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The University of Newcastle has been awarded a $595,000 grant by the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) to continue its work on early detection of the disease.

Professor Pradeep Tanwar, Australian Research Council Future Fellow and Cancer Institute NSW Career Development Fellow, is group leader of the University of Newcastle’s gynaecology oncology program, whose research aims to establish methods for detection of early-stage ovarian cancer.

The team hopes this will be achieved through developing a novel biomarker into a blood test.

The technology will “provide GPs, who are the first point of contact for patients” with “some sort of tool to rule out if a patient has ovarian cancer or not. Once they suspect a patient has, this person can be referred to a specialist for confirmation and treatment,” Professor Tanwar said.

At the moment, there is no effective technology that can achieve early detection, and Professor Tanwar says development will “take time”.

While their current patented test has “already tested the blood samples of 30 women”, the new funding will enable the team to expand their patient cohort.

“We will collect blood tests from women who were diagnosed, and women who don’t have cancer but have other kinds of disease or gynaecological disorders. This will confirm our test is picking up ovarian cancer specifically and not misdiagnosing,” he said.

The State of the Nation Research Audit, commissioned by the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation OCRF in 2020, found that a reliable and accurate early detection test could save 1.3 million lives over the next decade.

The OCRF was “thrilled” to be supporting this research, but securing the grant was no easy feat, Professor Tanwar said.

“We’re very grateful we were one of the two teams selected nationally. [The grant] was highly competitive, so it has been recognition for the work that is done here in Hunter, and recognition for the team at the university.

“It goes to show the work we do here is top notch. Even though we are a regional university, we do well in cancer research, women’s health problems” and other science faculties, he said.

Professor Tanwar said the impacts of the disease hit especially close to home here in the Hunter.

“The Hunter is a prime location for ovarian cancer research because we have almost a base of one million patients covered by John Hunter. We have a lot of women and their relatives who live in this area, so we’re able to study patients who have a family history of cancer.”

Nationally, ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecological cancer. Some 1400 Australian women are diagnosed with the disease every year. Two-thirds of these women won’t survive because the symptoms are difficult to recognise, resulting in late diagnoses.

Professor Tanwar described the disease as a “silent killer”, and he hopes to improve outcomes for those affected.

While a team of 15 researchers has been working at the University of Newcastle, Professor Tanwar said the study involved experts from all across the Hunter, and wider Australia.

Clinicians at John Hunter and Calvary Mater hospitals have been involved locally, and Professor Tanwar’s team has been supported by a group in Melbourne, who designs the physical aspects of the test such as “what it will look like” and storage logistics such as “its stability at room temperature”.

“It’s an advanced disciplinary team effort. People from different areas of expertise are coming together to work on a problem.”

Professor Tanwar also recognised the contribution of the wider Hunter community, saying research wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the culmination of efforts by local sources.

“A lot of the early work was supported by community donations as well as funding from various local organisations,” he said.

Almost $1.3M has already been committed by the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, who Professor Tanwar said had “been a really great supporter of the university” and who “are very heavily invested” in the study.

“Investment from the State Government and local community and charities leads to national funding, which pushes the project and research forward.”

Research for the project has stalled significantly as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns across the Hunter.

It has not only caused delays in patient recruitment, it has limited access to the lab due to University of Newcastle closures.

Once the study fully recommences, “the goal is to finish this cohort of patients in three months and see what the data says. Then we’ll do a national study, so naturally we will test across other states and cover other geographical locations, which leads to international studies and this leads to approvals.”

Professor Tanwar said community awareness was critical, as one of the greatest challenges of ovarian cancer was the lack of community awareness surrounding the disease.

“A majority of patients who get diagnosed with ovarian cancer have never heard of it, so naturally it’s quite a shock. It’s only after diagnosis that these women and their families start reading up on what ovarian cancer is.”

Gaining an awareness of the disease would ensure women didn’t ignore it if they experienced symptoms, Professor Tanwar said.

“If [women] know about it they’re more likely to ask their GP to examine for it. Awareness is important for diagnosis and prevention.”

For more information on ovarian cancer, visit the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation’s website.

Professor Pradeep Tanwar and his team at the University of Newcastle have received a $595,000 grant for their research Photo source: The University of Newcastle

Maia O’Connor

Breast cancer prevails in pandemic

As Hunter residents focus on the fight to contain COVID-19, hundreds across the region are quietly battling breast cancer.

