A cancer biobank with ties to the RMH has been named as a finalist in the Melbourne Awards, run by the City of Melbourne.
The Victorian Cancer Biobank (VCB) is a collaboration between the Cancer Council Victoria and the RMH, Austin Health, Eastern Health, Monash Health and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
It runs a specials service that sees tissue and blood samples from consenting donors collected and stored at hospitals across Melbourne to aid cancer research.
The initiative is one of Australia’s leading biomedical research resources and has seen almost 40,000 Victorians participate since 2006.
It’s also led to some incredible advancements, including a blood test for colorectal and bowel cancer.
The Melbourne Health Tissue Bank has been at the RMH since its inception, and is currently run by a dedicated team of three people.
Manager Leanne Graham said the biobank’s purpose was to help advance treatment and prevention options for cancer patients now, and in the future.
She said the most common tissue samples collected at the RMH were from breast, lung and colorectal cancers.
“We are glad to be part of the VCB consortium as a joint effort to create bigger impact to cancer research,” Leanne said.
“It’s wonderful to know the work we do is leading to better outcomes.
The biobank has been nominated under the Knowledge and Innovation category of the Melbourne Awards, which recognises its ongoing contribution to biotechnological development and cancer research.
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