Maureen Burkinshaw to join speakers at Bendigo cancer trial event

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 the trial.

"I had an emergency hysterectomy, chemotherapy and radiation which left me feeling really unwell and weak," Ms Burkinshaw said.

"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."

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The difference for Ms Burkinshaw's friend was she had to do a 10-hour round trip to Sydney because cancer clinical trials weren'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," Ms Burkinshaw said.

"And I've had very little side effects, my energy has been much better and I'm back to doing the things I love."

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 of 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," he 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."

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Ms Burkinshaw said the best part of being on a clinical trial was that she would continue to be closely monitored for another five years.

"My cancer is still unpredictable, I don't know if it will come back," she said.

"But knowing I'll be closely watched for years, because I'm on a trial, is very reassuring."

Ms Burkinshaw and Dr Blum, alongside other clinical trial participants and experts from Bendigo Health and TrialHub, will be at a special event on Thursday, June 29 where people can ask questions about clinical trials and what's coming (cancer and non-cancer).

This community information session will be held from 3pm at the Bendigo Regional Tennis Centre.

Register your interest for the event by email RandD@bendigohealth.org.au or phone 0403 371 559.

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