PSA Testing: A Population-based Longitudinal Study Of Decision Making, Psychological Effects And Patterns Of Care
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$576,977.00
Summary
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian men and the second most common cancer- related cause of death. Since being introduced into Australia in 1988 the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test has been widely adopted as a method for detecting early-stage asymptomatic prostate cancer. However there is controversy about the potential benefits and harms of testing for prostate cancer. Little has been documented in Australia about the information men receive when consi ....Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian men and the second most common cancer- related cause of death. Since being introduced into Australia in 1988 the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test has been widely adopted as a method for detecting early-stage asymptomatic prostate cancer. However there is controversy about the potential benefits and harms of testing for prostate cancer. Little has been documented in Australia about the information men receive when considering a PSA test, what happens to men after having an abnormal PSA test and the consequences of PSA testing (including physical and psychological effects). The aim of this study is to interview a representative community sample of men aged 50 to 84 years and resident in NSW to describe: (1) the decision-making process regarding PSA testing; (2) the psychological consequences of men's PSA testing experiences; and (3) patterns of care for men who have had an abnormal PSA test. The main outcomes from this study will include substantial information on the experiences of men regarding patterns of PSA participation (frequency of, and reasons for, testing), the clinical management of men who have had an abnormal PSA test, the psychological effects of PSA testing (both positive and negative) and how decisions about testing are being made. This will provide important information to assist GPs, urologists and Australian men make decisions about PSA testing. It will highlight areas of need regarding the information required by men for informed decision-making and the support they require when undergoing PSA testing to ensure positive psychological outcomes.Read moreRead less
Maintaining And Developing The Health In Men Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$403,014.00
Summary
The aim of this study is to improve our understanding of healthy aging in older men. The outcomes we are interested in include common acute medical problems such as heart attacks or stroke, chronic debitilating problems such as dementia or heart failure and psycho-social challenges of ageing such as depression and isolation. We have been studying a group (4,250) men for nearly a decade. These men have provided us with a large amount of information about their background, life style and health an ....The aim of this study is to improve our understanding of healthy aging in older men. The outcomes we are interested in include common acute medical problems such as heart attacks or stroke, chronic debitilating problems such as dementia or heart failure and psycho-social challenges of ageing such as depression and isolation. We have been studying a group (4,250) men for nearly a decade. These men have provided us with a large amount of information about their background, life style and health and we are now following them to see what predicts the outcomes of interest. This research is important because the proportion of the population aged 75 years and over is expanding rapidly. Although we know a lot about predictors of health and illness in middle age, we know surprisingly little about these things in the elderly. This research aims to answer some of these questions.Read moreRead less
Studies in cancer control. As life expectancy in Australia (and throughout the world) continues to rise, so will the burden of cancer escalate. Treating cancer after diagnosis is costly, and in many instances, unsuccessful. Preventive strategies promise to reduce the future cancer burden, yet our knowledge in this arena is limited by the lack of credible research as to what works and what does not. This application addresses this gap directly by conducting research into the control of two cancer ....Studies in cancer control. As life expectancy in Australia (and throughout the world) continues to rise, so will the burden of cancer escalate. Treating cancer after diagnosis is costly, and in many instances, unsuccessful. Preventive strategies promise to reduce the future cancer burden, yet our knowledge in this arena is limited by the lack of credible research as to what works and what does not. This application addresses this gap directly by conducting research into the control of two cancers which exact a growing toll in Australia and elsewhere. The work seeks to identify and understand the causal pathways to cancer, and then use this information to devise evidence-based strategies for cancer control.Read moreRead less
Planning female and male vaccination and cervical screening strategies to achieve optimal prevention of HPV-related disease. The findings from this research will inform the development of public health policy on the most cost-effective utilisation of resources for preventing cervical, anogenital and head/neck cancers, and genital warts, in women and men, due to human papillomavirus (HPV). We will evaluate strategies for using emerging screening and vaccine technologies to prevent HPV-related dis ....Planning female and male vaccination and cervical screening strategies to achieve optimal prevention of HPV-related disease. The findings from this research will inform the development of public health policy on the most cost-effective utilisation of resources for preventing cervical, anogenital and head/neck cancers, and genital warts, in women and men, due to human papillomavirus (HPV). We will evaluate strategies for using emerging screening and vaccine technologies to prevent HPV-related disease, and assess potential adverse outcomes of vaccination. Men are currently not covered by routine vaccination or screening programs; this research will assess the benefit to men of vaccinating women only, and will consider the impact of vaccination and other interventions targeted towards men.Read moreRead less
To implement and evaluate flexible models of palliative care service delivery for terminally ill people living alone at home. Provision of evaluated services for this growing population group will lead to better planning and implementation of care being delivered at home, improved quality of life, increased capacity to die at home, and a reduction in hospitalisations and other health care costs.
