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Impact

Research is in Icon’s DNA and is paramount to the delivery of exceptional cancer care today and tomorrow

Featured: Our Year in Review View Icon Oncology Group's Annual Research Report to learn more about our research portfolio.

Research is central to Icon Cancer Centre’s delivery of exceptional cancer care today and into the future.

As part of Icon Oncology Group, Icon Cancer Centre (ICC) has more than 35 years of experience, and has contributed to milestone clinical trials that have supported significant advances in cancer treatment.

Contributed to the ground-breaking trial that developed a gold standard of treatment for the use of Herceptin in HER2-positive breast cancer cases
TRANSFORM – The world’s largest trial of its kind, which found that stereotactic radiation therapy for metastatic prostate cancer can delay treatment progression for more than two years – changing the standard of care for men with advanced prostate cancer across the world

SHRINC – A radiation oncology investigator-initiated trial assessing the use of stereotactic hypofractionated radiation therapy for multiple (3-10) cerebral metastases
COVID-19 self-administered testing study – The first study in Australia to explore the feasibility and efficacy of COVID-19 self-testing in a cancer population
LIBERATE – An Australian-first clinical registry which aims to provide proof of concept on the use of focal brachytherapy for men with prostate cancer

Leaders in Phase I clinical trials

ICC’s state-of-the-art primary Phase I unit opened in 2016 in South Brisbane, Queensland led by Medical Oncologist, A/Prof Jim Coward, and continues to be a flagship in the accessibility of first in-human trials.

A/Prof Coward has been instrumental in providing Phase I clinical trials and today, Phase I makes up approximately 33% of the network’s research participant accrual.

The addition of Ashford Cancer Centre Research [ACCR] has added to our Phase I and overall trials portfolio, increasing growth by 50%.

Fostering patient access to research

We continue to innovate and find new ways of increasing accessibility to trials no matter where people live.

Our clinicians and research teams utilise telehealth and tele-trials to enable access to trials in remote and rural areas. The affects of COVID-19 fast tracked developments and saw telehealth increasingly utilised by investigators and research coordinators.

The development of our Remote Access to Clinical Trials [ReACT] program has also helped to provide direct access to research opportunities for patients close to their communities via a spoke and hub service model.

Radiation oncology investigator-initiated trials

We develop and conduct our own studies via investigator-initiated research studies, including collaborative studies with industry leaders. We have extensive experience in the delivery of radiation oncology investigator-initiated trials. The scale of Icon Oncology Group’s global network, matched by the depth of technology and systems, uniquely positions us to undertake research for patients within our global network that contributes to the evolution of treatments and techniques.

An example of the importance of these unique investigator-initiated trials was reflected in the TRANFORM study which prospectively assessed 200 men with prostate cancer, studying the impact of using stereotactic radiation therapy in metastatic prostate cancer. This investigator led clinical trial was published in The International Journal of Cancer (2019), with Dr Patrick Bowden as the Principal Investigator.

Clinical trial enrolment achievements

Continuing to foster industry relationships and embed research into patient care, we have seen leading trial recruitment numbers and continual growth over the past four years. With increased research participation from experienced clinicians and a well-established governance and team framework, we have been able to increase trial recruitment and accelerate start-up trial procedures.

In 2020, ICC was awarded the highest global recruiters title for the POTOMAC trial. Led by Principal Investigator, Dr Paul Vasey and the research team at Icon Cancer Centre Wesley this Phase III global study compared the combination of an immunotherapy (Durvalumab) and a standard of care therapy (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) in comparison to giving standard of care therapy alone, in the treatment of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Technical research

Icon Oncology Group maintains strategic partnerships and collaborations with technology vendors, including Varian and Siemens Healthineers, as well as clinical institutions and universities. Through these partnerships, ICC undertakes technical research projects across its Australian network. This research can support the implementation of new techniques and technologies, with findings presented at national and international conferences or published in international peer-reviewed journals.

Current technical research agreements and projects involving ICC include:

Megavoltage intrafraction motion monitoring for VMAT treatments
4DCT commissioning on Siemens CT-Simulators
Direct Density commissioning on Siemens Confidence CT-Simulators
Commissioning of Halcyon™ linear accelerators in developing nations
Varian Online Adaptive Consortium
TomoTherapy and Halcyon™ comparative study

ICC also undertakes internally led technical research projects relating to Halcyon™, HyperArc™, motion management and online adaptive radiation therapy. Icon Oncology Group continues to develop its global partnership with Varian, the cancer-care business of Siemens Healthineers, to advance radiation oncology.

Annual Research Reports

Learn more about our commitment to clinical trials and the future of cancer care and beyond in our Annual Reports.

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About us

Icon Oncology Group is Australia’s largest dedicated cancer care provider and has expanded globally into New Zealand, Asia and the United Kingdom.

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Updates

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