Theme: Focus on melanoma
August 28 / 29 / 30 2009
Preconference workshops Thursday August 27
The Australasian College of Skin Cancer Medicine is proud to announce our Annual Conference in 2009 will again be at the end of August. In 2009 we have assembled the brightest experts from throughout the world on melanoma. Australia has never seen such an assembly of expertise in all areas of melanoma from diagnosis through surgery to ongoing care. Any doctor who has a practice that includes the diagnosis and / or management of melanoma cannot afford to miss this event.
ACSCM is a charity. In keeping with College policy, all doctors speaking at or organising our conference donate their time to the College. Travel and other costs to speak at our meeting are met by College. ACSCM wishes to acknowledge and thank their generous donations, with special thanks to the speakers detailed below.
Accommodation :
The Chancellor Executive Apartments, Varsity Lakes
Confirmed speakers for 2009 (alphabetic order) include the following:
International based speakers:
Dr. Tom Connelly - Florida, USA
Professor J. Meirion Thomas - London, UK
Dr. Christiane Voit - Berlin, Germany
Australian based speakers:
Prof. Chris Del Mar - Gold Coast, QLD
A. Prof. Anthony Dixon - Geelong, VIC
Dr. Paul Hanson - Geelong, vic
Dr. Owen Humphreys - Townsville, QLD
A. Prof. John Kelly - Melbourne, VIC
Dr. Lewis Levitz - Hervey Bay, QLD
A. Prof. Scott Menzies - Sydney, NSW
Dr. Robert Pennisi - Brisbane, QLD
Dr. Helena Rosengren - Townsville, QLD
Dr. Michael Sladden - Launceston, TAS
Professor John Thompson - Sydney, NSW
John Thompson
Professor John Thompson heads the Sydney melanoma Unit, (SMU).
The SMU is the largest in the world with a long history of world leading research in melanoma management. John was formerly an academic surgeon at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital with training not only in surgical oncology but also vascular surgery and transplantation. Since 1993, Dr Thompson has led the SMU as the major contributor to the Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial (MSLT)
From humble beginnings in the 1960s, the SMU in Sydney, Australia, grew rapidly, and soon became the world's largest melanoma unit. Currently each year, about 1,200 new melanoma patients are referred to SMU, and about 8,000 follow-ups occur. It has become the major referral centre for melanoma patients in NSW and overseas. Over 24,500 patients have been managed at SMU. Find out more about SMU here.
Meirion Thomas
Professor Meirion Thomas heads the Melanoma and Sarcoma Unit in London. In 2007 Professor Thomas was awarded a personal Chair as Professor of Surgical Oncology by Imperial College London/The Royal Marsden Hospital. This was as a direct consequence of his research in melanoma which focuses on minimizing treatment related morbidity associated with melanoma surgery.
Professor Thomas and Mr Andrew Hayes published widely in this area, and were invited Authors for in a 2007 Update of the definitive oncological text book “Principles and Practice of Oncology (eds DeVita, Hellman and Rosenberg)”.
Professor Thomas research highlights include the all important randomized controlled trial of 1 cm versus 3 cm surgical margins around primary malignant melanoma. This leading study was publsihed in New England Journal Of Medicine in 2004. Find out more about The Marsden Unit here.
Tom Connelly
Tom Connelly is a dermatologist based in Florida USA, His practice is confined to skin cancer management. Tom is well known to College as a regular contributor to our ejournal. Tom has been involved in the College since our early days, unselfishly working with College as an overseas based independent peer. He has assisted ACSCM with curriculum development, setting standards as well as examination and validation processes. This contribution has been invaluable to College.
Tom is widely published in dermatologic surgery including many papers on tumours that lead to clinician / pathologist dilemmas. Tom is also hosting an ACSCM Fellow for training in Florida. For 2009 conference, Tom plans 2 seperate 60 minute lectures taking us through grafts from A through Z.
Scott Menzies
Well known to most ACSCM members, Scott Menzies returns to our conference for 2009. Scott is perhaps best known for his book, "An Atlas of surface Microscopy of Pigmented Skin lesions: Dermoscopy". The book is a core reference of ACSCM and highly recommended for our diplomat candidates.
