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PICS Pulse newsletter | ISSUE 53 | Sep 2026
Introduction
Welcome to the 53rd issue of the PICS Pulse newsletter. Each month we provide updates on projects, upcoming events, and information relevant to our PICS members.
Growing regional team to improve shared care opportunities closer to the home
The ROSCP team (l-r): Sally Scott, Liz Scanlan, Nicole Siranni, Chris Williams
We are excited to announce a new role expanding care closer to home opportunities for patients in southeast Victoria.
Liz Scanlan joins the Regional Outreach and Share Care Program (ROSCP) team as the first Regional Nurse Coordinator based out of Monash Children’s Hospital. This role increases capacity in the program to expand the referral pathways and provide dedicated support that enables shared care closer to the home for families in the Gippsland and Peninsula regions.
Liz joins our Regional Nurse Coordinator in Albury Wodonga, Sally Scott, who is supporting families across northeast Victoria and Nicole Sirianni who coordinates care for families treated at The Royal Children’s Hospital who live anywhere in regional Victoria.
As our ROSCP education program helps to increase local workforce capabilities and regional health services can offer more shared care for paediatric oncology patients, both of these roles are vital for efficient coordination of care between primary treating teams and shared care partners across the state. All 3 coordinators are supported by our Regional Nurse Educator Chris Williams.
We thank My Room and the Sunshine Trust for their support in funding the new Monash role and the continuing Albury Wodonga roles respectively, and the Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation for their ongoing support of ROSCP.
New and updated PICS resources for families
With over 100 resources for patients, families, and carers, we provide a lot of information across all stages of the childhood cancer journey. While we work with health professionals and those with lived experience to identify and bridge information gaps with new resources, we also regularly review our resources to ensure they remain current and continue to reflect best practice.
We are happy to present a mix of new and updated resources for families:
- When your child is diagnosed - Useful information around the time of diagnosis, including making decisions, meeting with your treating team, and how to talk to your children (including siblings) with advice broken into developmental stages.
- Breastfeeding a child being treated for cancer - Supporting families to continue breastfeeding during your baby’s treatment.
- After cancer care (MCH) - Complementing the existing resource for The Royal Children's Hospital, this resource covers what to expect after completing childhood cancer treatment at Monash Children's Hospital, including supports available during the surveillance period.
- Community supports after childhood cancer treatment - Different types of assistance and support available for children affected by cancer, and for their families, after treatment.
- Transitioning from the Victorian Long Term Follow-up Program (LTFP) to adult services - Helping patients and families to understand the transition to adult services, where they may be transitioned to, and how the LTFP will help patients get ready for it.
We thank the health professionals and those with lived experience that provide invaluable input into developing and reviewing our resources.
Academic recognition of our work
We were grateful for the opportunity to have the PICS Director Justine Carder present at the ACCN Innovations Showcase in Adelaide earlier this month. She highlighted PICS Regional Outreach & Shared Care Program (ROSCP) work to build capability and capacity within regional Victorian health service partners in coordination with the primary treatment centres, alongside a Service Capability Framework defining minimum requirements and scope of practice.
We also extend our congratulations to all our LotusLab team members and partners on both the publication of a journal article and conference presentation.
The article, published this month in JMIR Cancer, covers the mixed methods evaluation study of the LotusLab survivorship companion app by parents and health care providers. The presentation, delivered by Dr Cinzia De Luca at the SIOP 2026 Congress in San Antonio, USA last week, spoke on harnessing LotusLab to improve engagement in supportive care, and survivorship trials.
LotusLab is currently in the process of expanding the in-app resources and developing additional rich media for adolescents and young adults – look out for an update in the coming months!
Launch of the Monash Children's Cancer and Haematology Centre (MCCHC)
Congratulations to our colleagues at Monash Children's Hospital (MCH) on last month's launch of their new combined Cancer and Haematology Centre.
The MCCHC was established in response to increasing demand for specialised paediatric cancer and haematology services. In addition to delivering an integrated service model, it has already achieved a 50% increase in inpatient capacity and introduced an additional 5 specialist roles.
It strengthens MCH’s capacity to meet future demand and continue advancing research, innovation, and patient outcomes.
Spotlight on community supports - Leukaemia Foundation
Did you know that September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month as well as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month? There are over 120 kinds of blood cancer, including leukaemia, the most common childhood cancer. The two main leukaemias diagnosed in children are acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
The Leukaemia Foundation provides support services for people with blood cancer, and their families and friends, at no cost:
- Practical support – Accommodation centres, transport assistance, and financial assistance.
- Information support – Resources, webinars, and seminars to better understand blood cancers.
- Emotional support – Online support groups, private Facebook groups, grief, and bereavement support.
These supports are underlined by their team of healthcare professionals to guide patients and families and link them to appropriate services.
Spotlight on PICS resources - Dealing with increased appetite when taking steroids
Steroids are frequently used in childhood cancer treatment, which can have a common side effect of an increased appetite and cravings for fatty foods, resulting in rapid weight gain.
Sometimes this weight gain may be beneficial, but in many cases it can be distressing for both the child and their parents. Our resource on managing this increased appetite contains strategies for families to minimise their child’s weight gain while on steroids.
It also provides additional context around steroid use to help put families at ease.
Please share this newsletter with others who may be interested in PICS news and events.
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