Family cancer centre opens

A Statewide program to help families affected by cancer has been completed with the opening of the Familial Cancer Centre at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH).

The centre, officially opened by Minister for Health John Thwaites, will provide counselling, medical advice and the option of genetic testing to individuals and families where there is an inherited predisposition to cancer.

The centre will also play a pivotal role in helping medical researchers develop more effective early detection, prevention and management through a greater understanding of the role genetics plays in cancers.

Family history is widely recognised as an important risk factor for common cancers.

Between five and 10 per cent of cancers are considered to be attributable to an inherited cancer predisposition.

These include bowel, breast and gynaecological cancers.

The Statewide service evolved from the Familial Bowel Cancer initiative, a pilot program involving the RMH in 1997.

RMH Professor of Medicine Graham Brown said the hospital was an ideal partner for the Statewide service.

‘With the hospital’s existing familial bowel and breast cancer clinics, a large pathology service and the Australian Genome Research Facility on site, the centre is well-placed to provide excellent patient care,’ Professor Brown said.

‘Every day genetics becomes increasingly important in the way we approach patient care, especially in the complex area of cancer.

‘The centre is an important part of the hospital’s recognition of the potential contribution of genetics for our patients.

‘It is the first step into a whole new component of cancer prevention and management,’ Professor Brown said.

The RMH’s facility joins Monash Medical Centre, the Peter McCallum Cancer Institute, the Victorian Clinical Genetics Services and the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria to form the State Government-funded Victorian Family Cancer Genetics Service.

• People concerned they may have an increased risk of heritable cancer can contact the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria on 13 11 20 or the RMH on 9342 7151. Medical practitioners can refer patients to the service by posting a referral letter to the centre.