Dear Melanoma:
Emma’s legacy
ABC’s Australian Story program has dedicated
an episode to inspirational sun safety
advocate Emma Betts, who passed away after
battling melanoma at Greenslopes Private
Hospital last year.
World-First for Melanoma Trial
greenslopesprivate.com.au | 3
A Brisbane patient diagnosed with advanced
melanoma is the first person to sign up to a new
world-wide trial aiming to cure the deadly disease.
The Gallipoli Medical Research
Foundation’s Clinical Trials Unit, based
at Greenslopes Private Hospital, is the
first of 64 sites around the globe to
begin enrolling patients.
The trial will investigate a combinational
therapy for patients who have been
recently diagnosed with advanced
(stage 4) melanoma.
This category of melanoma means the
skin cancer has spread to lymph nodes,
internal organs, bones and other sites
within the body.
“The Clinical Trials Unit is very proud to
work closely with principal investigators
at Greenslopes Private Hospital such as
medical oncologist Dr Victoria Atkinson
to offer this clinical trial opportunity to
patients undergoing cancer treatment,”
said Clinical Trial Coordinator Nish
Santrampurwala.
Potential outcomes of this trial include
disease remission or prevention of
further tumour spread.
“We are always aiming to provide
clinicians and patients with access to
new and emerging medications, in
order to convert medical advances into
improved patient care. We hope this trial
will bring us closer to a more effective
melanoma treatment option,” said Ms
Santrampuwala.
The Clinical Trials Unit has developed
successful partnerships with research
organisations and pharmaceutical
companies to provide first-class
conduct, management, and coordination
of multi-centre national and international
clinical research trials.
The report focused on Emma’s
extraordinary bravery after she was
diagnosed with the disease at just
22 years of age.
She was initially given just three months
to live, but advancements in cancer
research and clinical trials gave her
more time to focus on fundraising and
awareness-raising.
Emma’s medical oncologist, Associate
Professor Victoria Atkinson, said Emma
was one of only 6% of people who
did not respond to targeted therapy,
but fortunately she responded to
immunotherapy for a period of time
and she managed to accomplish many
achievements before her disease
progressed. She was 25 years old when
she eventually succumbed to melanoma.
“This is an Australian disease and we
can significantly reduce the incidence by
avoiding the sun between peak UV times
and using sensible sun-safe precautions,”
Dr Atkinson said.
“While melanoma is not the most
common cancer in 15 to 40 year olds,
it’s the most common cause of cancer
death. That is because metastatic
melanoma – or advanced melanoma –
didn’t have particularly good treatment
options until relatively recently,”
Dr Atkinson said.
Melanoma clinical trials at Greenslopes
Private Hospital are made possible
through the Gallipoli Medical Research
Foundation.
If you would like to make a donation to
support this important research, please
visit www.gallipoliresearch.com.au or
call 07 3394 7284.
A/Prof Victoria Atkinson and
Ms Nish Santrampurwala