Yarning with GI Cancer Trials CEO Joanne Cory
As Acting CEO in mid-2024, when this yarn was filmed, Joanne Cory engages in a conversation with Madison Shakespeare about the GI Cancer Institute and the Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group (AGITG).
At the time of release in March 2025, Joanne Cory now serves as the appointed CEO of GI Cancer Institute.
Informed and inspired by the tenacity, wisdom, and unwavering dedication of Russell Conley, who served as CEO of the GI Cancer Institute for 22 years, Joanne continues to uphold and promote patient-centred strategic approaches across their clinical trials. This yarn illuminates how this organisation is focused on all cancer patients realising self-determined cancer journeys.
This yarn offers Community understanding on how the organisation addresses equity and diversity, building relationships with First Nations patients and Community to combat health inequities.
Further yarning with GI Cancer Trials CEO Joanne Cory
This second yarn with Joanne Cory, CEO of GI Cancer Trials, highlights how feedback from the Community Advisory Panel is valued and integral to driving change, ensuring researchers and doctors listen to their patients.
This is essential viewing for anyone with cancer or supporting a loved one on their cancer journey.
Yarning to meet Professor Lorraine Chantrill
Building trust with healthcare clinicians is a process that requires time, yet there is often very little time between diagnosis and the start of treatment. Madison Shakespeare yarns with Professor Lorraine Chantrill who at the time of release is the Chair of GI Cancer Trials, Senior Staff Specialist Medical Oncologist and Head of Service for Medical Oncology across the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD), and Area Clinical Director of Clinical Trials.
While this yarn shows the unwavering commitment made by Professor Chantrill to finding the best treatment options for all cancer patients, for First Nations patients, it specifically evidences how her research and clinical practice is founded on deep cultural mindfulness, respectful listening and humanitarianism.
Yarning about self-determined cancer treatment pathways with Professor Lorraine Chantrill
Developing culturally safe relationships within which First Nations patients can ask questions to navigate their specific cultural and spiritual considerations and concerns is implicit in patient-centred care.
This yarn is beneficial for all First Nations patients, carers, Kin and Community as Professor Chantrill yarns about ways to address cultural concerns that may prevent First Nations patients accessing best treatment options.
Yarning with Professor Lorraine Chantrill about individualised cancer diagnosis and treatment
In this yarn Professor Lorraine Chantrill and Madison Shakespeare consider how individualised cancer treatment can achieve best health and wellbeing outcomes for First Nations patients.
This yarn is valuable for all cancer patients and their loved ones.
Yarning to meet Professor Alan Wigg
Madison Shakespeare yarns with the internationally renowned Professor Alan Wigg discussing his professional experience as a gastroenterologist and lead researcher on liver cancer and Australian First Nations Communities.
Community are offered perspectives on the caring, compassionate medical specialist behind clinical trials offered to First Nations patients.
Yarning with Professor Alan Wigg about Socrates HCC clinical trial
What is the Socrates HCC clinical trial and why is this clinical trial so important for First Nations patients with liver cancer?
Western cancer treatments are developed based on data from clinical trials. Despite a rise in cancer diagnoses among First Nations patients, researchers and specialists still face challenges in obtaining data specific to First Nations cancer patients due to the underrepresentation of Community in cancer clinical trials.
Madison Shakespeare and Professor Alan Wigg yarn about critical issues impacting First Nations cancer patients that ultimately disadvantage Community facing future cancer diagnoses.
This yarn speaks specifically to Community about current clinical trial approaches centred on cultural safety, ethical practices, and accountability, aiming to address and redress the harm previously experienced by Kin in relation to research and Western medicine.
Yarning with Professor Alan Wigg about early cancer diagnosis of cancer for First Nations patients
Madison Shakespeare asks Professor Alan Wigg some tough questions about clinical trials because truth-telling about clinical trial approaches is crucial for ensuring transparency with trial participants, their Carers, Kin, and Community.
This is an extensive yarn to provide Community with more understanding about the approaches harnessed by Professor Wigg in clinical trials that involve First Nations cancer patients.
Yarning with Aunty Grace about the impact of a cancer diagnosis
A cancer diagnosis often brings shock, fear, and disbelief, marking the start of an overwhelming journey filled with tests and treatments. While many non-Indigenous healthcare providers acknowledge the distress caused by cancer, they may not fully grasp how this is experienced by First Nations patients.
This yarning between Aunty Grace Crossley, Jerrinja Elder, and Madison Shakespeare reflects on these considerations and offers Indigenous viewers shared community experiences related to cancer diagnosis.
Yarning with Aunty Grace about self-determined cancer journeys through a special cancer clinic for Indigenous Community
What is cancer and why is there so much cancer in Australian First Nations Communities?
This yarning between Aunty Grace Crossley Jerrinja Elder and Madison Shakespeare speaks on old ways of healthy living, nutrition and exercise and therefore celebrates cultural histories, knowledges and practices of Kin and Community.
Building Doctor–First Nation cancer patient relationships around respectful listening
Madison Shakespeare extensively yarns with Wiradjuri Custodians of Country Eitan Harris and Matilda Harry, both of whom have shared the journey of a grandparent who confronted a cancer diagnosis.
Valuably the lived experiences of these two post-graduate HDR scholars reveals how a cancer diagnosis affects generations of Kin and Community in diverse ways. This yarning process evoked meaningful opportunities of healing for all involved in recording our unique experiences with Kin with cancer.
E-consent: Understanding clinical trial involvement to make an informed decision
Being unwell while trying to manage the logistics of attending a multitude of appointments that may be a considerable distance away from your home, Kin and or Community, is challenging. For First Nations patients this can be particularly overwhelming because you are often required to make critical decisions that may be outside your scope of experience and that take you off (home) Country. If you are offered access to a clinical trial you often have little time to contemplate how this will affect Kin and impact on your role within family.
Madison Shakespeare yarns with Hanifa Abdiraihan about e-consent, a process introduced by GI Cancer Trials to ensure that patients can have these important yarns with their Kin away from the doctor’s consultation room and prior to enrolling in the clinical trial.
This is necessary viewing by all cancer patients, that specifically offers First Nations patients, carers, Kin and Community understanding on a process that promotes culturally safer engagement in clinical trials.
Sharing your self-determined journey, building relationships and respecting your rights
A cancer diagnosis is confronting, so, hearing from others, who have been on their own cancer journey, can often be very reassuring. Patient stories of resilience, tenacity, bravery and insight are made available on the GI cancer website.
Madison Shakespeare yarns with Hanifa Abdiraihan from the Communication team of the GI Cancer Institute about this practice in contexts of First Nations patients who may wish to share their stories with GI Cancer.
This yarn considers issues specific to Sorry Business and details how patient, Kin and sometimes Community can continue ownership over their personal histories of experience.
This yarn is beneficial for Community and all who are contemplating sharing their personal cancer stories.