St George Cancer Care Centre Research Program

Our goals

Our research aims to discover novel biomarkers and methodologies to better understand how cancer starts, develops and spreads and to improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes for prostate, breast, ovarian and bladder cancers patients. Our projects are patient-centred and clinical-driven. A dedicated team of oncologist, surgeons, scientists, students and consumers are working to: 

• Discover novel genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, lipidomic and metabolomic biomarkers, combined with artificial intelligence for cancer diagnosis, risk stratification and surveillance, aligning with a personalised medicine model of care. 
• Investigate the mechanisms of prostate and breast cancer metastasis and chemo/radio-resistance associated with tumour microenvironment and cancer stem cells for developing novel combination therapy. 
• Develop novel imaging (mpMRI and PSMA-PET) for the diagnosis and risk stratification of urological cancer, and novel robotic surgical techniques in cancer surgery.  
• Bridge the gap in radiation treatment & dosimetry delivery techniques in breast and prostate cancer radiotherapy. 

Our results

• High-impact research output (>300 publications with >10,000 citations, team combined) by world-leading & award-winning researchers (NHMRC biomedical achievement award: Prof Yong Li). 
• Consistent grant funding success from USDOD, NHMRC, ARC, CINSW, TROG, Ovarian Cancer Foundation, Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, PBCF and SSMRF.  
• Successful supervision of >30 PhD, Masters and BSc/BMedSci Honours students to completion. 
• Establishment of a novel liquid biopsy platform using blood exosomal miRNAs for prostate cancer risk stratification. 
• Paradigm-shifting research outcomes, including the first RCT on the use of boost radiation in DCIS patients (A/Prof Peter Graham, Lancet); a novel scoring system on PSMA-PET/CT for clinically significant prostate cancer diagnosis (Dr James Thompson, European Urology); and the world-first landmark MRI trial for prostate cancer active surveillance (Dr James Thompson, The Journal of Urology).