Introducing: VPCC

The Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF) remains committed to the ideal of building a global research leadership in childhood cancer in Victoria to deliver the best quality of care and access to Australian childhood cancer patients.

Until recently, the world-class hospitals, universities and research institutes in Victoria that focus on paediatric cancer had not been formally united to tackle their shared goal.

The lives of kids living with cancer will be transformed with a $45m boost — the biggest investment ever made to children’s cancer research in Victoria.

The state government announced on Sunday it will contribute $35m to funding with Children’s Cancer Foundation pledging $10m.

Jaala Pulford, who lost her daughter to cancer, fought back tears as a huge boost for children’s cancer research was announced. “I truly believe this plan will make for the lighting of more birthday candles and less memorial candles. “We need to do better for our kids.” Ms Pulford said the funding will make a real difference for the children and their families. (Full story on Jaala and Sinead click here)

Daniel Andrews said the funding will be rolled out over the next four years if Labor is re-elected next month. Children’s Cancer Foundation chairman Jeremy Smith said the boost would be a driving force in children’s cancer research in Australia for years to come. “Since 1980, over 500 drugs have been approved for treatment of adult cancers. Yet for childhood cancers, the number is 12 worldwide,” he said.

The Children’s Cancer Foundation still need to raise $10 million to see their vision come to reality.

The formation of the VPCC has created a paediatric cancer ecosystem in Victoria, serving as a vehicle to mobilise the profile of Victorian paediatric cancer research and unify the paediatric cancer research and clinical community.

The Children’s Cancer Foundation will contribute an additional $10 million of funding with the Victorian Government investment of $35 million. This $45 million investment is critical to leveraging Victoria’s existing capabilities and establishing Victoria as a global leader in childhood cancer research and clinical care, and in turn, improving outcomes for paediatric cancer patients and their families.

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The Impact

The VPCC enables a state-wide, multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to combatting childhood cancers, bolstering the State’s capacity to deliver the best possible outcomes for Victorian children by creating a hub fostering research excellence, innovation, optimal training and best-practice clinical care.

Reflecting this, the VPCC’s core aims are to:

• develop and advance new and more precise treatments for childhood cancer
• accelerate the participation of children with cancer in clinical trials in Victoria
• improve survivorship and long-term health for children undergoing cancer treatment
• leverage the diverse expertise of Victorian researchers and clinicians to catalyse the translation of paediatric cancer research from bench to bedside.

Without access to innovative treatments, disease burden and death among Victorian paediatric cancer patients will remain higher than it could otherwise be. This funding removes critical barriers to ensure positive change in paediatric cancer research and access to international clinical trials.

Learn more about the VPCC

Thank you to the research institutes supporting the Victorian Paediatric Cancer Consortium