Issues
Volume 209 Issue 9
News
News briefs
Hoover is a test pup for nanomedicine prostate cancer treatment A 10-year-old beagle with prostate cancer is helping researchers at the University of Queensland use nanomedicines to accurately diagnose and target the disease. Hoover is the first “patient” in the world to receive the nanomedicine, which the research team hopes will help track and treat his cancer, and lead to better treatment for people with the same disease. Hoover was chosen for the trial because dogs – like humans – naturally develop prostate cancer. “Nanomedicines with the ability to target specific areas can lead us to target chemotherapy drugs to where they’re needed, and kill cancerous cells with minimal impact on healthy cells,” said Associate Professor Kris Thurecht. Pre-clinical studies have been successful in treating prostate cancer in the laboratory, leading to total remission in some cases. “Validation of this science and technology in companion animals like Hoover is an exciting step forward in nanomedicine and towards human treatment,” he said. https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2018/09/hoover-gives-hope-novel-nanomedicine-cancer-treatment Australian Cancer Atlas unpacks cancer burden by locality Australians can now discover the impact of cancer in their suburb or town, with the launch of the new cutting-edge Australian Cancer Atlas. The interactive atlas shows national patterns in cancer incidence and survival rates based on where people live for 20 of the most common cancers in Australia, likely reflecting the characteristics, lifestyles and access to health services in the area. The world-leading project, led by researchers from Cancer Council Queensland, Queensland University of Technology and FrontierSI, will give health agencies and policy makers a better understanding of geographic disparities and health requirements across the country. One of the most revealing patterns shown in the atlas is the severe disparities in liver cancer, with incidence rates significantly higher than the national average in many areas of northern Australia and many metropolitan areas of Sydney and Melbourne, reflecting differences in the distribution of known risk factors such as hepatitis, intravenous drug use and excess alcohol consumption. In addition, other findings confirm that melanoma incidence rates are higher than the Australian average in many areas of Queensland and northern New South Wales. The online atlas is powered by myGlobe, a state-of-the-art digital system that has been developed and enhanced specifically for the atlas by the Visualisation and eResearch team at QUT. The atlas has been endorsed by the Australasian Association of Cancer Registries and Cancer Council Australia, and investigators accessed expertise from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers. https://atlas.cancer.org.au/
Cate Swannell
Perspectives
The first published randomised controlled trial of laser treatment for vaginal atrophy raises serious questions
We still await well conducted RCTs of CO<sub>2</sub> laser therapy for vaginal atrophy; in the meantime, topical vaginal oestrogen therapy remains the gold standard
Melissa J Buttini · Christopher Maher
A perfect storm: towards reducing the risk of suicide in the medical profession
A system-wide change, involving individuals, medical schools and colleges, which supports doctors’ physical and mental health is required to tackle the problem of suicide in the health workforce
Ann I McCormack
Endemic unprofessional behaviour in health care: the mandate for a change in approach
Despite widespread calls for action, investment and interventions to change unprofessional behaviour in the health system have been ineffective
Johanna Westbrook · Neroli Sunderland · Victoria Atkinson · Catherine Jones · Jeffrey Braithwaite
Clinical supervision in rural Australia: challenges and opportunities
To provide high quality patient care in rural and remote health settings, it is essential to invest in clinical supervision and explore models that enhance team building and improve recruitment and retention
Priya Martin · Tarun Sen Gupta · John M Douyere
Medical education
Menagerie: Bartonella henselae chorioretinitis in the setting of diverse animal exposure
A previously healthy 12-year-old girl presented to a rural hospital with 10 days of intermittent fevers
Fumitaka Nonaka · Susan M Carden · Coen Butters · Christine Chen
