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Cancer Care Research Unit

The Cancer Care Research Unit (CCRU), led by Professor Kate White, conducts research aimed at improving the quality of life of people living with cancer, cancer survivors, and their loved ones. Professor White is the Professor of Cancer Nursing at Sydney Local Health District and Susan Wakil Syd School of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Sydney. Professor White is also a founding Professor of the Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW. CCRU researchers include cancer academics, clinicians, and research students. 

CCRU also provides research support and mentoring to clinical cancer and haematology nurses within SLHD to assist them to answer research questions coming directly from their clinical practice.  This research often focuses on unmet clinical needs, and provides opportunities for implementing research findings directly into their clinical practice. CCRU work is focused on the following four areas:

  • supportive care
  • psychosocial and quality of life
  • translating research evidence into practice
  • improving research capacity and skills for cancer, haematology and clinical trial nurses.

Our Research Team

Professor Kate White Professor Cancer Nursing
Associate Professor Jacqueline Bloomfield Professor of Nursing Education
Associate Professor Claudia Rutherford University of Sydney à Beckett Senior Research Fellow
Clinical Associate Professor Tracy King Clinical Nurse Consultant Multiple Myeloma, Clinical Research Fellow
Dr Merran Findlay Executive Research Lead - Cancer Nutrition
Judith Fethney  Biostatistician
Dr Chantale Boustany Research Manager
Margaret-Ann Tait Research Manager
Louise Acret Research Assistant

Selected Grants

Amount awarded Grant and project details
$999,624 MRFF Clinician Researchers: Applied Research in Health, 2024-2028
Enabling Implementation of a Clinical Pathway for Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment and Management.
Investigators: Goldstein D, Park SB, Morrow A, Grimison P, Boyle F, King T, Koczwara B, Harris C, Robinson L, Mendoza-Jones P, Mizrahi D, Huynh W, Kiernan MC. 
$250,000 Sydney Cancer Partners Clinical Trials Support Grant, 2024-2026
A Community-Partnered Co-Designed Intervention to Enhance Recruitment of Aboriginal peoples in Cancer Surgical Trials. 
Investigators: Koh C, Lyons R, Rutherford C, Smith B, Alexander K, Karunarante S, White K, Kim B, Soloman M, Cunich M, Steffens D. 
$1,373,045 NHMRC Partnership Grant, 2021-2026
BALANCE: Promoting wellbeing in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.
Investigators: McCarthy S, Patterson P, Bradford N, Chan R, Smith SS, Chan G, McDonald F, Anderson D, Tuffaha H, Dobbins C.

