VCCC Showcasing Linked Data for Cancer Research
VCCC Showcasing Linked Data for Cancer Research
The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) Alliance hosted the ‘Showcasing Linked Data for Cancer Research’ event on Tuesday, 6th February 2024 at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. The event highlighted research outcomes of Data Connect, a major research collaboration between the VCCC Alliance, the University of Melbourne, hospitals and BioGrid Australia, linking hospital and primary care data for cancer research in Australia.
One of the key outcomes shared by Dr Meena Rafiq, a key speaker, was identifying a ‘diagnostic window’ having a range of 6-8 months prior to lung, sarcoma and colorectal cancer diagnosis. This window is a period during which there is a detectable increase in healthcare use (for example, primary care visits, symptoms, abnormal test results) prior to the diagnosis of an underlying condition. Significance of the window being the point at which diagnosis may be theoretically possible for some patients who may also perhaps benefit from targeted interventions.
You can find more information on Data Connect from the VCCC Alliance.
Some members of the IMG, Norah Finn and Tommy Wong from the ALIC team at the department were in attendance.