New subsidy for cutting-edge brain cancer diagnostic test
Dr Christine White
Senior Project Officer, Research Genomics at VCGS
VCGS now offers an advanced diagnostic test for brain tumours, made accessible through a subsidy from the Victorian Government.
![](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.prod.vcgs.ninja%2FHealth_Minister_and_Olivia_Phelan_dfa6b5ed80.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Pictured: Olivia Phelan with Victorian Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas on a tour of the VCGS labs.
"It makes me excited to think that more people will have the same chance that I had. I think it's so important that we can reach as many people as possible. I'm so healthy today and I want as many young children as possible to grow up and have the best chance at life." - Olivia Phelan, brain cancer survivor
Patients with brain tumors now have easier access to a groundbreaking diagnostic test, thanks to a new subsidy announced by the Victorian Government. This initiative will cover the cost of methylation array profiling, an advanced diagnostic tool that recently moved from research labs to clinical use.
Since December 2022, VCGS has been offering this innovative technology. Methylation array profiling allows doctors to quickly determine the most effective treatments, increasing the chances of successful outcomes and reducing long-term side effects for patients. Australia is now one of the few countries, alongside the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, to offer this clinically validated technology through VCGS laboratories.
Previously, patients had to pay for this test unless they were part of a research study. Now, thanks to funding from the Victorian Department of Health through the Victorian Cancer Agency, the cost will be covered for 100 Australian patients. This subsidy aims to remove financial barriers to testing, making it more accessible.
The Robert Connor Dawes (RCD) Foundation has been instrumental in helping bring this important test to VCGS. The funding will assist VCGS, and the RCD Foundation evaluate the test's economic benefits and its impact on patient treatment and outcomes. The goal is to have the test covered by existing healthcare funding programs.
Olivia's story
Olivia Phelan was 15 in January 2017, when she was diagnosed with ependymoma, a form of brain cancer. At the time, Olivia was eligible to participate in the AIM Brain Project, an initiative by the RCD Foundation. The clinical trial provided rapid access to the most accurate diagnostic information about her tumor.
"It was very scary," says Olivia. "Not knowing what my course would look like was probably one of the most frightening things."
Thanks to the clinical trial, Olivia avoided multiple surgeries and much more aggressive chemotherapy and radiation. In the end, she only needed two rounds of chemotherapy and one course of radiation.
"If I hadn't had access to this clinical trial, I would have faced further surgery, which would have been much more detrimental to my health, both at the time and for the rest of my life," she says.
Pictured: Olivia at 15 years old at the hospital.
Today, Olivia is vibrant and healthy. "As a 23-year-old, seven years later I'm so much more confident that I was given the best chance possible in my situation to live a long, happy, healthy, life," she says.
Pictured: Olivia today, with her father, Martin.
"It makes me excited to think that more people will have the same chance that I had. I think it's so important that we can reach as many people as possible," says Olivia. "I'm so healthy today and I want as many young children as possible to grow up and have the best chance at life."
"This disease doesn't discriminate," she says. "Why should any family have to make the decision to have their child go through much more aggressive treatment because they can't afford the test?"
This support from the Victorian Government is a significant step forward in the fight against brain cancer, providing patients with better diagnostic options and improving their treatment experiences.