The effectiveness of pro-active telemarketing of a smoking cessation telephone counselling service. Despite the availability of services, such as telephone support lines to help people quit, only a small number of smokers seek help. One solution is to pro-actively contact and offer support with quitting to smokers in the community. This study will involve pro-actively contacting households by telephone and offering intensive, personalised telephone counselling to smokers to support them in the q ....The effectiveness of pro-active telemarketing of a smoking cessation telephone counselling service. Despite the availability of services, such as telephone support lines to help people quit, only a small number of smokers seek help. One solution is to pro-actively contact and offer support with quitting to smokers in the community. This study will involve pro-actively contacting households by telephone and offering intensive, personalised telephone counselling to smokers to support them in the quitting process. Such a service will provide treatment to smokers who might not otherwise seek assistance to quit, thereby greatly increasing the potential impact of quit smoking services at a community level.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346702
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$193,000.00
Summary
High Performance Liquid Chromatography - Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-ICPMS). HPLC-ICP-MS is the most reliable cutting edge technology for speciation of metals and metalloids in biological and environmental matrices, and is essential for toxicological studies, which is a major aim behind NRCET's establishment. It will provide a very powerful utility to fill a badly needed knowledge gap for our research and serve the needs of both postgraduate students and postdoctoral fel ....High Performance Liquid Chromatography - Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-ICPMS). HPLC-ICP-MS is the most reliable cutting edge technology for speciation of metals and metalloids in biological and environmental matrices, and is essential for toxicological studies, which is a major aim behind NRCET's establishment. It will provide a very powerful utility to fill a badly needed knowledge gap for our research and serve the needs of both postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows. This technology will provide new opportunities in research. It will strengthen our linkages within Faculty of Heath Sciences and with our research partners in CQU, QUT and Griffith and enforce our strong national and international reputation.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms Of Uptake Of 18F-FDG In An In Vivo Model Of C-kit Induced Neoplasia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$438,520.00
Summary
Recent advances in the field of tumour biology have created strong interest in development of molecularly targeted anti-tumour drugs. These targeted drugs are expected to yield higher therapeutic indices with fewer side effects than conventional cytotoxic treatments. However, due to the complicated nature of cellular processes affected by a given treatment, and the high cost of bringing new drugs to the clinic, it is important to define both mechanisms of action and in vivo functional effects of ....Recent advances in the field of tumour biology have created strong interest in development of molecularly targeted anti-tumour drugs. These targeted drugs are expected to yield higher therapeutic indices with fewer side effects than conventional cytotoxic treatments. However, due to the complicated nature of cellular processes affected by a given treatment, and the high cost of bringing new drugs to the clinic, it is important to define both mechanisms of action and in vivo functional effects of targeted therapies early in the drug development process. Gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) is a prime example of a cancer for which a rationally designed drug has been successfully used. GISTs are often associated with activating mutations in c-kit, a gene encoding a cell surface protein. A new drug, Imatinib, inhibits the activity of mutated c-kit and blocks growth of many GISTs. However, over time many GISTs become resistant to Imatinib creating the need to develop additional treatments. Unfortunately, this has been hampered by lack of both a good model system for testing new drugs and robust diagnostic procedures for defining response to treatment. We have now developed a mouse model of GIST that grows and responds to treatment in a similar manner to human GIST. Furthermore, using imaging technology specifically designed for small animal studies, we can quickly monitor and evaluate changes in response during treatment. We propose to use the model system together with small animal imaging technology to define mechanisms by which GISTs respond or become resistant to Imatinib. This involves defining specific molecules within cells that change activity after Imatinib treatment as well as testing a series of gene mutations that may be involved in drug resistance. The results of the study will help to define new targets for GIST treatment as well as validate the imaging strategy that may have wide application to monitoring targeted anti-cancer therapies.Read moreRead less
The construction and experience of fertility in the context of cancer: patient, partner and health professional perspectives. This project will examine the nature and consequences of fertility concerns for men and women with cancer, and their partners, across a range of cancer types, as well as the knowledge and experience of health professionals. This will increase knowledge of this important health concern, and lead to the development of programs to reduce distress.
An evaluation of concerns, self-perceived needs, and supportive interventions, for informal cancer carers: A comparative study of female and male carers. Informal cancer carers experience high levels of anxiety, depression, and unmet support needs, with women carers at higher risk than men. However, little is known about the factors underlying this gender difference, and existing support services have not specifically targeted the needs of female and male cancer carers. This study will explore t ....An evaluation of concerns, self-perceived needs, and supportive interventions, for informal cancer carers: A comparative study of female and male carers. Informal cancer carers experience high levels of anxiety, depression, and unmet support needs, with women carers at higher risk than men. However, little is known about the factors underlying this gender difference, and existing support services have not specifically targeted the needs of female and male cancer carers. This study will explore the concerns, self-perceived needs, and psychological wellbeing of informal cancer carers living in New South Wales, comparing the experiences of female and male carers, at different stages of the care-giving journey. Based on these findings, a program of targeted supportive interventions will be developed, and then systematically evaluated within a controlled trial.Read moreRead less