Not-for-profit Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation says it has experienced a tripling of demand for its client support services over the past 14 months.

The foundation helps women and men undergoing breast cancer treatment by assisting families with cleaning, lawn maintenance and transport to medical appointments, as well as the provision of children’s books to better explain Mum or Dad’s cancer journey.

The foundation, which has been operating for more than 20 years, aims to give women their confidence back, providing wigs, head wear and prosthetic breasts post-treatment.

“For the last financial year up to June 2021, we have supported over 265 families through breast cancer,” HBCF’s Abbey McDonell said.

“However, we know there is probably a lot of other families out there needing to access the services.”

HBCF worked hard during 2020 to transition its services to COVID-safe delivery methods, especially given the immunocompromised status of many clients.

The foundation was ready to pivot again in 2021 as COVID reached the Hunter, getting creative with its fundraising events.

Newcastle drag queen Timberlina hosted a virtual Boobie Bingo charity night for HBCF on Sunday night, August 22

Via Zoom, Timberlina called three rounds of bingo, delivering drag performances in between.

“We are obviously going through a difficult time, but unfortunately cancer doesn’t stop during lockdown, so it’s really important for the community to get on board and keep supporting us,” McDonell said.

According to Breast Cancer Network Australia, it is projected that 20,030 Australians will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, or 55 people a day.

Government-led mammogram provider BreastScreen NSW last month suspended all routine breast screening statewide, citing increasing risk from the Delta outbreak.

The statement from BreastScreen said staff were being redeployed to assist in the management of COVID-19.

The USA’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention said America’s National Breast Cancer Early Detection Program experienced a decline of 87 per cent detection during April 2020 compared to the previous five-year averages for that month.

Two studies from researchers in Massachusetts also reveal a worrying trend: more than a quarter of surveyed breast cancer patients reported they had experienced a delay in screening or a delay in treatment due to the pandemic.

The CDC believes clinic closures, requirements to stay home and public fear of contracting COVID-19 in clinical settings is contributing to breast cancer diagnosis delays, leading to poorer patient outcomes.

Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation is urging Novocastrians to remain breast aware.

“We would encourage everyone to not let COVID delay routine medical appointments or especially not if they have any concerns,” McDonell said.

“There are telehealth appointments and access to in-person consultations available, so I wouldn’t be scared off. As we know, early detection is the best prevention.

“If the outcome is not what you are expecting, that is what HBCF is here for, and we will be here to support you.”

The foundation says it has a number of community-led fundraising ideas in the works and hopes Novocastrians will get involved.

It has been roughly 18 months since COVID-19 touched the Hunter region, and young Novocastrians say they are lonelier than ever.

Common rites of passage such as attending 21st birthday parties, moving out of home and travelling have all been impacted by the pandemic, making it harder than ever for young adults to maintain social connections.

Online learning at the University of Newcastle in 2020 has also meant students feel alienated from their classmates.

Communication student Hayley Ratcliffe, 19, said after two years at university she hadn’t made any friends.

“I know we are paying for the degree, but I expected way more of a social experience, just like the movies I guess,” Ratcliffe said.

“People say that you make friends at uni that last for a lifetime and that your 20s are the best years of your life, but I feel robbed in a way.”

University of Newcastle students are learning remotely amid the Hunter and Greater Sydney lockdowns.

“I feel like it’s really hard to connect with people. You just get out of bed, open the laptop, get on Zoom and that’s it,” Ratcliffe said.

“There’s no initiative from anyone, no one starts a conversation and no one interacts. If they do, it’s with people from high school who they already know.”

It is a sentiment shared publicly by her peers on a popular student Facebook page. The UON Love Letters Revived page, which is not affiliated with University of Newcastle management, is usually home to light-hearted posts about students’ crushes on campus.

Lately, however, the site has morphed into a place students go to anonymously vent feelings of loneliness and sadness.

Crisis support centre Lifeline Australia said one day in August it had received the highest volume of calls in the organisation’s 58-year history: 3345 callers nationally.

A guide to maintaining social connections, prepared by the University of Newcastle’s counselling team, was among a raft of support resources emailed to students by Deputy ViceChancellor Mark Hoffman last month.

“It is not surprising that loneliness at university is common. Friendship is not a straightforward process, and just because you try something once does not mean it will work,” the document said.

“Everyone has their own stuff going on and sometimes not connecting is about the other person. Remember the secret is linking back to your values of making friends and being prepared to try again or try in a different way to make that connection.”

