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Thursday, 10 May 2012

The University of Western Australia has unveiled a major step forward in cancer care for Western Australians with the opening of the State's first laboratory to translate new scientific discoveries based on the latest research in cancer biology into new advanced pathology tests.

The $1.2 million Translational Cancer Pathology Laboratory based at the QEII Medical Centre will be used to "bridge the gap" between pure science and patient care.

Work in the laboratory will translate cancer cell biology into clinically applicable tests for "personalised pathology" to enable patient-specific cancer therapies.  As such, it will be of direct benefit to people with cancer and health care delivery in Western Australia.

Head of UWA's School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Winthrop Professor Wendy Erber said the laboratory will dramatically improve treatment for many Western Australians.

"Because each person's cancer is different, the work in this laboratory will enable us to further refine the drug treatment for individual cancer patients to provide better outcomes with fewer side-effects and more effective use of expensive chemotherapy drugs," Professor Erber said.

Major funding for the project has been provided by Lotterywest, the Cancer Council of WA and the State Government as well as additional support from the Peel region Zonta Club and Mr Chris Perrott of Nedlands, who has worked to raise funds for Myeloma research.

Media references

Winthrop Professor Wendy Erber (Head of School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine)  (+61 8)  9346 2499
Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783

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