Cancer Services

Welcome to SVHM Cancer Services

The focus of cancer care services at SVHM is to manage all patients in a multidisciplinary setting bringing together expertise from a range of disciplines and specialists. Dedicated facilities and personnel support the conduct of multidisciplinary cancer meetings across a broad range of tumour streams.

Cancer Services is comprised of the following Departments:

  • Medical Oncology
  • Haematology
  • Surgical Oncology
  • Palliative Medicine
  • Psychosocial Cancer Care
  • Radiation Oncology (on site) provided by Genesis Care

We have a 20 in-patient ward, which is divided between; 12 heamatology beds (staffed at a 1:3 nursing ratio) and 8 oncology beds (staffed at a 1:4 nursing ratio) as per the Safe Patient Care Act (2019 amendment).

There are also strong contributions from:

  • Allied Health
  • Pathology
  • Diagnostic Imaging

Clinical research programs are embedded within the Cancer Service departments. Clinical drug trials and patient experience research is the focus of these programs. There is active engagement in medical education at all levels as well as nursing and allied health education.  Cancer Services is also strongly affiliated with the University of Melbourne in its research and teaching activities. St Vincent’s is a member of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre alliance.

There are Onco-Geriatric Clinics at the St Vincent’s Hospital Fitzroy site seeing older patients with cancer either face to face or via telehealth. More information about the clinics is available here - Onco-Geriatric Service


Our Team

 

A/Professor Sue Anne McLachlan
Medical Director of Oncology and Cancer Services
Sue-Anne.Mclachlan@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 3155 


A/Professor Gavin Wright
Medical Director, Surgical Oncology
gavin.wright@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9419 2477 


Dr Justin Dwyer
Medical Director Psychosocial Cancer Care
justin.dwyer@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 2057


A/ Professor Mark Boughey
Director Palliative Medicine 
mark.boughey@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9321 5604


A/Professor Constantine (Con) Tam
Director Clinical Haematology 
constantine.tam@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 2595


Ms Lesa Stewart
Group Manager Cancer and Palliative Care Services
lesa.stewart@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 4818


Ms Jessica Gonzalez
Cancer Services Coordinator 
jessica.gonzalez@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 3021

Cancer Nurse Coordinators

Base of Skull

Rebecca Barnett and Jessica Galvin 
Available Monday-Friday
Ent.Waitinglist@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 2755

 

Jane Staker
Available Monday-Friday
jane.staker@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 3067

 


Brain (CNS)

Jane Staker
Available Monday-Friday
jane.staker@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 3067

 


Breast

Mary Ann Banting (Breast Care Nurse)
Available Monday, Tuesday & Friday
maryann.banting@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 4743

Georgina Christian (Breast Care Nurse)
Available Tuesday (PM), Wednesday & Thursday (AM)
georgina.christian@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 4743

 


Colorectal

An Pham
Available Monday 7:00am - 3:30pm & Wednesday 7:30am-11:30am
an.pham@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 3020

 


Combined Lung

Maria Loder
Available Wednesday-Friday
maria.loder@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 3325

 


Endocrine

Dr Kim Taubman
Available Monday-Friday
kim.taubman@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 4310

 


Haematology

Veronica Smooker
Available Monday-Friday
veronica.smooker@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 3714

 


Hepatoma

Xueling Gu
Available Monday
xueling.gu@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 2259 

 


Head and Neck

Rebecca Barnett and Jessica Galvin 
Available Monday-Friday
Ent.Waitinglist@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 2755

 


Upper GI

Paula Swannock
Available Monday and Thursday
paula.swannock@svha.org.au
Telephone: (03) 9231 3046

 


Urology

Molly Trethewey
Available Friday 8:00am-4:00pm
molly.trethewey@svha.org.au
Telephone (03) 9231 3639
 

Multidisciplinary Teams

At St Vincent's, the Cancer Tumour Streams hold regular multidisciplinary meetings (MDM) as part of the multidisciplinary care provided for our patients. 

Multidisciplinary Cancer Care provides a collaborative approach to treatment planning and ongoing care throughout the treatment pathway. Multidisciplinary Cancer meetings ensure members of the treatment and care team can discuss all relevant aspects of a cancer patient’s physical and psychosocial needs along with other factors impacting upon the patient’s care.

The table below lists the cancer tumour streams, their meeting times, how often they meet and the meeting coordinator. 


Base of Skull MDM

Time of Meeting/Regularity - 3rd Tuesday of the month, 8.00am, Monthly

Meeting Coordinator 

  • Rebecca Barnett and Jessica Galvin (ENT Nurse Coordinator)
  • Jane Staker (Brain CNS Nurse Coordinator)

Brain (CNS) MDM

Time of Meeting/Regularity - 1st Tuesday of the month, 8.00am, Monthly

Meeting Coordinator 

  • Jane Staker (Brain CNS Nurse Coordinator)

Breast MDM

Time of Meeting/Regularity - Tuesday, 1.00pm, Weekly

Meeting Coordinator 

  • Mary Ann Banting/Georgina Christian (Breast Care Nurses) 

Colorectal MDM

Time of Meeting/Regularity - Monday, 8.30am, 3 out of 4 weeks

Meeting Coordinator 

  • An Pham (Colorectal Nurse Coordinator)

Combined Lung MDM

Time of Meeting/Regularity - Friday, 8.45am, Weekly

Meeting Coordinator 

  • Dr Matt Conron (Respiratory Physician)
  • Maria Loder (Respiratory Nurse Coordinator)

Endocrine MDM

Time of Meeting/Regularity - Wednesday, 4.30pm, Monthly

Meeting Coordinator 

  • Dr Kim Taubman (Nuclear Physician)

Haematology MDM

Time of Meeting/Regularity - Tuesday, 12.00pm, Fortnightly

Meeting Coordinator 

  • Veronica Smooker (Haematology Nurse Coordinator)

Hepatoma MDM

Time of Meeting/Regularity - Monday, 12.15pm, Weekly

Meeting Coordinator 

  • Xueling Gu (Hepatoma Nurse Coordinator)

Head and Neck MDM

Time of Meeting/Regularity - Thursday, 7.30am, Weekly

Meeting Coordinator 

  • Rebecca Barnett (ENT Nurse Coordinator )
  • Jessica Galvin (ENT Nurse Coordinator)

Sarcoma MDM

Time of Meeting/Regularity - Wednesday, 6.30am, Fortnightly

Meeting Coordinator 

  • Professor Peter Choong (via rooms (03) 9639 1300)

Upper GI MDM

Time of Meeting/Regularity - Monday, 1.30pm, Fortnightly

Meeting Coordinator 

  • Emily Baker (Upper GI Nurse Coordinator)

Urology MDM

Time of Meeting/Regularity - Friday, 7.30am, Fortnightly

Meeting Coordinator 

  • Urology Nurse Coordinator


Contact Us

Jessica Gonzalez
Cancer Services Coordinator
Tel: (03) 9231 3021
jessica.gonzalez@svha.org.au


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