The State Government today announced almost $20 million in grants to support Victorian researchers who are at the forefront of the latest discoveries in the fight against cancer.
These include Dr Lesley Stafford, from the Centre for Women’s Mental Health. Dr Stafford has received an Early Career Seed Grant for the development and evaluation of a brief psycho-educational intervention to support parents with cancer who have young children.
Dr Stafford said cancer in parents with young children was stressful for the entire family.
“Many parents worry about meeting their children’s needs while managing the demands of their cancer treatment,” she said.
“My research will target men and women with cancer who have children ages 3-12. I plan to develop and test a novel, sustainable and accessible intervention to improve parenting skills, confidence and quality.
“The intervention will be designed to decrease parental stress, enhance children’s adjustment and improve family communication.”
Director of the Centre for Women’s Mental Health, Professor Louise Newman, said the needs of parents of young children with a cancer diagnosis deserved further attention.
“This project will provide much needed understanding on how best to support families during this difficult time,” Prof Newman said.
Twenty nine research projects will be supported through the latest Victorian Cancer Agency funding round, with projects focusing on a range of cancers such as blood, breast, bowel, head and neck, lung, melanoma, oesophageal, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancer.
For the first time, health services have received funding for cancer research, with a focus on addressing important issues to help improve the quality of life of cancer patients.
