Australia's best minds in melanoma research converge on Melbourne
8 October 2018
The 2018 Australasian Melanoma Conference, held in Melbourne over the weekend, focussed on the integration of research and clinical care.
Melanoma Institute Australia’s Medical Directors, Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer, led the large contingent from MIA. In the targeted therapies session, Professor Long asked “where to next?”, while Professor Scolyer spoke on the challenges associated with borderline lesions and, in the Saturday lunchtime plenary session, discussed predicting patient outcomes.
Among the team of MIA clinicians was Professor Graham Mann who presented insights from the Australian Melanoma Genome Project and the Australian Melanoma Clinical Outcomes Registry. Associate Professor Pascale Guitera spoke on dermoscopy and provided an educational course on confocal microscopy, and Associate Professor Jon Stretch, Professor Angela Hong, Professor Peter Hersey and research affiliates Professor Nick Hayward and Professor Helen Rizos all chaired sessions.
A joint presentation from Professor Andrew Spillane and Associate Professor Alex Menzies in the management of loco-regional disease session provided both surgical and medical approaches to regional disease. Professor Diona Damian debated topical and injectable therapies for cutaneous melanoma, and Associate Professor Robyn Saw discussed follow-up and investigation for high-risk melanoma patients in the supportive care and survivorship session. A clinician’s perspective of The National Melanoma Guidelines from Professor John Thompson rounded out the weekend.
A highlight of the conference was the Consumer Breakfast, where a panel of people affected by melanoma, including MIA’s Jay Allen, discussed solariums, early detection, and the importance of support and routines after diagnosis. They shared stories, hope, and the importance of fundraising. “We need to keep raising funds, by organising events in local areas or supporting larger fundraising campaigns, because without funding, we don’t have research,” Mr Allen said.
Photograph: Australasian Melanoma Conference
Melanoma breakthrough paves way for personalised treatment for all cancer patients
Australian researchers have for the first time identified specific cells and receptors in the immune system which predict how a patient will respond to treatment with immunotherapies, potentially paving the way for the development of personalised therapy for all cancer patients.
Melanoma March announces 2019 Principal Partner
Melanoma March is thrilled to introduce Ricky as our official Principal Partner for 2019!
Swimming champion Cate Campbell spearheads national campaign to save lives from melanoma
World record holder, Olympian and Australian swimming champion Cate Campbell has been announced as National Ambassador for Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) and its national awareness and fundraising campaign, Melanoma March.
MIA experts collaborate on groundbreaking research
MIA's expertise was essential to a recent Nature publication spearheaded by Perth’s Telethon Kids Institute and The University of Melbourne.
World-leading pathologist Associate Professor Michael Tetzlaff visits MIA
MIA is delighted to be hosting the MD Anderson pathologist on his first ever trip to Australia.
Possible PBS listing for dabrafenib and trametinib
Clinicians, patients and other stakeholders in the cancer community are invited to make submissions in support of the PBS listing for dabrafenib and trametinib.
Arden Anglican School wins SunSafe Ambassador competition
Three students from Arden Anglican School in Epping have won Melanoma Institute Australia’s (MIA) inaugural SunSafe Student Ambassador Award.
DON'T CLOUD THE SUN-SAFE MESSAGE
Mark Whittaker’s ‘Here comes the sun; Defending our summer rays’ (GW 24 Nov) clouds the sun-safe message – which could have disastrous consequences.
Professor Georgina Long named as one of world's most highly cited researchers
Professor Georgina Long is among only 12 researchers from the University of Sydney to be named in the 2018 Highly Cited Researchers List.
Aussies need to protect themselves from 'everyday' sun damage
‘Wearing sunscreen should be as automatic as wearing a seatbelt. Both are potential life savers.’
The Poche Centre to host 3D total-body imaging system as part of world-first initiative to save lives from melanoma
A prestigious $10 million Australian Cancer Research Foundation grant has been awarded to ACEMID, an initiative that aims to use 3D total-body imaging and a remote medicine network to improve the detection and diagnosis of early-stage melanoma.
Major award for world-leaders in melanoma research
Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer have been recognised as world leaders in melanoma research for their ground-breaking work that has changed the diagnosis and treatment landscape of melanoma world-wide, and tripled the life-expectancy of advanced melanoma patients.
Melanoma Institute Australia shines at prestigious Cancer Research Awards
Leading researchers from Melanoma Institute Australia have taken out the top accolades at the NSW Premier’s Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research.
Women of MIA lead the way in melanoma research at SMR
An impressive contingent of female delegates from Melanoma Institute Australia have presented findings across the whole spectrum of melanoma research at the Society for Melanoma Research 2018 Congress in Manchester, England.
Immune cell research presented at SMR
Over 800 researchers and clinicians from around the world were welcomed to Manchester for the 15th International Congress of the Society for Melanoma Research (SMR). Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) has again sent an impressive number of delegates to present both oral presentations and posters with the latest in translational research.
Professor Georgina Long makes history as the first woman and first Australian to lead the Society for Melanoma Research
Professor Georgina Long makes history as the first woman and first Australian to lead the world’s most prestigious international melanoma research association.
Patients to benefit from updated skin tumour publications
Two publications co-edited by MIA Co-Medical Director Professor Richard Scolyer are now available to healthcare professionals. They aim to provide assistance in the care and management of patients with skin cancer, including melanoma.
SunSafe Student Ambassador Program
Melanoma Institute Australia has introduced a new educational program to teach teenagers about the dangers of melanoma and the importance of sun safety.
International collaboration the key to increasing survival
"International collaboration remains the key to ensuring this pioneering research continues so we can increase survival rates for advanced melanoma patients and move us closer to achieving our goal of zero deaths from melanoma," says Professor Georgina Long, of the clinical trial results presented at ESMO 2018.
High-risk Stage III melanoma patients to benefit from Australia/Netherlands collaboration
Research that could change clinical practice for high-risk Stage III melanoma patients has been presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Munich.