Over the past decade, approaches to cancer care have transformed with the development of targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and neoadjuvant strategies. This is expected to continue as a diverse pipeline of diagnostic and therapeutic candidates progress through to an ever-growing number of clinical trials, increasing in Australia by more than 300% since the early-2000s.

Despite this, cancer demonstrates the lowest treatment response rates amongst all categories of chronic disease, contributing to already high burdens of morbidity resulting from systemic chemotherapy and high disease recurrence. Improved treatment selection is therefore of critical importance, particularly as cancer incidence is projected to rise with Australia’s ageing population.

A potential solution has emerged however with genomics technologies, which have revolutionised our understanding of human biology and reconceptualised cancer care through precision oncology. Here, whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics combine to identify key genetic mutations and interactions, responsible for cancer genesis, progression, and therapeutic resistance. When correlated with clinical information, a patient-specific genomic profile can be created to guide personalised treatment selection.

Published in Nature Genetics, research involving Professor Yoland Antill has leveraged advanced multiomics to identify critical mechanisms responsible for therapeutic resistance in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

Cabrini has made significant progress in this field of genomics-led oncology research, notably through the work of Associate Professor Yoland Antill and Professor Gary Richardson. Yet translating these scientific findings into clinical practice poses significant technical and operational challenges, faced by scientific and clinical groups across the world.

Cabrini aims to address this global challenge by integrating expanded precision oncology into the Cabrini Cancer Institute and its clinical trials program. This will provide access to comprehensive genomic profiling for South-East Victoria, connecting patients to effective therapeutic options with unprecedented accuracy. Additionally, our precision oncology services will unlock a national catalogue through partnerships with Cancer Trials Australia, Omico, and the Monash Partner Comprehensive Cancer Consortium, significantly expanding our clinical trials.

For more information, visit Cabrini Clinical Trials or email research@cabrini.com.au.