Victorian Paediatric Cancer Consortium

The Children’s Cancer Foundation created the Victorian Paediatric Cancer Consortium (VPCC) in 2021, bringing together leading researchers, academic and clinical organisations to make things better for children and adolescents with cancer.

Before the creation of the VPCC, Victoria’s top-tier hospitals, universities, and research institutes dedicated to paediatric cancer operated independently without a formal alliance to address their common objective.

The VPCC has revolutionized the fight against childhood cancers in Victoria by establishing a central hub that promotes collaboration among diverse disciplines statewide. This approach encourages research breakthroughs, fosters innovation, provides essential training, and ensures the delivery of best-practice clinical care.

Creating a paediatric ecosystem, the VPCC has unified the paediatric research and clinical community to leverage existing capabilities and improve outcomes for children and their families. It presents the most ground-breaking opportunity for childhood cancer that Victoria has ever seen.

“Now, thanks to the VPCC, the best minds in Victoria’s medical research community have a new platform through which to share and benefit from each other’s knowledge.

Our findings will enable other researchers in the childhood cancer community to accelerate their own research and discoveries,”

– Dr Jason Cain

VPCC Partners

The VPCC aims 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.

In the 2023 budget, the State of Victoria committed $35 million to the work of the VPCC, conditional upon the Children’s Cancer Foundation contributing a further $10 million.

The next big challenge for the Foundation lies in raising the $10 million to continue this vital work.

Looking ahead, the combined $45 million will be directed towards:

The next generation paediatric cancer therapies research program

Providing safer therapies for children with cancer (‘pharmacogenomics and radiogenomics program’)

The survivorship of childhood cancer program

The bioresource research platform

Paediatric cancer physician researcher training

Paediatric cancer clinical trials management and support

Innovation grants for junior and mid-career paediatric cancer researchers

Management, coordination, and governance of the VPCC

The Children’s Cancer Foundation is committed to raising $10 million over the next 5 years to support the critical work of the VPCC – but we need your help.

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“Now, thanks to the VPCC, the best minds in Victoria’s medical research community have a new platform through which to share and benefit from each other’s knowledge.

Our findings will enable other researchers in the childhood cancer community to accelerate their own research and discoveries,”

The VPCC aims to:

Looking ahead, the combined $45 million will be directed towards:

The Children’s Cancer Foundation is committed to raising $10 million over the next 5 years to support the critical work of the VPCC – but we need your help.

Support world-class research and innovation today.