Professor Raelene Endersby have been appointed to the prestigious Australian Brain Cancer Mission Expert Advisory Panel.
News & Events
Global Assault on Childhood Brain Tumours Gains MomentumA report outlining key steps to tackle a common and aggressive childhood brain tumor is gaining rapid momentum after attracting international attention.
News & Events
Dad’s Dream Inspires Global Cancer FightThe Global Symposium on Childhood Brain Tumours is bringing the world's premier childhood brain tumour researchers and scientists together in Perth.
Research
High-dose chemotherapy for Ewing sarcoma and Rhabdomyosarcoma: A systematic review by the Australia and New Zealand sarcoma association clinical practice guidelines working partyPatients with high-risk or metastatic Ewing sarcoma (ES) and rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) have a guarded prognosis. High-dose chemotherapy (HDT) with autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) has been evaluated as a treatment option to improve outcomes. However, survival benefits remain unclear, and treatment is associated with severe toxicities.
Research
Improving compliance with swallowing exercise to decrease radiotherapy-related dysphagia in patients with head and neck cancerDysphagia, one of the most common complications in head and neck cancer (HNC) treated with radiotherapy, can severely affect patients’ quality of life. Currently, because no “gold standard” treatment exists, swallowing exercise remains the main rehabilitation strategy for dysphagia. However, patients’ compliance with long-term swallowing exercise is only 40%, thus, greatly compromising outcomes. This article aims to analyze thefactors influencing swallowing exercise compliance in patients with HNC and explains strategies developed to date for improved rehabilitation outcomes.
Research
Retinoic Acid Induces an IFN-Driven Inflammatory Tumour Microenvironment, Sensitizing to Immune Checkpoint TherapyWith immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) having reshaped the treatment of many cancers, the next frontier is to identify and develop novel combination therapies to improve efficacy. Previously, we and others identified beneficial immunological effects of the vitamin A derivative tretinoin on anti-tumour immunity.
Research
Cancer chemotherapy: insights into cellular and tumor microenvironmental mechanisms of actionChemotherapy has historically been the mainstay of cancer treatment, but our understanding of what drives a successful therapeutic response remains limited.
Research
Anoctamins and Calcium Signalling: An Obstacle to EGFR Targeted Therapy in Glioblastoma?Glioblastoma is the most common form of high-grade glioma in adults and has a poor survival rate with very limited treatment options. There have been no significant advancements in glioblastoma treatment in over 30 years. Epidermal growth factor receptor is upregulated in most glioblastoma tumours and, therefore, has been a drug target in recent targeted therapy clinical trials.
Research
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in children and adolescent cancer patientsBrain cancer and leukemia are the most common cancers diagnosed in the pediatric population and are often treated with lifesaving chemotherapy. However, chemotherapy causes severe adverse effects and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a major dose-limiting and debilitating side effect.
Research
Comprehensive Testing of Chemotherapy and Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Preclinical Cancer Models Identifies Additive CombinationsAntibodies that target immune checkpoints such as cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA‐4) and the programmed cell death protein 1/ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) are now a treatment option for multiple cancer types. However, as a monotherapy, objective responses only occur in a minority of patients. Chemotherapy is widely used in combination with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Although a variety of isolated immunostimulatory effects have been reported for several classes of chemotherapeutics, it is unclear which chemotherapeutics provide the most benefit when combined with ICB.