Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Australia's only public hospital solely dedicated to cancer treatment, research and education.

Peter Mac is one of the world’s leading cancer research, education and treatment centres globally and is Australia’s only public hospital solely dedicated

It’s official—Peter Mac’s ProsTIC Theranostics Symposium 2026 is open!With more than 430 delegates from 25 countries, th...
03/09/2026

It’s official—Peter Mac’s ProsTIC Theranostics Symposium 2026 is open!

With more than 430 delegates from 25 countries, the global experts in prostate cancer imaging and theranostics are here in Melbourne to share the latest discoveries and help shape the future of prostate cancer care.

Peter Mac Board Chair Professor Rosemary McKenzie, Chief Executive Professor Professor Jason Payne and ProsTIC Director Professor Michael Hofman helped officially open the symposium and welcome delegates from around the world.

Across two packed days, leading clinicians, researchers and health professionals will explore the rapidly evolving use of PSMA imaging and targeted radiation treatment, along with the next generation of radiopharmaceuticals, radionuclides and treatment approaches.

A huge thank you to all our opening speakers and the many international and Australian experts sharing their knowledge at ProsTIC26.

We’re incredibly proud to bring this global community together in Melbourne - and excited for the conversations, ideas and collaborations ahead.

A packed house kicked off Peter Mac’s ProsTIC Preceptorship 2026 pre-conference program today!Patients, families and adv...
03/09/2026

A packed house kicked off Peter Mac’s ProsTIC Preceptorship 2026 pre-conference program today!

Patients, families and advocates heard from leading experts about how theranostics combines advanced imaging with highly targeted prostate cancer treatment, as well as the latest clinical trials, access to treatment and support available through Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

Specialist sessions for nuclear medicine technologists and nurses explored the expertise and teamwork behind every patient’s care.

It was an exciting start to ProsTIC26 which kicks of officially tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who made today’s sessions such a success!

Artificial intelligence is opening new possibilities across medicine and research - helping experts analyse vast amounts...
31/08/2026

Artificial intelligence is opening new possibilities across medicine and research - helping experts analyse vast amounts of information, identify patterns and potentially deliver more precise care at scale.

Now, two major international studies led by Peter Mac’s Professor Sherene Loi have found AI was just as good as a human pathologist at a task used to predict outcomes for people with breast cancer.

The studies examined data from more than 5,600 patients with triple-negative and HER2-positive breast cancer. Researchers compared different methods of counting tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, or TILs — immune cells found within tumours that can provide important information about a patient’s prognosis.

AI and pathologists produced similarly useful predictions, with both methods showing that patients with higher levels of TILs generally had better outcomes.

AI was also able to analyse how immune cells were organised within tumours and identify “hotspots” that provided additional information beyond simply counting the cells.

“Ultimately, combining pathologists and computational approaches may give us more information than either approach alone,” Professor Loi said.

Published simultaneously in The Lancet Group Oncology, the findings show how AI could complement human expertise and help make valuable cancer biomarkers more widely available — particularly in settings where specialist pathology assessment is limited.

Read more: https://www.petermac.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/details/ai-as-good-as-humans-at-predicting-breast-cancer-outcomes

When Associate Professor Heather Thorne OAM (pictured top left in red) arrived at Peter Mac in 1976, cancer research loo...
29/08/2026

When Associate Professor Heather Thorne OAM (pictured top left in red) arrived at Peter Mac in 1976, cancer research looked very different.

Five decades later, she remains at the forefront of discoveries that could transform our understanding of hereditary cancer - and this week, we proudly celebrated her extraordinary 50 years of service as part of Peter Mac’s 2026 Length of Service Awards.

From our laboratories and clinics to the many teams working behind the scenes, the awards recognised staff who have devoted years of their careers to caring for others, searching for better treatments and cures, supporting patients and families, and keeping Peter Mac running every day.

Each milestone represents years of knowledge, compassion, teamwork and commitment—and countless contributions to our patients, our colleagues and the wider cancer community.

Congratulations to Heather and every staff member recognised this week. Your dedication, expertise and care have shaped Peter Mac into the place it is today - and continue to inspire what we can achieve tomorrow.

💜 Today, Peter Mac came together with colleagues from across the Parkville precinct to mark Wear It Purple Day and show ...
28/08/2026

💜 Today, Peter Mac came together with colleagues from across the Parkville precinct to mark Wear It Purple Day and show LGBTQIA+ young people that they are supported, celebrated and free to be exactly who they are.

Some of our staff are also sharing their own messages of pride, encouragement and solidarity - because every young person deserves to feel safe, valued and empowered to be themselves.

