Submission on paediatric brain cancer funding

On 29 November 2016, the Senate of the Australian Federal Parliament established a select committee known as the Select Committee into Funding for Research into Cancers with Low Survival Rates.

The purpose of the Committee is to inquire and report on the impact of health research funding models on the availability of funding for research into cancers with low survival rates, with particular reference to:

  1. the current National Health and Medical Research Council funding model, which favours funding for types of cancer that attract more non-government funding, and the need to ensure the funding model enables the provision of funding research into brain cancers and other low survival rate cancers;
  2. the obstacles to running clinical trials for brain cancers and other cancers with relatively lower rates of incidence, with regard to funding models that could better support much-needed clinical trials, and funding support for campaigns designed to raise awareness of the need for further research, including clinical trials; and
  3. the low survival rate for brain cancers, lack of significant improvement in survival rates, and strategies that could be implemented to improve survival rates.

You can read our submission below.

Shannon Davies