Scott is a pioneer of dermoscopy and among the first to scientifically evaluate whether the dermoscopic features of melanoma could be validated statistically.
Dermoscopy has moved beyond simply pigmented lesions and Scott has once again been leading this momentum. Vascular features are now recognised as emerging key features for the skilled dermoscopist to recognise. In 2009 Scott will talk to us about vascular features on dermoscopy as well as acral dermoscopy and new research in the world of dermoscopy.
John Kelly
College is pleased to welcome John Kelly to our expert melanoma faculty for our 2009 conference.
John is a dermatologist in Melbourne who heads the Victorian Melanoma Service at the Alfred Hospital. John's research credentials in melanoma are extensive on topics such as nodular melanoma, dysplastic naevi, lentigo maligna and melanoma management.
John won the Medical Journal of Australia's prestigious best research award in 1997 for his ground breaking prospective study that identified the high future melanoma risk in patients that have 5 or more dysplastic naevi. At our 2009 conference John will lecture us on the Friday afternoon about atypical presentations of melanoma including nodular melanoma. He will also discuss the identification and management of the high risk patient with emphasis on sequential dermoscopy using the MoleMap system.
Christiane Voit
Dr. Christiane Alexandra Voit is a dermatologist who specialises in melanoma and is Head of Centre for Diagnostics & also Head of the Melanoma Follow up Unit at the Skin Cancer Centre, Charite, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. In 2006 Christiane was honoured with the Berlin Cancer Award (Curt Meyer Award).
Her extensive research includes ground breaking work with ultrasound of nodal basins and fine needle aspiration in melanoma patients. She has published extensively in this area in journals such as Cancer, Br J Cancer, J Am Acad Dermatol, Dernatol Surg, Ann Surg Oncol, Dermatology & J Clin Oncol.
The College was privileged to hear Christiane discuss ultrasound and fine needle aspiration of nodal basins at our 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting.
Christiane returns in 2009 to join our panel of world experts in melanoma. Christiane will focus especially on the ongoing management of melanoma patients once diagnosis and immediate treatment are underway. .
Michael Sladden
Michael is a dermatologist in private practice in Tasmania where he returned after completing dermatology training in England.. Michael is widely published in many areas of dermatology including dermatitis, alopecia, impetigo, acne, psoriasis to melanoma. Michael has a passion for evidence based dermatology and has completed many critical reviews of trials pertinent to dermatologic practice. ACSCM members also know Mike as a regular contributor to our College ejournal. Michael brings the perspective of managing skin cancer as part of a broader general dermatology practice. Michael also brings a perspecitve from a background in public and rural health.
Michael has a string of publications in journals such as British Medical Journal, British Journal of Dermatology, Medical Journal of Australia, Archives of Dermatology and the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology.
Lewis Levitz
Lewis is an oculoplastic surgeon. Having a background in ophthalmology, Lewis completed FRCSEd in 2000 winning a string of awards along the way and since. Following a career in South Africa and UK, Lewis now lives and practices in Hervey Bay where his interests are in cataract and oculoplastic surgery.
Lewis plans to return to our Faculty in 2009. In keeping with our melanoma theme, Lewis will talk on ocular melanoma.
Of interest to all our doctors operating on or near the eyelids, Lewis will also discuss the key anatomy of the lids for skin surgery and how to avoid causing an ectropion when excising tumours from the medial cheek and lower eyelid. We welcome Lewis back for 2009.
Robert Pennisi
Robert is a dermatopathologist who has assisted College in further development of our dermatopathology curriculum. He has also provided valuable dermatopathology advice to College email case studies. In keeping with our melanoma theme, Robert will present some of the melanoma dilemmas faced by the pathologist. Spitz naevi and related tumours will be discussed as well as dysplastic naevi.
Robert comes from a General Practice background. With formal dermatology training and a fellowship in Pathology, Robert is experienced at understanding the nuances of skin cancer from the perspectives of both clinician and pathologist. Robert works as dermatopathologist for Gribbles Pathology and is based in Queensland.
