‍Professor Mark Shackleton features on The Oncology Network Podcast

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Our Co-Director, Professor Mark Shackleton, recently featured on The Oncology Podcast’s Experts On Point series—Episode 29, Breaking Down Silos: How MPCCC is Transforming Cancer Care.
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🎧 Listen to the episode here

Hosted by Rachael Babin and produced by The Oncology Network, this episode explores some of the most pressing challenges in cancer care today—inequity, access, and the need for greater collaboration across the health system.

In this conversation, Professor Shackleton, Director of Oncology at Alfred Health, Professor of Oncology at Monash University, Chair of Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials Ltd, and Co-Director of the Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium (MPCCC)—discusses how collaborative models like MPCCC are helping to close the care gap for patients across Victoria.

“We’re breaking down silos between hospitals and disciplines to give more people access to precision oncology, clinical trials, and the latest research—regardless of where they live,” says Professor Shackleton.

Key Takeaways from the Episode

• Tackling inequities in cancer care: Professor Shackleton explains how collaborative networks like MPCCC are crucial in ensuring patients, particularly those in regional and rural areas, have the same access to cutting-edge treatments as those in metropolitan centres.
• The power of molecular tumour boards: These expert panels bring together oncologists, pathologists, geneticists and other specialists to guide personalised treatment plans. MPCCC’s boards currently review 5–10 cases per session.
• Building capacity through fellowships: The MPCCC Fellowship Program places early-career oncologists in partner hospitals, fostering deep cross-institutional collaboration and expertise in precision oncology.

Did You Know?

• MPCCC’s Precision Oncology Program has processed over 1,000 patient referrals.
• 20% of referred patients receive recommendations for targeted therapies matched to their cancer’s molecular profile.
• 5% are connected to clinical trials they would not otherwise have access to.
• The program has led to a significant increase in referrals from regional areas, including Gippsland.
• MPCCC’s work is helping to standardise access to genomics-informed care across Victoria.

This episode is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when institutions, clinicians, and researchers come together with a shared mission: to improve outcomes for all people affected by cancer.