Tracey O’Brien, Chief Cancer Officer and CEO of Cancer Institute NSW, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Today at the Australian Centre for Cancer Equity at the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, I was reminded of a simple but powerful truth:
The real test of progress in cancer is not what we discover. It’s who benefits. If we are serious about improving cancer outcomes, equity cannot be a separate workstream, project or program. It must be a measure of whether our system is truly succeeding. Because the next breakthrough only matters if it reaches the people who need it.
Cancer care is entering an extraordinary era. Precision medicine, genomics, AI and new therapies are transforming what is possible for people affected by cancer. Yet innovation can move faster than equity. When it does, the people who start furthest behind risk falling even further behind. Not because the science has failed, but because access, trust, participation and implementation are not automatic. That is why the work of the Australian Centre for Cancer Equity, a partnership between South Western Sydney Local Health District, Cancer Institute NSW and Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research.
AcCE brings together researchers, clinicians, communities, health services and policymakers around a different question: not simply ‘What can we discover?’ but ‘How do we ensure more people benefit from what we discover?’ Today was a powerful demonstration of what becomes possible when we move beyond describing inequity and focus on solving it.
I was privileged to hear compelling presentations from Professor Sabe Sabesan on fostering a culture of health equity and Professor Alex Brown on precision medicine in Aboriginal communities, both challenging us to think differently about how we translate innovation into better outcomes for all.
My sincere congratulations to Professor Wei Chua, Associate Professor Abhijit Pal, Associate Professor Tara Roberts, Associate Professor Mei Ling Yap, Shaz Sazali and the many other clinicians, researchers and consumers whose leadership continues to build this important centre.
At the heart of AcCE are community leaders and partners who ensure lived experience shapes research and implementation. Thank you to CanRevive Inc., Pink Sari Inc and the many community organisations whose voices keep us focused on what matters most.
Thank you also to the leaders who have championed this partnership: Sonia Marshall, CE of South Western Sydney Local Health District, Simone Proft, CE of the Ingham Institute; and recently Professor Reema Harrison, Chief Scientist and Research Director, for their commitment to a shared vision.”
