The Australian New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group (ANZ BCTG) was established in 1978, it is part of
the Department of Surgical Oncology, School of Medical Practice, Faculty of Health, University of
Newcastle. The Group is also a registered company. The company is a not for profit entity.
The ANZ BCTG is Australia's national organisation dedicated entirely to breast cancer clinical trials
research. It conducts a National Clinical Trials Research Program for the treatment of all stages of breast
cancer and for the prevention of breast cancer. The research program involves multi-centre clinical trials
and collaboration with 60 institutions and over 500 researchers throughout Australia and New Zealand. It
also collaborates with 15 overseas countries and other International Clinical Trials Research Groups.
It is governed by an elected Board of Directors, and has a Scientific Advisory Committee which plans and
oversees the research program, and a Consumer Advisory Panel. The ANZ BCTG Operations Office
located in Newcastle plans, co-ordinates and analyses the national research programs for all of Australia
and New Zealand. The ANZ BCTG Statistical Centre is located at the National Health and Medical
Research Council (NHMRC) Clinical Trials Centre at the University of Sydney. The ANZ BCTG is
registered for GST (ABN 64 051 369 496), has charitable status (CFN 10881) and Australian Taxation
Office tax deductibility status (ATO N0939).
The ANZ BCTG established the Breast Cancer Institute of Australia (BCIA) in 1994 to raise awareness and
funding for its national breast cancer research programs. The BCIA is located at Suite 2, 227 Darby Street,
Newcastle.
The ANZ BCTG and the BCIA are bound by the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 (the Act)
and the National Privacy Principles.
Australian New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group (ANZ BCTG) – Privacy Policy
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Purpose of Collection: |
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The ANZ BCTG collects relevant health and personal information in order to conduct a national
breast cancer clinical trials research program and related activities.
Information is sought from the following:
- Clinicians, principal investigators, and other medical staff involved
in the conduct of the ANZ BCTG clinical trials program,
- ANZ BCTG members,
- Attendees at the ANZ BCTG Annual
- Participants in ANZ BCTG clinical
- Members of the community.
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How information is collected:
Information from clinicians, principal investigators, and other medical staff and ANZ BCTG
members is collected in the following ways:
- According to clinical trial protocol requirements
- Annual General Meeting registration forms,
- ANZ BCTG membership applications,
- as required.
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| 2.0 |
Type of Information Collected:
The type of information collected includes but is not limited to:
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Clinicians, principal investigators, other medical staff, other participants and ANZ BCTG
members
- contact details
- position
- affiliation details
- where required, a full CV
- where required, a FDA 1572 Financial Disclosure information
- payment details for clinical trial data management reimbursement payments
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annual general meeting registration details – including method
of payment (cheque and bank details, credit card number).
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Participants in the ANZ BCTG clinical trials research program
- informed consent
- clinical trials patient records are anonymous, each trial
participant is given a unique ID number dependant on the study
- relevant health and disease information as required by
the particular clinical trial protocol
- biological samples and related information as required by
the particular clinical trial protocol
- contact and address details obtained via consent, to be used
by the ANZ BCTG to inform participants of clinical trials results and other information
relating to the Group’s clinical trials program
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Security Measures:
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| 3.1 |
Site:
The offices of the ANZ BCTG have a security system and security patrols.
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Computer:
The ANZ BCTG offices operates under a computer network system that is secured by user
names and passwords. This system is protected from external access via a firewall which is
administered by the Hunter Area Health Service. Each computer “locks” after a non operational
period of 15 minutes to ensure security of information stored. User passwords must be changed
regularly.
The confidential information collected by the ANZ BCTG is stored on secure databases which are
also password protected, and which have internal security measures regarding levels of access
for certain users.
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Transmission of Information:
The ANZ BCTG encrypts and/or password protects any confidential information sent via email to
off-site locations.
All other confidential or secure information is transmitted verbally or by direct face-to-face
communication.
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Staff:
All ANZ BCTG staff sign Confidentiality Agreements at the start of their employment. All
temporary staff are also required to sign Confidentiality Agreements. The ANZ BCTG only
employs temporary staff from staff employment agencies which fulfil the obligations of the Act.
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| 3.5 |
Visitors:
Where applicable, ANZ BCTG visitors sign Confidentiality Agreements.
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Disclosure:
Information obtained by the ANZ BCTG is not disclosed to any third parties except as required by
the data flow requirements of a clinical trial protocol (informed consent for this is sought at the
outset), by law, audit, or if consent from the individual is obtained.
At times, the ANZ BCTG may use a mailing house to distribute or transcribe information on behalf
of the ANZ BCTG. The ANZ BCTG will only contract the services of a mailing house which fulfils
the obligations of the Act.
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| 5.0 |
Access to Information:
The ANZ BCTG provides regular opportunity for an individual to be removed from the data base.
Regular advice on how to be removed is contained in mail correspondence and in verbal
discussion where appropriate.
Patients participating in ANZ BCTG clinical trials, can withdraw from participation in a trial at any
time and withdraw their data. This option is explained during the informed consent process.
Any individual or business can have access to their personal information at any time, and/or
request further information about how the ANZ BCTG manages this personal information.
Applications can be made by contacting the ANZ BCTG on Ph: (02) 4985 0170 (within business
hours), or by written application to:
Privacy Officer
Australian New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group
Operations Office
Dept of Surgical Oncology, University of Newcastle
Box 155, HUNTER REGION MAIL CENTRE
NSW 2310
AUSTRALIA
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