A "life saving" clinical trial could change the way cancer treatment is delivered in the Dubbo region.
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Gold Logie winning actor Samuel Johnson, whose charity Love Your Sister funded the Macquarie University trial, visited Dubbo this week to see just what impact it will have for local cancer patients.
"What we're doing is bringing precision medicine to cancer patients in regional areas because your postcode shouldn't matter," he said.
"We're trying to address the inequity in access to care, if you're from a rural, regional or remote area in Australia you're nearly 20 per cent more likely to die of cancer and I have a problem with that."
"Whether you're in Dubbo or Darlinghurst you deserve precision medicine - it's a world first co-design and it will be self sufficient in three years."
Mr Johnson and his sister Connie, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, founded Love Your Sister in 2012 to raise money for breast cancer research.
Sadly, Connie passed away in 2017 but her legacy lives on through almost $20 million raised for cancer research.
Love Your Sister's $1.2 million grant to Macquarie University will allow them to deliver a three-year precision medicine trial through the Oncology Department at Dubbo Hospital, with satellite hubs in Mudgee, Bourke, Brewarrina and Coonabarabran.
"Precision medicine gets the patient on the right drug first time, every time instead of putting the patient through false lines of treatment," Mr Johnson said.
"My sister's first line of treatment failed, her second line failed, her third line failed. And on the fourth try they found the right drug but it was too late by then.
"Precision medicine takes a piece of the cancer, puts it into a petri dish, and works out exactly which medicine will work on that particular cancer."
A portrait of grief
While in Dubbo, Mr Johnson paid a visit to the Western Plains Cultural Centre which is currently exhibiting the 2022 Archibald Prize finalists.
Among the paintings is a large portrait of Mr Johnson by artist Jeremy Eden, winner of the Archibald Prize 2022 ANZ People's Choice award.
Mr Eden's mother also passed away from cancer in 2008.
"In the painting I'm holding a photo, that's the artist's mother, and that explains how personal this was for him. It's not just about me," said Mr Johnson.
"I've been asked every year for about 25 years [to be painted] and I said no, I was waiting for the right time. I wanted to find the right painter and actually get into the Archibald, it's not a light decision.
"I eventually said yes to Jeremy. And I'll never forget working with him."
The Archibald Prize exhibition will be on display at the Western Plains Cultural Centre until Sunday, July 30.
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