Paying tribute to a 20-year legacy

Cabrini Research Annual Report 2020-21 A 20-year legacy

Dr Peter Meese

On Tuesday 23 March 2021, we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the annual Peter Meese Memorial Lecture. The annual lecture was established in 2001 in honour of Peter Meese, a highly regarded Melbourne physician. Peter was affiliated with many medical organisations, but worked particularly hard in the pursuit of excellence in the field of HIV and sexual health, making invaluable contributions to this field of medicine. He was always involved in clinical trials – for the benefit of his patients.

Peter became a Cabrini patient following his bowel cancer diagnosis in 1999, and sadly passed away in 2000. His partner, Dr Darren Lockie, established a program of cancer research scholarships, grants and the Peter Meese Memorial Lecture to thank Cabrini oncology and palliative care nursing staff for their compassionate care during Peter’s illness. Over the 20 years, countless Cabrini staff, particularly nurses, have benefited from the annual lecture, grants and scholarships that are awarded to further oncology nursing education and research. Darren’s generous support in memory of Peter and the care they both received ultimately benefits all oncology patients at Cabrini.

Darren said it was special to be celebrating this year, not only as the 20th Anniversary Memorial Lecture, but also as the first virtual gathering. Reflecting back on Peter’s time at Cabrini, Darren said “Cabrini nurses cared not only for Peter but the both of us and then, at the end, for me.

“Peter felt like a person not a patient. I was cared for as his partner and his carer, and we were acknowledged and treated as partners long before equality was on the social agenda.

“Cabrini nurses translated compassionate care into reality. This is my thank you for that wonderful compassionate care and support that you gave Peter and me. It was an amazing and empowering experience, one with a lasting legacy that still drives my professional desire to deliver focused personal care every day of my working life.”

The keynote presentation was delivered by Professor Sue Evans, Director of the Victorian Cancer Registry (VCR). Sue presented a contemporary assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on cancer diagnoses in Victoria, drawing on her expertise and the VCR’s artificial intelligence, which captures cancer notifications in real time as they are signed off in the labs. Sue shared some very interesting and thought-provoking data on how COVID-19 has impacted cancer diagnoses throughout the world, in Australia and specifically in Victoria. She noted, globally there were reduced cancer notifications as a direct result of COVID-19. Modelling suggests that this will likely impact cancer diagnoses and longer-term outcomes such as survival. As a result of this, the Cancer Council have launched public

awareness campaigns to highlight the importance of early diagnosis of cancer.

Cabrini wishes to acknowledge Dr Darren Lockie’s outstanding ongoing commitment to oncology nursing and philanthropy over the past 20 years and into the future. It is donations like these that allow Cabrini to continue to support medical research, which subsequently translates into better care for our patients.

Right: Dr Darren Lockie (front) with Dr Susan Ronaldson and Mr Phil Ronaldson.