Sarcomas are a rare type of cancer that originate in the connective tissue of the body, which includes fat, muscle, bone and cartilage. Sarcomas can develop anywhere in the body and are one of the most common types of solid tumours in children. Childhood sarcoma survival rates haven’t improved in more than 40 years.

The VPCC Risk Stratification – Sarcomas program, led by Hudson Institute’s Dr Jason Cain, is focused on finding molecular signatures that predict a child’s response to therapy, their risk of metastasis and their potential survival outcomes. Identifying these factors would enable clinicians to stratify children’s risk in the future, and then adapt therapies to minimise side effects and improve overall outcomes.

As a Research Group Head in the Centre for Cancer Research, Dr Cain leads research mainly on paediatric sarcomas (malignant rhabdoid tumours and osteosarcomas), diffuse midline gliomas and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Learn more about VPCC Risk Stratification Sarcomas program.

Victorian Paediatric Cancer Consortium

The Victorian Paediatric Cancer Consortium (VPCC) brings together leading Victorian children’s hospitals, medical research institutes and universities, each with unique capabilities in paediatric cancer research and clinical care. The Consortium is co-led by Hudson Institute’s  Professor Ron Firestein and Professor David Eisenstat, The Royal Children’s Hospital and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

VPCC enables a state-wide, multidisciplinary, and collaborative approach to combatting childhood cancers, with the goal of improving outcomes for children and adolescents with cancer through world-class medical research and innovation.

Hudson Institute is a partner in the VPCC, alongside The Royal Children’s Hospital, Monash Children’s Hospital, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Monash University, University of Melbourne, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, WEHI, and the Children’s Cancer Foundation. Learn more about VPCC.

VPCC was made possible thanks to the tireless efforts of the Children’s Cancer Foundation and funding from the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).