What the Behavioural Sciences Unit does
Until a cure for all childhood cancers has been found, it is our mandate to improve hospital initiatives to better support patients and their families from diagnosis to survivorship and bereavement.
To this end, the Behavioural Sciences Unit (BSU) was established in 2001 to conduct research studies that cover all psycho-social and behavioural aspects of paediatric cancer. The Unit is part of, and supported by, the Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital. The Behavioural Sciences Unit is proudly supported by the following granting bodies: Kids With Cancer Foundation
Cancer Council New South Wales (with the support of the Estate of the Late Harry McPaul) Cancer Australia Cancer Institute NSW National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Kids Cancer Alliance The Kids Cancer Project Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation beyondblue Australian and New Zealand Children's Haemotology and Oncology Group (ANZCHOG) |
The Behavioural Sciences Unit is proudly supported by the Kids with Cancer Foundation Australia.
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Delta animation launch
The BSU proudly announces the official launch of the Delta animation, a resource that supports both parents and young people who are deciding whether to enrol in a childhood cancer clinical trial. UNSW and BSU PhD candidate Eden Robertson has led the development of this world-first resource.
“Deciding whether or not to participate in a clinical trial is a decision that many families going through their child’s cancer journey will be confronted with,” PhD candidate Eden Robertson from UNSW Medicine’s Behavioural Sciences Unit, who developed the resource, says.
“Clinical trials are fundamental to improving outcomes for children with cancer. However, families can experience high distress and uncertainty when making the decision whether to enrol. Families are also bombarded with large amounts of information. They often lack understanding about the key concepts that underpin the trial, limiting their ability to provide fully informed consent.”
The animation was developed in collaboration with experts in the field, including Professor Tracey O’Brien (Director of the Kids Cancer Centre), and A/Prof David Ziegler (Head of the Clinical Trials Program, Kids Cancer Centre). It was produced by creative agency MediaOne, who have previously won awards for their medical videos.
The animation will be a part of a larger suite of resources – called Delta – that Robertson’s team are developing. For more information please visit the Delta webpage or UNSW
“Deciding whether or not to participate in a clinical trial is a decision that many families going through their child’s cancer journey will be confronted with,” PhD candidate Eden Robertson from UNSW Medicine’s Behavioural Sciences Unit, who developed the resource, says.
“Clinical trials are fundamental to improving outcomes for children with cancer. However, families can experience high distress and uncertainty when making the decision whether to enrol. Families are also bombarded with large amounts of information. They often lack understanding about the key concepts that underpin the trial, limiting their ability to provide fully informed consent.”
The animation was developed in collaboration with experts in the field, including Professor Tracey O’Brien (Director of the Kids Cancer Centre), and A/Prof David Ziegler (Head of the Clinical Trials Program, Kids Cancer Centre). It was produced by creative agency MediaOne, who have previously won awards for their medical videos.
The animation will be a part of a larger suite of resources – called Delta – that Robertson’s team are developing. For more information please visit the Delta webpage or UNSW
Research update: Re-engage
A team of researchers at the University of NSW under Professor Claire Wakefield are pleased to share progress of their patient-centred program for survivors of childhood cancer.
“The Re-engage project was set up in 2015 with the aim to make sure survivors receive the best possible care after cancer, by improving their knowledge about late effects and engagement with recommended medical follow-up,” said Professor Wakefield.
“Risk-based care of young survivors is important, as many late effects of childhood cancer treatment are modifiable through prevention or early detection and intervention. However, providing comprehensive long-term follow-up care to survivors is difficult as their need for specialised care spans decades and life stages,” she said.
The team, who work out of the School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Behavioural Sciences Unit, Kids Cancer Centre, set out to develop Re-engage as a novel and low-burden offer to young childhood cancer survivors, enabling them the opportunity to identify their personal risk factors and improve their physical and emotional health.
“Risk-based care of young survivors is important, as many late effects of childhood cancer treatment are modifiable through prevention or early detection and intervention. However, providing comprehensive long-term follow-up care to survivors is difficult as their need for specialised care spans decades and life stages,” she said.
The team, who work out of the School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Behavioural Sciences Unit, Kids Cancer Centre, set out to develop Re-engage as a novel and low-burden offer to young childhood cancer survivors, enabling them the opportunity to identify their personal risk factors and improve their physical and emotional health.
To read more about the research update, please visit The Kid's Cancer Project website. More information on Re-engage and how to participate can be found here.
How do you talk to a young cancer sufferer about possible death?
Dr Ursula Sansom-Daly has received a $60,000 grant from the AYA Cancer Global Accord - a partnership between CanTeen Australia, Teen Cancer America and the UK’s Teenage Cancer Trust - to create training materials to educate healthcare professionals on how to initiate and navigate end-of-life conversations with adolescent and young adult cancer patients.
Read about her project on The Sydney Morning Herald or listen to her interview on ABC Drive
Read about her project on The Sydney Morning Herald or listen to her interview on ABC Drive
Ursula Sansom-Daly wins Top 5 under 40 award!
The winners of the 2017 Top 5 under 40 from left to right:
Dr Sophie Calabretto, Dr Denton Callander, Dr Ursula Sansom-Daly, Dr Tom Raimondo and Dr Gemma Sharp.
Dr Ursula Sansom-Daly received a Top 5 Under 40 Award (ABC/UNSW) in 2017, for her research on adjusting to life after cancer as a young person!
Read more here.
Read more here.
Dr Sansom-Daly is interviewed on our Recapture Life study
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Dr Ursula Sansom-Daly was interviewed by Dr Bradley J. Zebrack (the University of Michigan) at the 2015 IPOS conference in August, regarding the provision of supportive care services to meet the unique needs of adolescents and young adults with cancer.
Click on the image to the left to follow a link to the video. |
Our long term follow-up study features on the radio
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Prof Claire Wakefield and Prof Richard Cohn were each interviewed on the radio recently, regarding the BSU's long term follow-up study. The two interviews followed on from this weeks Clinical Oncology Society of Australia's 41st Annual Scientific Meeting, held in Melbourne, where Prof Cohn presented early findings from the study.
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Prof Claire Wakefield and Dr Ursula Sansom-Daly win two prestigious awards at the Cancer Institute Premier's award night
Left to right: Ursula Sansom-Daly, Professor Michelle Haber and Prof Claire Wakefield
Our Grandparent study features in the Daily Telegraph
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The article draws on the story of brave Emily Teplicanec, diagnosed at just 4 years old, and her family. Please click here to go to the full article, or on the image (left) to read the article full size. For more information see also the links below.
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