Together, we can help create a future where every LGBTQIA+ young person knows they belong.

A $1.5 million boost is backing bold new breast cancer research at Peter Mac.Three Peter Mac research teams have receive...
28/08/2026

A $1.5 million boost is backing bold new breast cancer research at Peter Mac.

Three Peter Mac research teams have received National Breast Cancer Foundation Pink Sky Grants to pursue high-risk, high-reward ideas with the potential to transform breast cancer treatment.

Led by Professor Paul Beavis, Dr Yu-Kuan (Tony) Huang, Professor Steven Stacker and Dr Dr Aadya Nagpal Malhotra, the projects aim to improve outcomes while reducing the toxicities associated with treatment.

Two have the potential to progress directly into clinical trials at Peter Mac, while the third could reshape how treatment resistance is understood and targeted.

Congratulations to our researchers, and thank you to the National Breast Cancer Foundation for supporting these ambitious ideas.

Read more about each project: https://www.petermac.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/details/1-5-million-boost-for-bold-new-breast-cancer-research-at-peter-mac

Last night, we celebrated a decade of discovery, innovation and hope at the Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit – and ...
25/08/2026

Last night, we celebrated a decade of discovery, innovation and hope at the Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit – and launched a new report capturing the extraordinary impact of its first 10 years.

Bringing together Peter Mac, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and The Royal Women's Hospital, the PCCTU is now one of Australia’s largest and most comprehensive cancer clinical trial programs.

Behind every study is an extraordinary team of nurses, doctors, pharmacists, coordinators, laboratory specialists, data teams and operational staff working together to give patients access to promising new treatments and help shape the cancer care of tomorrow.

But the greatest contribution has come from the patients and carers who placed their trust in research. Every trial participant has helped build knowledge that may improve care for people with cancer around the world.

Congratulations to everyone who has helped make the PCCTU what it is today. Here’s to the next decade of progress.

Read A Decade of Discovery, Innovation and Hope: https://www.petermac.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/details/a-decade-of-discovery-innovation-and-hope-celebrating-10-years-of-the-pcctu

Peter Mac researchers have uncovered potential new targets for treating pancreatic cancer - one of the most challenging ...
24/08/2026

Peter Mac researchers have uncovered potential new targets for treating pancreatic cancer - one of the most challenging cancers to treat.

The team identified four proteins that pancreatic cancer cells rely on to grow and survive. When these proteins were blocked with drugs in the laboratory, the cancer cells stopped growing and multiplying.

Led by Dr Jennifer Devlin, the research exposes new weaknesses in pancreatic cancer cells and provides a promising foundation for developing future treatments.

Read more: https://www.petermac.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/details/new-drug-targets-offer-potential-pathway-for-pancreatic-cancer-treatment

Cancer researchers recently swapped the lab for crochet hooks at a special event designed to encourage creativity, conne...
21/08/2026

Cancer researchers recently swapped the lab for crochet hooks at a special event designed to encourage creativity, connection and wellbeing.

Around 40 people gathered to learn the basics of crochet, with Peter Mac volunteers Mie, Lisa, Marilyn and Cherry sharing their skills and helping beginners create their first squares.

With Elf playing on the projector and an endless supply of hot chocolate, the event gave researchers a chance to step away from their busy roles, unwind with colleagues and learn something completely new.

Organiser Nick Anthony hopes the gathering will become a regular event that supports wellbeing, community and creativity.

A big thank you to Mie, Lisa, Marilyn and Cherry for helping everyone get hooked!

As cancer rates rise, so too does survival – and Australia must be ready to support a rapidly growing population of canc...
18/08/2026

As cancer rates rise, so too does survival – and Australia must be ready to support a rapidly growing population of cancer survivors.

New research published today in The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific - projects that more than 2.6 million Australians will be living with a previous cancer diagnosis by 2050 – an increase of around one million people over the next 25 years.

Peter Mac’s Professor Michael Jefford, a leading global expert in cancer survivorship and co-author of the research, says earlier diagnosis and better treatments mean more people are living longer after cancer.

But this welcome progress brings a new challenge.

Professor Jefford says Australia will need stronger, more coordinated systems to meet survivors’ long-term needs – including managing the physical and psychological impacts of cancer, preventing and managing chronic health conditions, and supporting healthy living.

This research was a collaboration between researchers at Peter Mac, University of Sydney and The Daffodil Centre.

Read more and access the paper: https://www.petermac.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/details/another-million-australians-living-with-a-cancer-diagnosis

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