“The biggest gap in brain cancer research was basic infrastructure.”
Robyn Leonard OAM
Brain Cancer Australia Founder and Director Robyn Leonard OAM delivered the keynote address at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Women in Surgery Lunch on Sunday, 22 February.
Addressing a room of current and emerging surgeons, Robyn shared her journey – from a phone call that no-one ever wants to receive to the founding of Brain Cancer Australia.
"Nineteen years ago, my 27-year-old daughter Lucie called from London to say doctors had found a tumour in her brain. That call changed everything,” shared Robyn.
Over seven years, Lucie underwent four craniotomies, several rounds of chemotherapy and one round of radiation. “Our lives became an ongoing cycle of medical appointments. Periods of remission followed by recurrence – hope followed by heartbreak.” Despite the odds, “through it all she shone.”
Robyn spoke candidly about the reality of brain cancer. “Brain cancer is a brutal disease. It kills more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer – and the survival rates have barely shifted in 40 years.” When Lucie died at 34, Robyn was left with “grief and anger – and a deep need to do something.”
She started talking to clinicians and researchers. What she discovered was not a lack of talent or ideas, but a lack of infrastructure. “The biggest gap in brain cancer research was basic infrastructure – high quality data, access to tissue samples, systems to enable cost effective clinical trials.”
That insight led to the creation of a national biobanking network and, ultimately, Brain Cancer Australia – now a consortium of more than 100 clinicians and researchers working collaboratively to build the infrastructure that will advance brain cancer research and improve patient care.
Robyn closed with the hope that drives her work: to ensure that one day families facing brain cancer will hear the words, “There’s a lot more we can do for you.”
Robyn was joined at the event by representatives from RACS, Avant and Brain Cancer Australia: Dr Grahame Smith, Dr Danette Wright, Rashi Bansal, Prof Michael Besser, Dr Pecky (Upeksha) De Silva, Stephanie Clota and Prof Ray Sacks.