But even young professionals in dynamic workplaces have been feeling disconnected.

NBN television journalist Lauren Kempe, 24, said working full time amid the pandemic has caused her peripheral friendships to fade out.

“During normal circumstances it’s a challenge [to stay in touch] but in the last two years I’ve found I’ve essentially lost contact with some people, including long-term friends I thought I would have for life,” Kempe said.

“I know I’m not in their ‘top five go-to people’ but I still love hanging out with them.

“But events get postponed or just cancelled altogether. Many aren’t motivated to put in the effort any more for the risk that a party or bigger event won’t come off, and who can blame them?

“So yeah, you find yourself getting closer with your close friends but even more distanced, sometimes irreversibly so, with the others. It’s incredibly socially isolating,” she said.

University of Newcastle alumnus Nick Cain moved to Sydney for work in the finance industry a few years ago and said relocating has created a lingering sense of disconnection with old friends and family members.

“I feel more disconnected than lonely, partially because I live with someone in lockdown,” Cain said. “But I think this is typical of people who move away for work like we did, and this issue has just been compounded by COVID.”

The 24-year-old said he was putting in effort to grow and maintain social connections.

“I think I’m much more inclined to arrange to call or FaceTime friends during lockdowns than I probably otherwise would have done.

“I’m much more avid about being deliberately social at work when I have a chance to be there in person, whereas before I might have been more introverted.”

Back on the UON Love Letters Revived page, students were finding unique ways to make connections, by advertising their hobbies such as basketball and four-wheel driving that they would like to partake in with newfound friends once restrictions ease.

Albeit unconventional, the posts demonstrate the way young adults are showing resilience and optimism in the face of the Hunter’s COVID challenges.

People aged 12-25 seeking help for mental health issues should contact headspace or Kids Helpline.

A call to action emblazoned on the Newcastle Post Office construction site Image supplied: Lucy Cook

Lauren Freemantle

REWRITING THE STORY: HEALTHY EATING IS EXPENSIVE

GEORGIA LIENEMANN

This is the third part in our six-week series on the counterproductive stories we tell ourselves in the kitchen – those hurdles that mess with our mojo and prevent us from enjoying the process of cooking.

This week we’re honing-in on another popular track that often plays in our minds. Some version of ‘healthy eating is expensive’, ‘we can’t afford organic / insert label here’.

Now there’s no denying that for a significant chunk of the population who are genuinely struggling to make ends meet – of course, there is truth to this story. Unfortunately, the system is rigged so that the ingredients in most junk foods are subsidised, making ‘real food’ (fresh produce and animal foods) appear more expensive than they would, otherwise. And of course, when you’re living hand to mouth, it’s difficult to argue that the cheapest food isn’t the best choice.

However, collectively, our spending on food – proportional to our income – has actually declined dramatically since the sixties. Our great grandparents spent roughly a third of their income on food and received less food for their money, to boot.

Granted, it might be hard to swallow when you glance over the price of organic blueberries or avocados just outside of season!

Is it true, or is it ‘story’?

Now, one of the best revelations to come out of my many years of determined investigation into traditional foods and farming methods, is that a deeply nourishing, nutrient dense diet can be achieved on a very tight budget. One of my greatest passions is demonstrating to parents that they can dramatically increase the levels of nutrients in their family’s diet whilst simultaneously reducing their food bill. Often all it takes is a few tweaks the way they shop and cook.

However, before I get into a few of my tips on this, it’s important to question your beliefs around the cost of food and whether there’s potential for a shift in mindset?

Ask yourself, is good quality food really ‘too’ expensive? Or are we simply valuing it less? I’ve come to realise that good food should be expensive, because it has inherent value and it takes a lot of work to produce.

High cost or low priority?

The second thing to ponder in this vein is where you’re actually spending your food dollars. Has good quality, nourishing food dropped down the priority list in favour of convenience or luxury food items?

For many people I encounter, the switch to pasture-raised chicken (chickens who exist outside, exercising all day and eating their intended diet of grass, insects and a small portion of grain) seems like a big leap, pricewise. Of course, due to the economies of scale, it’s cheaper to produce a factory farmed bird, raised crammed with a few thousand others, in a shed.

I’d argue that dollar for dollar, you’re likely getting the same amount of nutrition when we compare them, but that’s me getting distracted from the point I was aiming to make!

