Oncology Research in the Department of Medicine and the Department of Medical Oncology, Alfred Hospital

Head of Unit: Clinical Associate Professor Max A Schwarz

The Medical Oncology Unit has been involved in various clinical trials and programmes involving the study of prognostic factors, and systemic therapy in various malignancies, including solid tumors and lymphomas. The research projects and interest of the Unit have been clinical research programmes involving phase II and III collaborative studies of systemic therapy alone, or as part of a combined modality treatment programme in various malignancies, as part of either National or International Cooperative Study Groups.

We are currently collaborating with the Departments of Psychiatry at the Alfred Hospital, Monash Medical Centre, and St. Vincent's Hospital, as well as the Medical Oncology Units at those institutions, investigating the role of supportive psychological counselling in the prognosis of women with early stage breast carcinoma, who are also receiving adjuvant treatment. In addition, this group plans to investigate the role of supportive counselling in the prognosis of women with metastatic breast carcinoma, receiving standard therapy.