About
Peter Mac
Peter Mac is one of the world’s leading cancer research, education and treatment centres globally and is Australia’s only public hospital solely dedicated to caring for people affected by cancer.
We have over 2,500 staff, including more than 580 laboratory and clinical researchers, all focused on providing better treatments, better care and potential cures for cancer. We plan and operate from our core values of innovation, excellence and compassion.
Peter Mac’s research impacts people with all types of cancer, right around the globe. With your support, we can bring hope to even more people.

Our research
Peter Mac’s commitment to research is based on the belief that treatment informed by research, and research informed by treatment, is the key to progressing better cancer care. Our programs cover a wide range of areas, including:
- Prostate cancer – research into which tumours are aggressive, the features that can predict tumour progression, and the treatments that can improve patient survival
- Gastrointestinal cancer – research into the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers, the biology of the tumours, and the active translation of laboratory findings into the clinic
- Cancer genetics and genomics – the use of techniques such as DNA sequencing to analyse individual patients’ tumours and relate this information to their clinical outcome


The history of Peter Mac
Seventy years ago, Sir Peter MacCallum and Dr Rutherford Kaye-Scott convinced the Victorian Government to set up Victoria’s first dedicated cancer centre. Sir Peter MacCallum believed that nothing but the best was good enough in cancer care.
From modest beginnings – just a single room in the then Queen Victoria Hospital in Melbourne – the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre has grown to become one of the world’s leading cancer research, education and treatment centres globally.