Programmatic assessment: the process, rationale and evidence for modern evaluation approaches in medical education
Programmatic assessment is a holistic approach to assessment that promotes a feedback and learning culture by removing decision making from individual assessment and focusing on meaningful feedback to the learner instead
Cees van der Vleuten · Iris Lindemann · Lisa Schmidt
Editorials
Pre-conception care: an important yet underutilised preventive care strategy
Parental health prior to conception is increasingly recognised as being important for the health of future generations
Deborah J Bateson · Kirsten I Black
How to improve the wellbeing of junior doctors: building the evidence
Mentoring programs can be valuable tools for safeguarding the health and job satisfaction of medical interns
Ross L Roberts-Thomson · Sam D Kirchner
The ecology of survival for new medical graduates
The most effective strategies for preparing young doctors will operate outside the closed public hospital system
Simon M Willcock
Research
Stillbirth in Western Australia, 2005–2013: the influence of maternal migration and ethnic origin
Further investigation of stillbirth in migrant women, particularly those of Indian or African background, is required for developing strategies for averting preventable stillbirths
Maryam Mozooni · David B Preen · Craig E Pennell
The value of peer mentoring for the psychosocial wellbeing of junior doctors: a randomised controlled study
Peer mentoring builds a sense of community and helps interns navigate their new professional environment
Sonia Chanchlani · Daniel Chang · Jeremy SL Ong · Aresh Anwar
Study protocol
Hyperglycaemia in early pregnancy: the Treatment of Booking Gestational diabetes Mellitus (TOBOGM) study. A randomised controlled trial
This is the first multi-centre RCT investigating the treatment of hyperglycaemia early in pregnancy
David Simmons · William M Hague · Helena J Teede · N Wah Cheung · Emily J Hibbert · Christopher J Nolan · Michael J Peek · Federico Girosi · Christopher T Cowell · Vincent W-M Wong · Jeff R Flack · Mark McLean · Raiyomand Dalal · Annette Robertson · Rohit Rajagopal
Research letter
Unintended and unwanted pregnancy in Australia: a cross-sectional, national random telephone survey of prevalence and outcomes
Clinicians and services should focus their attention on women at highest risk of unintended pregnancy
Angela J Taft · Mridula Shankar · Kirsten I Black · Danielle Mazza · Safeera Hussainy · Jayne C Lucke
Guideline summary
Updated clinical practice guidelines on pregnancy care
Updated pregnancy care guidelines provide new recommendations regarding hepatitis C and vitamin D testing and maternal weight gain management
Caroline SE Homer · Jeremy Oats · Philippa Middleton · Jenny Ramson · Samantha Diplock
Narrative review
Preventing ovarian failure associated with chemotherapy
A new PBS indication for goserelin aims to reduce infertility and other health issues for young Australian women who receive chemotherapy
Wanyuan Cui · Catharyn Stern · Martha Hickey · Fiona Goldblatt · Antoinette Anazodo · William S Stevenson · Kelly-Anne Phillips
Careers
Excellence in two worlds of medicine and journalism
Dr Ray Moynihan has a record of excellence as an investigative journalist and now as a health and medicine academic researcher
Cate Swannell
Calendar of conferences in Australia and New Zealand
This calendar will be updated each month. If you have an event you would like to add, please include relevant details in an email to cswannell@mja.com.au
Cate Swannell
News briefs
Cate Swannell
The rising health, social and economic costs of Australia’s ageing prisoner population
Natasha A Ginnivan · Tony G Butler · Adrienne N Withall
The value of participating in clinical trials: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
John R Zalcberg · Michael Friedlander
Glycaemic control apps for diabetes: lifting the lid
Rahul Barmanray · Esther Briganti
Invictus Games, Sydney 2018
Patrick Kidd OBE
News briefs
Cate Swannell
Trials and tribulations: improving outcomes for adolescents and young adults with rare and low survival cancers
Adam Walczak · Pandora Patterson · David Thomas
Australia is responding to the complex challenge of overdiagnosis
Ray Moynihan · Alexandra L Barratt · Rachelle Buchbinder · Stacy M Carter · Thomas Dakin · Jan Donovan · Adam G Elshaug · Paul P Glasziou · Christopher G Maher · Kirsten J McCaffery · Ian A Scott