This year marks an important milestone for Cancer Council Victoria: 40 years of pioneering work in cancer epidemiology, the research that helps us understand who gets cancer, why, and how we can prevent it.
The story began in 1986, when Professor Graham Giles established the Cancer Epidemiology Centre. Its mission was bold for its time: to uncover the preventable causes of cancer. While smoking and sun exposure were already known risks, many other factors were still a mystery. The Centre set out to explore how lifestyle and the environment influence cancer risk, forming an integral part of Cancer Council Victoria’s pioneering work in cancer prevention.
This built on previous work Professor Giles had initiated in 1983 as the inaugural Director of the Victorian Cancer Registry. At the time, tracking cancer was largely focused on individual patients. Professor Giles helped transform this approach, building Australia’s first modern, population-based cancer registry. This groundbreaking work allowed researchers to see patterns in cancer across the whole community, paving the way for better prevention, diagnosis and care.
One of the Cancer Epidemiology Centre’s most remarkable achievements came in the early 1990s with the launch of the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, also known at the time as Health 2000. Between 1990 and 1994, more than 41,000 Melburnians joined the study. People from Greek and Italian backgrounds were especially encouraged to take part, helping researchers investigate the potential health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.
Participants shared detailed information about their lifestyle habits and gave blood samples, something rarely done at this scale in Australia at the time. Over the decades, this study has become a rich resource for understanding cancer and other diseases, giving rise to more than 1,000 scientific publications and supporting research not only in Australia but around the world. Today, it continues as Health 2020, reflecting its sustained impact.
Building on this success, the re-named Cancer Epidemiology Division launched its current flagship project: the Australian Breakthrough Cancer (ABC) Study. Between 2014 and 2018, more than 50,000 adults joined this next-generation study. Using modern tools such as online surveys, wearable activity trackers, and collecting biological samples (including saliva, blood and faeces) researchers are gaining deeper insights into how our genes, environment and everyday habits interact to influence cancer risk.
After more than three decades of leadership, Professor Giles stepped down in 2016. Today, the Division is led by Professor Roger Milne and brings together experts in epidemiology, genetics, medicine, molecular biology and big data science. Their work is now focused on cutting-edge approaches such as precision prevention, which tailors cancer prevention strategies to individuals.
Over the past 40 years, the Cancer Epidemiology Division has grown into a world-leading research team. Its achievements include:
- Building some of Australia’s largest and most comprehensive long-term health studies, including biospecimens.
- Identifying lifestyle and genetic factors that influence cancer risk.
- Providing critical evidence to guide cancer prevention policies and programs.
- Developing cancer risk prediction models to identify whether individuals are at high or low risk, to inform more effective, targeted screening and prevention.
- Connecting with international research networks to tackle cancer on a global scale.
Most importantly, this work has helped save lives by improving our understanding of cancer and how to prevent it. As we celebrate this 40-year journey, we also look ahead with optimism. With continued community support and participation, the next decades promise even greater breakthroughs in cancer prevention and control.
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