Our Publications

2024

Ju A, Wiltink L, Walker J, White K, Rutherford C. Supportive care interventions for managing gastrointestinal symptoms following treatment for colorectal cancer: a systematic review. J Cancer Surviv. 2024 Oct;18(5):1640-1647. doi: 10.1007/s11764-023-01403-3. Epub 2023 Jun 6. 
Cleary E, Bloomfield J, Frotjold A, Schneider C. A realist synthesis of interprofessional patient safety activities and healthcare student attitudes towards patient safety. J Interprof Care. 2024 Mar-Apr;38(2):346-376. doi: 10.1080/13561820.2023.2238772. Epub 2023 Aug 1. 
Favaloro J, Bryant CE, Abadir E, Gardiner S, Yang S, King T, Nassif N, Sedger LM, Boyle R, Joshua DE, Ho PJ. Single-cell analysis of the CD8+ T-cell compartment in multiple myeloma reveals disease specific changes are chiefly restricted to a CD69- subset suggesting potent cytotoxic effectors exist within the tumor bed. Haematologica. 2024 Apr 1;109(4):1220-1232. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2023.283062. 
King MT, Revicki DA, Norman R, Müller F, Viney RC, Pickard AS, Cella D, Shaw JW; MAUCa Consortium. United States Value Set for the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General Eight Dimensions (FACT-8D), a Cancer-Specific Preference-Based Quality of Life Instrument. Pharmacoecon Open. 2024 Jan;8(1):49-63. doi: 10.1007/s41669-023-00448-5. Epub 2023 Dec 7.
Maharaj AD, Roberts N, Jefford M, Ng J, Rutherford C, Koczwara B. The use of patient reported outcome measures in oncology clinical practice across Australia and New Zealand. J Patient Rep Outcomes. 2024 Jan 2;8(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s41687-023-00664-x. 
Fethney J, Kim B, Boustany C, McKenzie H, Hayes L, Cox K, Simpson JM, Horvath LG, Vardy JL, McLeod J, Willcock S, Cook N, Acret L, White K. Evaluating a shared care pathway intervention for people receiving chemotherapy to reduce post-treatment unplanned hospital presentations: a randomised controlled trial. Support Care Cancer. 2024 Jan 3;32(1):77. doi: 10.1007/s00520-023-08261-w. Erratum in: Support Care Cancer. 2024 Jan 17;32(2):110. doi: 10.1007/s00520-024-08326-4. 
Mahfouz FM, Li T, Joda M, Harrison M, Kumar S, Horvath LG, Grimison P, King T, Goldstein D, Park SB. Upper-limb dysfunction in cancer survivors with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity. J Neurol Sci. 2024 Feb 15;457:122862. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2023.122862. Epub 2024 Jan 1.
Lai-Kwon J, Rutherford C, Jefford M, Gore C, Best S. Using Implementation Science Frameworks to Guide the Use of Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Symptom Monitoring in Routine Cancer Care. JCO Oncol Pract. 2024 Mar;20(3):335-349. doi: 10.1200/OP.23.00462. Epub 2024 Jan 10.
Kubrak C, Martin L, Grossberg AJ, Olson B, Ottery F, Findlay M, Bauer JD, Jha N, Scrimger R, Debenham B, Chua N, Walker J, Baracos V. Quantifying the severity of sarcopenia in patients with cancer of the head and neck. Clin Nutr. 2024 Apr;43(4):989-1000. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2024.02.020. Epub 2024 Feb 22.
Kim B, White K, Tracy M, Mahadeva J, Marker J, Ostroff C, Acret L, Willcock S, Rutherford C. Experiences and perspectives of colorectal cancer survivors and general practitioners on the delivery of survivorship care in general practice: a mixed methods study. Aust J Prim Health. 2024 Mar;30:PY23140. doi: 10.1071/PY23140.
Yung AE, Luong J, Crouch G, Hong AM, Ananda A, Taylor S, Kotronakis I, Low TH, Elliott MS, McBride K, Rutherford C, Clark JR, Ch'ng S. First Phase Development of a Patient-reported Outcome Measure for Midface Oncology. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2024 Mar 22;12(3):e5689. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000005689.
Dowling M, Pape E, Geese F, Van Hecke A, Bryant-Lukosius D, Cerón MC, Fernández-Ortega P, Marquez-Doren F, Ward A, Semple C, King T, Glarcher M, Drury A. Advanced Practice Nursing Titles and Roles in Cancer Care: A Scoping Review. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2024 Jun;40(3):151627. doi: 10.1016/j.soncn.2024.151627. Epub 2024 Mar 31.
