Maureen Burkinshaw’s cancer diagnosis came as complete shock to her last year while on a holiday in New South Wales. Then after a bad reaction to chemotherapy it was advised that a clinical trial was her best option to fight her rare cancer.
Today, the proud grandmother is extremely pleased with how her cancer has responded to treatment.
“I had an emergency hysterectomy, chemotherapy and radiation which left me feeling really unwell and weak. In January, spots showed up in my lungs and my oncologist knew my best chance to fight it was a clinical trial. I have young grandchildren I want to be around for, so I didn’t hesitate in signing up. Ironically, my friend had been on the same trial in NSW and had positive results with it,” she said.
The difference for Maureen’s friend was she had to do a 10-hour round trip to Sydney because cancer clinical trials aren’t currently offered at her local hospital.
“I’m 10 minutes to Bendigo Hospital so I’ve been really grateful to have this available close to home. And I’ve had very little side effects, my energy has been much better and I’m back to doing the things I love,” she said.
Bendigo Health is one of six regional Victorian health services currently involved in an Australian-first pilot called TrialHub, based at Alfred Health, that is supporting outer metro, regional and rural hospitals with establishing, or expanding, their own clinical trials unit.
While Bendigo Health had already been running clinical trials, Clinical Director Cancer Services, Dr Robert Blum, said they've been able to improve what they can offer.
"Some of our patients already travel an hour or two hours to get here. If a clinical trial is only available in Melbourne, many of our community just wouldn’t do it," Dr Blum said.
“Our goal is to develop our research units to the point that patients will have the same opportunities they might have if they lived in a major city."
Maureen said the best part of being on a clinical trial is that she will continue to be closely monitored for another five years.
“My cancer is still unpredictable, I don’t know if it will come back. But knowing I’ll be closely watched for years, because I’m on a trial, is very reassuring,” she said.
Maureen and Dr Blum will be at special community event, alongside other clinical trial participants and experts from Bendigo Health and TrialHub who can answer your questions about clinical trials and what’s coming (cancer and non-cancer) at a special event on Thursday, June 29.
This community information session will be held on Thursday June 29 from 3pm at the Bendigo Regional Tennis Centre.
Register your interest for the event by email; [email protected] or phone 0403 371 559.