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Statement from Lung Foundation Australia

Dear ALTG Members, 

Australasian Lung Cancer Trials Group (ALTG) 

I am writing to advise you on the future of the ALTG.  As you know the former Management Advisory Committee resigned in July 2020 to form a new group, the Thoracic Oncology Group of Australasia (TOGA). 

After careful consideration the Board of Lung Foundation has reluctantly agreed to discontinue ALTG operations for the next three years.  Following discussions with Cancer Australia, the University of Sydney, and the NHMRC Clinical Trial Centre (CTC), the Foundation has agreed to terminate its clinical trials contract with CTC and Cancer Australia, early and effective from 4 November 2020 – ending 16 years of very successful operations.   

In hibernating ALTG’s operations the Lung Foundation Board wanted to sincerely thank and acknowledge the hundreds of health professionals, researchers, consumers and staff who contributed so much to success of ALTG.  Australians with lung cancer owe you a great deal and LFA is proud to have grown this program to the success it is today. 

A number of governance, legal, ethics and contractual issues are yet to be resolved but LFA hopes these will be finalised in the near future, paving the way for a smooth transition to the new trials group. 

At the time of writing LFA is awaiting advice from Cancer Australia and the CTC on which organisation will be appointed to manage lung cancer clinical trials going forward.  If TOGA is appointed, as expected, Lung Foundation welcomes the opportunity to partner and continue to pursue our mutual objectives.  The Chairperson of LFA, Professor Christine Jenkins AM and the Chairperson of TOGA, Assoc Professor Pavlakis, have held an initial meeting. 

The Lung Foundation will continue to lead Australia’s lung cancer agenda and substantially grow our investment in lung cancer (including occupational lung disease) programs, patient and carer resources, research and advocacy.   

As one era ends another begins and the Lung Foundation appreciates your continued support as we scale up current projects and introduce several new initiatives including:  

  • A new three-year partnership with Cancer Australia through the Priority-driven Collaborative Cancer Research Scheme (PdCCR) to co-invest in lung cancer research grants commencing in 2021;  
  • Additional Lung Cancer Research Fellowships and Scholarships funded by generous Australians and community supporters in addition to the existing Deep Manchanda Lung Cancer Fellowship and Shine a Light on Lung Cancer Community Fellowship; 
  • The creation of several new lung and thoracic cancer grants in 2021 as part of Lung Foundation’s Hope Research Fund.  Lung Foundation’s ambition to raise $50 million over the next 10 years for lung disease and lung cancer research is off to a tremendous start with $8 million received or pledged in 2020 including a $3.5 million gift for lung cancer programs and research; 
  • The continuation of the Australasian Lung Cancer Conference (ALCC) with the next event scheduled for November 2021; and 
  • Recently securing funding support to commence the development of the Australian Lung Cancer Blueprint for Reform 2.0 – LFA’s advocacy position for 2021 / 2024. 

LFA has been supporting lung cancer research and patients for 30 years and we are 100% focused on growing this important pillar of our work.  In recent years Lung Foundation has achieved with your support a number of significant milestones including: 

  • Delivering internationally recognised and award-winning community campaigns to challenge the stigma associated with lung cancer;  
  • Launching the Lung Cancer Search and Rescue website which recently won a prestigious Prime Award for Best Use of Data in a Community Health Campaign1; 
  • Working collaboratively with many others to secure support from the Minister for Health who announced the Cancer Australia Enquiry into the prospects of national targeted lung cancer screening program due for release in October 2020; 
  • Working with patients with lung cancer and their families to research and submit patient centric submissions to PBAC for new lung cancer treatments with nearly a 100% success rate; 
  • Growing the Parliamentary Friends of Lung Cancer and Lung Health friendship group from 6 to 36 members since the 2019 Federal election;  
  • Increasing participation by over 100% at this year’s Australian Lung Cancer Conference (ALCC) which attracted a record 505 delegates; and  
  • Securing new funding for Lung Foundation’s Lung Cancer Telehealth Nurse service; support for new a new MDT digital referral program; and new investment funding for the Healthy Emotions and Lungs Project (HELP). 

It would be remiss if the Board and I did not acknowledge and thank the current ALTG’s Executive Officer, and all predecessors of this role.  Sadly, the Executive Officer position has been made redundant.  On behalf of you all we wish the Executive Officer the very best for the future.  

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at any time on 0417 076 090. 

Yours sincerely, 

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Mark Brooke 

Chief Executive Officer 

Lung Foundation Australia 

Non-Government Organisation of the Year 2020 Prime Awards