Laidsaar-Powell R, Giunta S, Butow P, Turner S, Costa D, Saunders C, Koczwara B, Kay J, Jefford M, Schofield P, Boyle F, Yates P, White K, Sundaresan P, Varadarajan S, Juraskova I. An online intervention to improve oncology health professional self-efficacy in communicating with carers: Hybrid effectiveness-implementation evaluation of the eTRIO program. Patient Educ Couns. 2024 Jul;124:108251. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2024.108251. Epub 2024 Mar 16. 
Laidsaar-Powell R, Giunta S, Butow P, Keast R, Koczwara B, Kay J, Jefford M, Turner S, Saunders C, Schofield P, Boyle F, Yates P, White K, Miller A, Butt Z, Bonnaudet M, Juraskova I. Development of Web-Based Education Modules to Improve Carer Engagement in Cancer Care: Design and User Experience Evaluation of the e-Triadic Oncology (eTRIO) Modules for Clinicians, Patients, and Carers. JMIR Med Educ. 2024 Apr 17;10:e50118. doi: 10.2196/50118.
Jull J, Smith M, Carley M, Stacey D, Graham ID; Cochrane Decision Coaching Review Team. Co-production of a systematic review on decision coaching: a mixed methods case study within a review. Syst Rev. 2024 Jun 3;13(1):149. doi: 10.1186/s13643-024-02563-8. 
Barakat-Johnson M, Stephenson J, Lai M, Basjarahil S, Campbell J, Cunich M, Disher G, Geering S, Ko N, Leahy C, Leong T, McClure E, O'Grady M, Walsh J, White K, Coyer F. Impact of an evidence-based bundle on incontinence-associated dermatitis prevalence in hospital patients: A quasi-experimental translational study. Int Wound J. 2024 Jun;21(6):e14936. doi: 10.1111/iwj.14936. 
Li EW, Jones E, Bryant C, King T, Talaulikar D, Ng JY, Bryant A, Ridha Z, Doo NW, Menzies A, Ling S, Ho SJ, Abadir E, Vanguru V, Joshua D, Ho PJ. A single-day polychemotherapy regimen with proteasome inhibitor combinations for relapsed/refractory myeloma in the era of novel therapies. Eur J Haematol. 2024 Oct;113(4):521-529. doi: 10.1111/ejh.14266. Epub 2024 Jul 2.
Luo Q, Jenkin D, Weber MF, Steinberg J, White K, Irving A, Rillstone H, Kelly A, Canfell K, Feletto E. Multiple myeloma incidence, mortality, and prevalence estimates and projections, Australia, 1982-2043: a statistical modelling study. Med J Aust. 2024 Jul 15;221(2):103-110. doi: 10.5694/mja2.52366.
Li T, Timmins HC, Mahfouz FM, Trinh T, Mizrahi D, Horvath LG, Harrison M, Grimison P, Friedlander M, Marx G, Boyle F, Wyld D, Henderson R, King T, Baron-Hay S, Kiernan MC, Rutherford C, Goldstein D, Park SB. Validity of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Evaluating Nerve Damage Following Chemotherapy. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Aug 1;7(8):e2424139. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.24139.
Lai-Kwon J, Jefford M, Best S, Zhang I, Rutherford C. Selecting Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Side Effects for Real-Time Monitoring in Routine Cancer Care: A Modified Delphi Study. JCO Oncol Pract. 2024 Dec;20(12):1663-1675. doi: 10.1200/OP.24.00037. Epub 2024 Aug 16.
Chai KL, Wellard C, Thao L, Aoki N, Moore EM, Augustson BM, Bapat A, Blacklock H, Chng WJ, Cooke R, Forsyth CJ, Goh YT, Hamad N, Harrison SJ, Ho PJ, Hocking J, Kerridge I, Kim JS, Kim K, King T, McCaughan GJ, Mollee P, Morrissey CO, Murphy N, Quach H, Tan XN, Tso AC, Wong KS, Yoon SS, Spencer A, Wood EM, McQuilten ZK. Variation in immunoglobulin use and impact on survival in myeloma. EJHaem. 2024 Jun 16;5(4):690-697. doi: 10.1002/jha2.938.
Barakat-Johnson M, Lai M, Basjarahil S, Campbell J, Cunich M, Disher G, Geering S, Ko N, Leahy C, Leong T, McClure E, O'Grady M, Walsh J, White K, Coyer F. Patients' experience of incontinence and incontinence-associated dermatitis in hospital settings: a qualitative study. J Wound Care. 2024 Aug 1;33(Sup8a):cxcix-ccvii. doi: 10.12968/jowc.2021.0394.
