Curiosity leads to discoveries delivering tomorrow's cures

“I knew from a very early age that I wanted to do a specialty where we had the ability, through research and discovery, to make a very big difference,” said Professor Mark Dawson.  

As a haematologist, a specialist in blood diseases, for more than 20 years, Prof. Dawson treats patients with blood cancers while also running a large research lab. His research focuses on understanding how cancers start, how they progress, and how they develop resistance to various treatments.

“Both those aspects of my job inform each other. Seeing the patients on the ward tells me about the major problems and issues that we face in treating our patients effectively, and that informs the type of science we do and the types of questions we ask,” said Prof. Dawson.

“When science explains an age-old question, and then provides you with the ability to go and make a major difference, that certainly is the most rewarding aspect of my work.”  

Your compassionate support enables Prof. Dawson to continue this vital work. Including a world-leading cancer epigenetics research project which has led to groundbreaking cancer treatments now in global clinical trials.

“The project...succeeded in a very big way, because it ultimately led to the identification of a treatment target, the identification of a drug, and the subsequent translation of that drug into the clinic. That has taken many, many years, but that's something that would not have been done without the generous support of Cancer Council donors,” continued Prof. Dawson. 

A staggering one in eight Victorians are diagnosed with a blood cancer each year according to the latest Victorian Cancer Registry data. But thanks to investment in research, funded by generous donations, we have seen significant improvements in outcomes in recent years with more Victorians living with, and beyond, a blood cancer diagnosis than ever before. But there is still work to be done.

Further research could benefit people like professional Melbourne Mustangs ice hockey player, Steve, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 37. While he is now cancer-free, Steve’s treatment was harsh and took a significant toll on his body.

“It’s tough to get your mind around the fact that the treatment is making you better by making you worse... There were plenty of times where I just wanted to say, ‘I can’t do this. I don’t want to do another treatment. I’m done,’” said Steve, who finished his treatment in February 2024.

Prof. Dawson’s current project aims to build on recent breakthroughs that have identified more effective and gentler treatments for blood cancers. Turning his attention to CAR T-cell therapy, he’s exploring how the characteristics of CAR T-cells can use the patients’ own immune system to recognise and kill cancer cells. This therapy has already revolutionised the treatment of several cancers, particularly blood cancers.   

Currently, CAR T-cell therapy has about an 80 per cent success rate. However, in over half of those people treated, the cancer returns. Further investment in cancer research is needed to make treatments more effective and save more lives.

“We don't really have a great understanding of why some people initially respond and then the disease comes back, and why some people altogether fail to respond, so what our research is doing is looking at this.”  

Prof. Dawson has been working on a study for the last three years that follows 60 patients throughout their treatment to work out how well they’re responding. And if the disease comes back, to figure out why it has recurred.   

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