When people who are transitioning to a more nutrient dense diet baulk at the price of food that is produced to a higher standard, they’re often still spending on a daily coffee, takeaway meals or other items that our grandparents would have considered a luxury.

All this is fine, of course! It’s just worth acknowledging that a shift in perspective could take place – often we point the finger at cost, when it’s really a case of priorities.

Nutrient density on a shoestring budget

So, you want to eat better quality food, but think you can’t justify the cost. It’s possible!

What I’ve found is that if people can learn to harness the skills and know-how of yesteryear, it’s easy to capitalise on the current climate of food abundance that we often take for granted. Knowing how to shop is probably the biggest factor. Here are some of my best tips:

Seasonal eating

We’ve talked at length on the column about seasonal eating and that committing to this practice will slash your food bill overnight. Seasonal ingredients are local ingredients – no shipping costs and extra nutrition to boot, simply due to freshness.

Unsexy vegetables

Another kitchen skill that can be easily learnt – making over unsexy produce and learning to use every part. Why toss away carrot tops and beet greens when you could make a delicious carrot top pesto and save the dollars you would have spent on basil?

Learning to love odd bits and secondary cuts

We’ve been programmed to think that steak, breast fillet and chops are the prime cuts due to their ease of cooking. You might be surprised to learn that in fact, the cuts that we prize above all others were the ones traditional cultures often fed to their dogs due to their inferior nutrition!

As unfashionable as they have been in recent history, organ meats were preferred by these cultures – revered, in fact – due to their unrivalled nutrient density (10-100 times the nutrition of muscle meat)!

From now on, when you think ‘superfoods’, I want you to forget about heavily marketed, pre-packaged exotic fruits and powders and remember that a single serving of liver will usually offer 50-100% of your daily requirement of B vitamins and large spectrum of other nutrients, at a fraction of the cost. In fact, offal is usually a half or one third of the price of the more popular cuts of meat, as are other bony cuts like necks and short ribs.

If you master the art of slowcooking, you can buck the trend and scoop up the cheapest bony cuts on offer, which, like organ meats, are far more nutrient dense (and therefore flavourful) than the prime cuts.

Make bone broth

This is my other sneaky tip on this front. Make use of animal bones! You can buy grass-fed pork and lamb bones from local online butcher Ethical Farmers for just $1.50 per kilo.

Broth is what we call a ‘protein-sparer’. It provides amino acids which are missing from meat, eggs and seafood – helping to ‘complete’ the protein and make it go further, from a nutritional perspective. This is the wisdom of peasant food – a few morsels of meat in a big pot of broth and vegetables is far more nourishing than our typical steak and three veg meal and brings the meal cost down significantly.

Hacks that really work

Our family eats the highest quality animal protein on the market (which would be considered expensive, to most people) and I regularly manage to keep our mealtime protein cost to $5 for two adults and two children. Sometimes even as little as $2, simply by adhering to the above principles.

Let me give you an example. My local farmers, Full Circle Farm sell ‘broth’ birds. These are older egg-laying birds that have finished their life on the farm. They’re often half or one third of the price of their regular chicken, although a little bit tougher because they’re much older (which means they’re far more nutrient dense and flavourful, just as an aside).

I toss a whole chicken in a pot, top with water and simmer for a few hours, which creates a beautifully flavoured broth. I strain the broth into 5-6 jars and after removing the meat from the carcass and giving it a quick dice, it goes into the jars as well. They’re stored in the freezer for a convenient protein addition to vegetable soups and more.

When I make a simple pumpkin and chicken soup, I’ve managed to feed my whole family a nourishing meal for less than a cup of coffee.

So, I promise you, you can afford to eat the best quality food. You just need to change your mindset and learn a few little tricks along the way.

Remember, learning and integrating new habits is only an effort until it’s routine.

Newcastle’s COVID-19 updates

Find all the latest news and numbers for Newcastle’s COVID-19 outbreak on the NovoNews website. We update our page daily with local exposure sites, Hunter New England Health advice and all the essential information you need to stay safe. Scan the QR code for a direct link to the page.

Pitt’s PEP11 decision still pending

Over six months have passed since the offshore Petroleum Exploration Permit 11 (PEP 11) expired and Federal Minister for Resources Keith Pitt is yet to make a formal decision on its extension.

The permit proposed by Advent Energy would allow gas and oil drilling off the coast of Newcastle, stretching all the way to Wollongong.

Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon said she had written to Minister Pitt twice requesting that he reject the extension of PEP 11 but was yet to receive a reply.

Claydon said the Minister’s indecision regarding the application of the permit extension had fuelled anxiety among the community.

“Clearly Minister Pitt is not taking the deep concerns of our community seriously. It’s simply not good enough that I’m yet to receive a response from the Minister on such a serious issue.”

She said her office had been flooded with tens of thousands of letters, emails and calls from the community rejecting the PEP 11 project.

“From Sydney to Newcastle, communities along the coastline have been outspoken on this issue, and they deserve answers,” Claydon said.

“Representatives across the political spectrum, including the Prime Minister, have been united in our calls to stop the exploration of oil and gas off our beautiful beaches.

“The Minister has been sitting on his decision for over six months now. It’s time Keith Pitt listened to the voices of our coastal communities and act urgently to put an end to PEP 11 once and for all.”

Save Our Coast founder Natasha Deen told NovoNews in June 2021 that coastal communities had fiercely opposed the plan that put the ocean’s ecosystem at risk.

“A delayed decision on cancelling PEP 11 not only places communities under severe stress, but it also sends a message to these oil and gas companies that they can continue business as usual,” Deen said.

“It’s time for PEP 11 to be cancelled, and for the coast to be saved for future generations.”

Many NSW State and Federal members have all stood united against the permit. Federal Member for Mackellar Jason Falinski and Federal Member for Wentworth Dave Sharma believe the licence was “destined for the trash can”.

“For the last five years, members of both the Liberal and Labor parties have, with their communities, campaigned hard against the renewal of this licence,” Falinski and Sharma said.

“It is a matter of when, not if, we are putting a stake through the heart of this unloved and unwanted licence that has hung like the sword of Damocles over the heads of our communities from Wollongong to Newcastle.

“It is difficult to find anyone who does support PEP 11. As the motion debated in Parliament in October 2020 showed, there was no one who wanted to speak up in favour of PEP 11.”

Since October 2020 a motion moved through the House of Representatives calling for PEP 11 to not be renewed received bipartisan support from Liberals Trent Zimmerman and Dave Sharma, plus Labor’s Emma McBride, Sharon Claydon and Pat Conroy.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro, James Griffin and Rob Stokes have all spoken out against it and Prime Minister Scott Morrison also confirmed his opposition in March 2021.

Most recently Member for Warringah Zali Steggall has announced she will introduce a private members bill to Parliament, helping to bring an end to the permit.

Stop PEP11 Paddle Out earlier this year

Photo supplied: Ben Gamlin

Bumper whale season draws eyes to the coastline

There has never been a better time to spot a flipping tail or a cascade of sea spray as humpback whales make their way up and down Australia’s East Coast.

An estimated 35,000 humpbacks have migrated from their homes in the Antarctic to tropical North Queensland to mate and give birth.

The majestic creatures are now travelling south with new-born calves in tow, delighting droves of Novocastrians at popular lookouts at King Edward Park and Nobbys Breakwall.

Whale-watching experts note the best time to view humpbacks from land occurs as they travel south, closer to shore to protect calves from predators.

The founder of Newcastle adventure tourism business CoastXP, Dominic May, said the southern migration appeared to have started early this year, providing excellent whale-watching conditions for Hunter residents.

“We don’t normally see the whales travelling south in quite decent numbers until September or October, and we have already started to see plenty heading south, which is a good thing; it means that there are probably more whales around,” May said in August.

It is an observation backed by science. The University of Queensland has found Australian humpback populations are growing by 10 to 11 per cent each year.

It is a long and remarkable tale of recovery, as whale populations were historically decimated from the time of Australia’s European colonisation until whaling was banned in the 1960s.

Dominic May said it was great to see that even with COVID restrictions, locals were able to get out walking and witness the migration phenomenon.

“People like my parents or grandparents are not used to seeing humpback whales along the coastline when they were kids,” May said.

“In fact, it would probably be quite rare for them to spot one, because their numbers were down to the hundreds.

“Now with the numbers being between 30,000 and 35,000 each year alone, it’s an activity that people are able to participate in quite easily, just by walking along the coastline. It’s very exciting to see that change over a number of years.”

Despite the thriving humpback population, local tourism operators are struggling to stay afloat amid a huge loss of revenue induced by the latest COVID lockdown in NSW.

Photo supplied: Samuel Mackenzie @dronedoutphotography