A Detailed Guide to Cancer Research in Australia

Australia holds a prominent position in cancer research. It has successfully contributed to several advancements in preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer. The study and evaluation of people affected by cancer have helped cancer research in Australia progress internationally.

Before any clinical cancer research proceedings, it has to submit evidence that it’s scientifically worth studying and reasonable to the people involved in the research.

The company, institution, or organisation conducting the entire clinical trial is called the trial sponsor. They are responsible for developing, investing in, and handling the clinical trial and ensuring it adheres to all the insurance, ethical, and legal requirements.

Cancer Research in Australia: Who Funds It?

From 2016 to 2018, over $252 million was granted to conduct about 590 separate cancer research projects. Around 74% of this expense, which is $187 million, was funded by the Australian Government.

The funding source of cancer research in this country includes a wide range of non-government and government entities, such as:

• NHMRC or National Health and Medical Research Council: It is the primary funding body of the Australian Government for medical research. It grants funding to researchers depending on their capability to scrutinise vital questions related to human health.
• MRFF or Medical Research Future Fund: This is an ongoing research fund set up by the Australian Government in 2015, which reached $20 billion in 2020. The funds earn interests, which researchers can utilise to pay for vital medical research trials and projects.
• Cancer Charities: Charities like the territory and state Cancer Councils receive grants from private companies and government bodies and get donations from the public. This helps them conduct their cancer research and enables them to invest in cancer research conducted by other institutions.
• Government Bodies: The state, territory, and national government bodies can also award grants to researchers. These grants financially support the research and enable them to hire cancer trial and testing staff.
• Clinics, Medical Research Institutions, and Universities: To support cancer research, these bodies sometimes utilise their own staff and funds.
• Industry-Funded Private Companies: Companies manufacturing medical equipment and medicines conduct trials to test the safety and effectiveness of their products before registering for licences to sell them in the market. These same private companies can also fund cancer research in collaboration with another research institution or university or for any goodwill.

What Are the Rules for Conducting Cancer Research with People?

All cancer research conducted with people must adhere to international standards. These standards include how the research is developed, operated, performed, recorded, evaluated, and reported.

So, researchers must ensure that the people participating in this noble cause are safe, their privacy stays protected, and the results are trustworthy. Moreover, clinical research or trials must comply with the GCP or Good Clinical Practice standards.

How Australian Cancer Research Gets Approved

Before the onset of the clinical trial, cancer research in Australia must get approved by several committees, including the following:

• Human Research Ethics Committee: It confirms that the participant’s interests are safeguarded and ensures that the researchers will conduct the study fairly and honestly.
• Research or Scientific Review Committee: It determines whether the research contains any scientific and social values and confirms whether it’s aligned to generate valid results.
• Research Governance Review:This review checks all the sites where the research will be conducted in Australia.

Final Words

So, given the growing emergence of a cancer cure, more research and trials must be conducted in the upcoming years. Cancer research in Australia is essential for humankind’s evolution and better lives.