04 December 2024
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia’s (PCFA) Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Service General Manager, Russell Briggs, has been awarded a prestigious scholarship that will help fast-track support options for men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer.
Mr Briggs received the Australian Government’s National Industry PhD Program scholarship to complete a PhD in partnership with the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ).
This Industry PhD program is for industry professionals who are supported by their employers to undertake PhD projects in partnership with a university. Candidates undertake a co-designed research project with an emphasis on translating university research into practice.
Expressing his gratitude, Mr Briggs said that the scholarship will enable him to develop an innovative model of care for men undergoing active surveillance for prostate cancer.
“It’s an absolute honour to have the opportunity to drive forward new research with our partners at UniSQ through the Cancer Survivorship Research Group and Centre for Health Research,” he said.
“Active surveillance is a common treatment option for some localised prostate cancers, involving regular monitoring and testing for any signs or symptoms that signal the prostate cancer is growing or spreading.
“Research has shown that nearly 40 per cent of men will discontinue active surveillance and opt for more invasive treatments without any clinical indication that their disease is progressing, because of the distress they experience.
“This needs to change. Through my research I hope to develop a new care model to guide the delivery of survivorship care for men undergoing active surveillance.”
Professor Jeff Dunn AO, PCFA’s Chief of Mission and Head of Research, and Professor of Social and Behavioural Science at UniSQ, commended Mr Briggs on the announcement.
“We are tremendously proud to support Russell in pursuing his PhD with UniSQ, while continuing his vital work leading the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Service across Australia,” Prof Dunn said.
“PCFA and UniSQ have had a long-standing partnership supporting research through the Cancer Survivorship Research Group and the Centre for Health Research which is helping to save lives.
“Through our shared mission to invest in, and grow, prostate cancer survivorship research, we are making significant grounds in the fight against prostate cancer.
“Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, with 1 in 5 men likely to be diagnosed in their lifetime.
“With around 80 per cent of these men diagnosed being put on active surveillance, strengthened research to improve the survivorship care options available is essential.”
Mr Briggs has been a registered nurse for over 25 years, joining PCFA as a Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse in 2018. Today he manages 115 specialist nurses across the country.
“While working as a nurse I met many men undergoing active surveillance and became aware of the high distress they experienced,” he said.
“These men were often seen as ‘lucky’ as they didn’t have to have ‘radical treatments’ for their cancer as it was considered low risk. However, these men live with an essentially untreated cancer and fear cancer progression and their own mortality.
“Seeing and caring for these men highlighted that we needed to do better to support them.”
Mr Briggs said he is looking for men diagnosed with prostate cancer who are currently in the first twelve months of active surveillance to take part in his project by completing an anonymous online survey, or emailing russell.briggs@unisq.edu.au to find out more.
For more information about PCFA and the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Service, visit www.pcfa.org.au or phone 1800 22 00 99 to speak with a specialist nurse.
