Chris O'Brien Lifehouse

𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐎’𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐏𝐃 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐏𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭-𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 We had an exceptional evening yesterday at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, where we hosted a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) event for our dedicated General Practitioners (GPs). Dr Saima Majeed moderated the event (Key Health) leading the discussion with our multidisciplinary team, including A/Prof Kate Mahon, Head of Medical Oncology; Dr. David Yeo, Upper GI Surgeon; and Dr. Chris Rogan, Head of Interventional Oncology. The panel discussion centred on how interventional oncology can expedite the biopsy process and introduce new treatment options for certain cancers. This event was made possible by our CPD partners, Central and Eastern Sydney PHN (CESPHN), providing a valuable opportunity to strengthen our referral network and collaboration, ensuring our patients receive the highest standard of care. We sincerely thank all participants for their enthusiasm and contributions and look forward to continuing our work together, driving excellence in patient care through collaboration and shared expertise. 💙 #HealthcareHeroes #GPEvent #ChrisOBrienLifehouse #PatientCare #MedicalCommunity #cobl #choosehope

𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 This week, we celebrate Speech Pathology Week, recognising the dedication of our Speech Pathologists to their patients and research. The theme for this year, ‘Communicate your way’, highlights the many forms of communication, including speech, gestures, digital communication, and sign language. Each of these methods enables individuals to connect, build relationships, and create understanding. Cancer treatment can affect how a person expresses themselves. Our Speech Pathologists assist patients in regaining their ability to communicate clearly and perform everyday tasks, such as eating and drinking. Rebuilding these skills and confidence empowers people with cancer to regain control of their voice and identity, allowing them to continue creating meaningful social interactions. One of the tools our Speech Pathologists use is the Oral Manometer, which measures a patient’s oral air pressure capacity. This assessment helps tailor treatment to improve speech quality, ultimately enhancing communication. Our team also collaborates closely with our palliative care team, focusing on helping patients and their families reconnect through the simple but profound act of sharing food. Even when patients can no longer eat much, our specialists help them find new ways to enjoy their favourite foods and family traditions. Whether it’s the smell of fresh fruit or the sensation of something warm or cold in their mouth, these moments create lasting connections. "Sharing food is more than just eating; it’s about connecting with the ones we love, even in the most challenging times," says Megan Lai, Speech Pathologist. We are grateful for our experienced and compassionate Speech Pathology team and deeply appreciate their dedication to patient care. Speech Pathology Australia Chris O'Brien Lifehouse Research Institute Integrated Prosthetics & Reconstruction #cobl #cancercare #speechpatholigists #choosehope #communication #communicateyourway #chrisobrienlifehouse

𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞-𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞. Chris O’Brien Lifehouse has partnered with Safewill, Australia’s leading online Will-writing platform, to simplify the process of writing a Will for our community. From 2nd to 8th of September, Safewill are holding a Free Will week, giving you the opportunity to write a legally-valid Will for free using their secure online platform. Additionally, Safewill is hosting an online webinar to step you through the process of creating a Will. It will be chance to ask any questions about the process of writing a Will and how you can create a meaningful legacy. Date: Friday 30th August Time: 10:30 – 11:30am Location: Online If you are interested in being involved in the webinar, RSVP to Lynn Johnson, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Development and Planned Giving Officer, via [email protected] or +61 2 85140924. Follow the link for more information on Free Will week, https://lnkd.in/gyP-EERY #cancercare #onlinewill #freewill #leavealegacy #transformlives #makeadifference #chrisobrienlifehouse #cobl #choosehope #freewillweek

𝐒𝐮𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 – 𝐒𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰. Year 12 Kambala student, Sophie Alexander, recently appeared on The Today Show to share her mission to increase sun safety education. Chris O’Brien Lifehouse is proud to support Sophie and her advocacy, which has resulted in an Australian-first sun health program being piloted at Kambala this week. This workshop will involve learning about the ingredients of sunscreen, how to identify a potential skin cancer, and how to generally care for your skin. Having lost her father to squamous cell carcinoma (a non-melanoma) skin cancer at the young age of 8 years old, Sophie is using her personal experience to help increase education of sun safety and de-stigmatise the beauty trend of tanning for girls her age. As Sophie remarks, “a natural tan is not a good tan, it’s not that you need to be scared, just aware”. We commend Sophie for her dedication in advocating for awareness on sun safety and wish her the best for the roll out of the first school workshops this week. Nine Kambala #skincancereducation #skincancerawareness #cobl #chrisobrienlifehouse #sunsafety #thetodayshow #education #awareness #choosehope

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛! Running or walking with a group of friends or colleagues can make reaching your distance goals a fun, social activity. International Grammar School has a large team involved in Go The Distance, with students and teachers coming together to form a run club. As teacher Gareth Douse noted, “In the lead up to Go The Distance I decided to put together a staff and seniors students running club at the school on Tuesday afternoons. Last week it was just me and one colleague. This week we had 8 staff and senior students running along the glorious Blackwattle Bay in our cool GTD running singlets. I am hoping we grow in numbers again next week and build momentum into September”. Register now and Go The Distance to support bringing life-changing cancer care closer to home for Regional Australians. https://lnkd.in/gg9p8tJU International Grammar School #cobl #gothedistnace #runclub #gtd4lifehouse #choosehope #cancercare #chrisobrienlifehouse

𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐎'𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞. This ceremony will provide an opportunity for the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse community to pause and remember those whose lives have been lost to cancer. It will offer a holding space for grieving families and for the staff whose privilege it has been to care. With reflection, ritual and music, together we will honour the courage and resilience of the human spirit. You are warmly invited to join us in person at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse or via Livestream, please select your preference at the time of registration. The memorial service will include personal reflections offered by members of our Chris O’ Brien Lifehouse family and a candle-lighting ritual where you will have the opportunity to light a candle. You will also be invited to provide a digital photo of your loved one to be included in the ceremony (important details and cut-off for photo submission will be provided upon registration). We hope you can join us for this special occasion. We are close to capacity with ‘in attendance’ seating (a waitlist will be activated at that time). Date: Thursday, 12 September 2024 Time: 6:30pm - 7:30pm Venue: Chris O'Brien Lifehouse or Livestream Access registration for the service; https://lnkd.in/gKF4sKCG #cobl #memorialservice #chrisobrienlifehouse #cancercare #choosehope

𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬! The latest issue of our exclusive OpenHouse is now available. From the purchase of our brand-new Linear Accelerator to the groundbreaking work our research team is doing in treating prostate cancer, this edition is packed with inspiring stories, exciting updates, and heartfelt gratitude. Access the full issue of OpenHouse: https://lnkd.in/gmYsmQA3 #cobl #OpenHouse #newsletter #philantrophy #ChrisObrienLifehouse #cancercare #choosehope

𝐃𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞? This is a question Chirs O'Brien Lifehouse's Chief Clinical Officer and Director of Research, Professor Lisa Horvath, has been exploring with a team of collaborators, including partners from COBL, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. A recent publication in JCO Precision Oncology has reported some of the results from their program, which ultimately aims to improve outcomes for people affected by prostate cancer. The paper reported in the prestigious journal JCO Precision Oncology, shared results from two experiments involving blood samples from patients undergoing prostate cancer surgery. They analysed blood samples taken before and during systemic treatment (specifically androgen-deprivation therapy and/or androgen receptor pathway inhibitors) to identify lipid profiles. Additionally, they treated cancer tissues from these patients with a drug called enzalutamide in the lab. The researchers found that certain lipids, like sphingomyelin and glycosylceramides, were linked to resistance, while lower levels of triacylglycerols were found in those who responded better. This is an important discovery, as it may allow lipid profiles to be used as biomarkers to predict treatment responses and tailor therapies more effectively. From the second experiment, the team observed the response of prostate tumour samples 'treated' with enzalutamide in the lab., and observed their response based on lipid profiles. Similar to the plasma findings, higher levels of specific lipids were associated with resistance – another important finding that reinforces the opportunity to further explore new treatment strategies. For instance, targeting lipid metabolism pathways might enhance the effectiveness of existing therapies. Moreover, using lipid profiles to guide treatment decisions could prevent unnecessary treatments for those unlikely to respond, reducing side effects and improving quality of life for patients (I would remove this sentence). A BIG congratulations to the team on this publication. Follow the link to access the full publication: https://lnkd.in/gakW2zBK Chris O'Brien Lifehouse Research Institute #chrisobrienlifehouse #cancercare #choosehope #prostatecancer #lipidprofiles #cobl #collaboration #research #cancerresearch

𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 Today, we celebrate Cancer Nurses Day, a perfect opportunity to acknowledge the support and care our nurses provide every single day. This year’s theme, ‘Strong, Skilled, Specialised’, beautifully captures our nursing team's expertise, dedication, and compassion. Supporting someone through their cancer treatment can present many challenges, and the nurses at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse are committed to meeting each person's unique needs. They go above and beyond in not only supporting their patients but also providing assistance and comfort to their loved ones. We deeply appreciate the exceptional work of our cancer nurses and their vital role in delivering the highest standard of care at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. To all our nurses, thank you for your ongoing compassion and commitment to cancer care. Cancer Nurses Society Of Australia (CNSA) University of Sydney #cobl #cancernursesday #cancercare #choosehope #nurse #appreciation #chrisobrienlifehouse #cancernurse #awareness

𝐆𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 For many patients like Josh, receiving cancer treatment far from home can be tough. Long trips to the city and being separated from home and family can make a difficult time so much harder.   Josh was in Adelaide, beginning his Army career when he discovered a lump on his neck. A PET scan revealed it was a rare form of soft tissue cancer. He was referred to Dr Vivek Bhadri at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and was grateful to have his mum and dad stay onsite in our Sony Foundation You Can Centre while he received treatment.   This September, you can Go The Distance to support people like Josh right across NSW. Run, walk, bike or swim a distance of your choice, and raise vital funds to help more people with cancer across the state access life-changing care at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse.   Choose a distance. Challenge yourself. Go as far as you can to bring cancer care closer to home for patients like Josh.  Register for FREE today, https://lnkd.in/gg9p8tJU #chrisobrienlifehouse #gtd4lifehouse #choosehope #cancercare #gothedistance