Population Sciences and Prevention

Major projects in this area include:

Surveillance for pre-cancer in patients at high risk of GI cancer

Flinders has unique well-characterised cohorts of people at high risk of esophageal and colorectal cancer who participate in surveillance programs for these cancers and provide a powerful tool for identifying risk factors.

Investigators: Prof Graeme Young, Dr Peter Bampton, Prof David Watson, Dr Damian Hussey, and others.
Further information: Prof Graeme Young

Effectiveness of cancer screening tests and programs

There are several projects in this area including some focused on the National Bowel Cancer Screening Progam. We are studying the behavioural, technological and epidemiological aspects of screening, rescreening and program/service delivery.

Investigators: Mr Steve Cole, Prof Carlene Wilson, Prof Graeme Young, Prof Deborah Turnbull (University of Adelaide), Ms Ingrid Flight (CSIRO) and others.
Further Information: Prof Carlene Wilson

Dietary and lifestyle factors important for cancer prevention and risk-reduction

Identifying cancer risk factors and using this information to develop prevention strategies, including education/promotion, dietary and lifestyle interventions, population screening, etc.

Investigators: Prof Carlene Wilson, Prof Lynne Cobiac, Prof Graeme Young, Dr Richard LeLeu, Dr Ying Hu and others.
Further information: Prof Lynne Cobiac or Prof Graeme Young

Development of improved diagnostic tests for colorectal cancer and adenomas (pre-cancer)

Includes identifying markers of pre-cancer lesions, test technology development, population-based research and testing.

Investigators: Prof Graeme Young, Dr Rob James, Mr Steve Cole, Dr Larry LaPointe and others including industry partners.
Further information: Prof Graeme Young

Profile: Improving surveillance in those with familial colorectal cancer – the SCOOP program. (Dr Peter Bampton, Dr Elizabeth Chow, Mr Steve Cole)

Based across Flinders Medical Centre and Repatriation General Hospital, a high-risk registry started eight years ago with about 500 people at familial risk for colorectal cancer. This has grown to almost 5000 and is growing at the rate of about 30 cases/families per month. This feeds directly into the South Australian Familial Cancer Service when genetic testing is warranted.

This leads the country, along with the sister facility at Royal Melbourne Hospital, and indeed the world, in providing programmed management of those at increased risk for colorectal cancer by virtue of family history (eg genetic syndromes) or personal history of bowel disorders. It provides a valuable research resource.

SCOOP has trialled new processes of patient management, using extended practice nurses, and nurse practitioners, and has shown how best practice guidelines can be best implemented in such a manner that resources are more readily available for areas of need and that resources are not over-utilised or wasted.

Next Steps: To fully evaluate the use of new faecal tests and new radiological methods in surveillance of patients so as to more effectively identify cancers that might rapidly develop in the interval between colonoscopies.