Chris Del Mar
Chris is Dean of Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine at Bond University, our host University for Conference. Chris has a passionate interest in evidence based medicine.His doctorate pertains to management of skin cancer in Australia and he continues dual interests in both skin cancer and improving our evidence base for current medical treatments.
Chris joins our Conference faculty again in 2009 with a discussion of the importance of evidence based medicine in medical practice in general as well as in skin cancer medicine.
We thank Chris and his team at Bond University for once again hiosting our main annual meeting.
Paul Hanson
Paul is a melanoma patient and brings the patient side of melanoma management to our meeting. Paul had a conjunctival melanoma diagnosed in early 2007 and treatment included removal of the eyeball. Paul has seen the debates over possible treatment options from the patient perspective. Paul will describe his story to our meeting and explain controversies from his perspective.
But Paul is also a Medical Practitioner and a consultant anaesthetist. His practice includes regular anaesthesia for skin cancer patients including melanoma patients.
As such, Paul has a different perspective on melanoma to the majority of the experts on our melanoma panel. His insight will be invaluable in our panel discussions of melanoma management in 2009. We welcome Paul and his wife Astrid to our 2009 Annual Conference Faculty.
Anthony Dixon
Anthony is a recognised and respected teacher of surgical reconstruction following skin cancer excision. He is author of Australian Family Physician "Skin Cancer Series". He teaches all over Australia in between managing a private practice. He completed his PhD in 2008 with a thesis on outcomes of skin cancer surgery.
Overseas Anthony is best known for his ROM flap repair below the knee and for his research. Anthony has the world's largest single surgeon prospective database of outcomes and complications of skin cancer surgery and has published the world's largest studies on bleeding and infection risk factors, etc. He has further original research to be published in 2009. Anthony is ACSCM College Censor.
Helena Rosengren
College Secretary, Helena Rosengren is a GP working in Skin Cancer Medicine in Townsville, Queensland.
She is a fellow of the RACGP and ACSCM and has successfully completed the UQ Master of Medicine (primary care skin cancer medicine) degree.
As a senior lecturer at James Cook University, where she teaches skin biology, Helena will introduced dermoscopy teaching to medical students in 2008.
In addition, Helena is an examiner for RACGP and ACSCM and the medical consultant for the Skin Cancer Research Unit at James Cook University.
As a member of the ACSCM education committee Helena is involved in teaching at our Certificate and Diploma workshops.
Owen Humphreys
ACSCM College Fellow, Dr. Owen Humphreys will direct the preconference hands on workshop for 2009 conference.
For 2009 there will be three sessions, each of 2 hours, hands on skills training with pigs hocks. One of these sessions will be geared for medical students. The other two events will be targetted at doctors needing to learn or revise core techniques with tissue handling, suturing, biopsy and excision skills. An introduction to flap surgery will also be covered.
Owen has been a part of College workshop training program since the start of 2008. Owen teaches core knowledge of skin cancer management throughout Australia. He is in full time skin cancer practice in North Queensland.
Charity.
The Australasian College of Skin Cancer Medicine is registered as a charity. It is a College policy that no speaker be paid for a presentation or participation at our Annual Scientific Meeting. All of our faculty listed above are donating their services. The College will be paying for their major expenses. The College wishes to recognise and thank our speakers for their significant donation to skin cancer education.
College policy specifies that no person or party shall in any way profit from the Annual Scientific Meeting. Any profit from the event will be directed to further skin cancer research, education and training. Our conference convenors are not paid for their contribution to this meeting. Indeed they are required to meet all their own expenses, including airfares and accommodation to attend our conference.
Format.
Our conference will comprise lectures from our faculty above as well as "Masters Panel" sessions. These involve case presentations of problems to our panels. Each panel will include 4 experts. All of our faculty above will contribute to the Masters Panel Sessions.
Registration.
Registration for the Annual Scientific Meeting opens on March 1st, 2009. The registration form will be available in the New Year.
We are sure you will agree that this meeting is one not to be missed.