Medical Oncology research
Medical Oncology is a clinical service incorporating a research program that provides coordinated multidisciplinary care for patients with a wide range of malignancies. Medical Oncology is part of the Alfred Cancer program.
Improving patient care is the goal of our research.
Covering all stages of research, we have a highly diverse team of cancer researchers in Monash University’s Central Clinical School, the Alfred Cancer Biobank, and within Alfred Cancer Trials. Collectively, our teams drive cutting-edge research from fundamental biology to clinical trials.
With the launch of the Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre in 2024, our research will be fully integrated with clinical services, facilitating our research in ways that will be translated to patient care as quickly as possible.
'Bedside-to-bench-to-bedside' research
Our clinicians are committed to ‘bedside-to-bench-to bedside’ research, wherein the experiences of cancer patients and their carers are bases for laboratory research that leads to the next major breakthough, and laboratory discoveries are translated to clinical care.
As an example, read about how Prof Mark Shackleton (Director of Oncology) and his laboratory at Monash University turned a clinical observation in patient melanomas into a potential new treatment approach.
Biobank research
The Alfred Cancer Biobank provides critical research infrastructure that enables collaboration between patients, clinicians, researchers, and biotechnology partners. The Biobank is jointly established across Alfred Health and Monash University, with a mission to support innovative cancer research projects that aim to improve patient outcomes.
Read more about how the Biobank works, projects supported by the Biobank, and the journey taken by this outstanding resource.
Clinical Trials
The team within Alfred Cancer Trials conducts clinical trials that investigate new drug therapies, such as targeted systemic treatments, immunotherapy and cell therapies, in patients with cancer. In line with the Alfred Cancer Programme’s Strategy (2020-2025). Alfred Cancer Trials is committed to supporting all types of clinical trials, from first-in-human studies to collecting real world evidence of treatment outcomes, all with the back-up and support of the elite, full-service medical care capability provided by Alfred Health. Our trials provide our patients access novel treatments, and serve as essential conduits from scientific discovery to improved patient survival and well-being.
Read more about Philip’s (skin cancer survivor) experience participating in a life-saving clinical trial.
More to our team’s achievements and new appointments.
Our partners
Publications
Klein O, Brown WA, Saxon S, Haydon A
(2021), The Oncologist, 26(6), 461-4
DOI: 10.1002/onco.13793
Smithers BM, Saw RPM, Gyorki DE, Martin RCW, Atkinson V, Haydon A, Roberts-Thomson R, Thompson JF
(2021), ANZ J Surg, 91 Suppl 2, 3-13
DOI: 10.1111/ans.17051
Dow E, Freimund A, Smith K, Hicks RJ, Jurcevic P, Shackleton M, James PA, Fellowes A, Delatycki MB, Fawcett S, Flowers N, Pertile MD, McGillivray G, Mileshkin L
(2021), JCO Precis Oncol, 5, 1001-12
DOI: 10.1200/PO.20.00429