Makker PGS, Koh CE, Solomon M, El-Hayek J, Kim B, Steffens D. The influence of postoperative morbidity on long-term quality of life outcomes following pelvic exenteration. Eur J Surg Oncol. 2024 Nov;50(11):108640. doi: 10.1016/j.ejso.2024.108640. Epub 2024 Aug 24.
Nikolovski J, Morton RL, Mercieca-Bebber R, Armstrong M, Hartas G, Rossiter B, Fagan M, Tinsley M, Snyder C, Aiyegbusi OL, Amin-Korim R, Sutherland K, Rutherford C. Acceptability and timing considerations when administering patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) among people with chronic health conditions who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD): a qualitative study protocol. BMJ Open. 2024 Sep 12;14(9):e083346. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-083346. 
Thomassen D, Roychoudhury S, Amdal CD, Reynders D, Musoro JZ, Sauerbrei W, Goetghebeur E, le Cessie S; SISAQOL-IMI Work Package 3. The role of the estimand framework in the analysis of patient-reported outcomes in single-arm trials: a case study in oncology. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2024 Nov 23;24(1):290. doi: 10.1186/s12874-024-02408-x. 
Lai-Kwon J, Rutherford C, Best S, Ly T, Zhang I, Devereux C, Herath D, Burbury K, Jefford M. Co-design of an electronic patient-reported outcome symptom monitoring system for immunotherapy toxicities. Support Care Cancer. 2024 Dec 2;32(12):843. doi: 10.1007/s00520-024-09034-9. 
Brown KGM, Morkaya J, Solomon MJ, Ng KS, White K, Sutton P, Winter DC; EvigSurg Collaborative Group; Steffens D. Priority outcomes of pelvic exenteration for rectal cancer: a patient, carer, and clinician consensus. Br J Surg. 2024 Nov 27;111(12):znae298. doi: 10.1093/bjs/znae298. 
Kim B, Boustany C, Acret L, McLeod J, Cook N, McKenzie H, Hayes L, Fethney J, Simpson JM, Willcock S, White K. Evaluation of a community nursing education program to support oncology patients during chemotherapy treatment: a mixed-methods study. Collegian. 2024;32(1):9–17.
Kim B, Boustany C, Acret L, McLeod J, Cook N, McKenzie H, Hayes L, Fethney J, Simpson JM, Willcock S, White K. Perspectives and experiences of healthcare professionals involved in a community nurse-delivered shared care model intervention designed to support outpatients receiving chemotherapy: a qualitative study using interviews. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2024;2024:2206346. doi: 10.1155/2024/2206346.
Loeliger J, Stewart J, Findlay M, JD B, Kiss N. Cancer-related malnutrition and sarcopenia position statement: Implementation toolkit. Clin Oncol Soc Aust. 2024 [cited 2024 Aug 4]. Available from: https://www.cosa.org.au/groups/nutrition/toolkit/.
Nikolovski J, Kim B, Morton RL, Mercieca-Bebber R, Levesque JF, Tinsley M, Sutherland K, Rossiter B, Fagan M, Hartas G, Rutherford C. Strategies to promote the completion of patient-reported outcome measures by culturally and linguistically diverse and Indigenous Peoples in clinical care settings: a systematic review. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2024. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5300049/v1.
Steffens D, Koh C, Smith A, Mohan H, Carey S, Smith S, Poulton T, Patton V, White K, Laranjo L Dieng M, Liu X, Denehy L, Wilson K, Allman-Farinelli M, Butow P, Riedel B, Morton RL, Hassett L, Li Q, Delbaere K, Hutchings O, Martin O, Dhillon H, Shailer B, Beardsworth G, Salter M, Cherry K, Rubie F, Reece L, Chan A, Shabab R, Dwyer O, Pring K, Cunningham D, Sheehan K, Iori G, Johnander R, Cole R, Hirst N, Solomon M (2024) Virtual multimodal hub for patients undergoing major gastrointestinal cancer surgery (PRIORITY-CONNECT 2) - A pilot randomised type I hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial. Surgical Oncology Insight 2024, 29 Jul; 1(3):100082. doi:10.1016/j.soi.2024.100082.

In Sydney Local Health District, we acknowledge that we are living and working on Gadigal, Wangal and Bediagal land, part of the EORA Nation. We pay our respect to all elders past, present and emerging. Our vision is to have the healthiest Aboriginal community in Australia.

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