Medical Oncology Group of Australia (MOGA)

• Category Marryalyan
• DATE 26 Oct 2022

Medical Oncology Group of Australia (MOGA)

October 2022

Pursuing excellence in medical oncology research, education and clinical practice, the Medical Oncology Group of Australia (MOGA), the national professional organisation for the medical oncology profession, and Society of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, is pleased to report on some highlights of our activities in 2022.

MOGA held a long-awaited face to face Annual Scientific Meeting in Cairns, Fair North Queensland from 7-8 August, Co-Convened by Drs Natalie Rainey and Peter Manders. Meeting highlights included the Novartis Oncology Cancer Achievement Award address by this year’s recipient Professor Euan Walpole. Professor Walpole’s contribution as a medical oncology clinician, clinician-researcher, leader and mentor in cancer medicine and oncology nationally is well-known in the areas of melanoma, upper gastrointestinal cancer and cancer epidemiology. His outstanding leadership skills in clinical oncology, evidence-based medicine and research have resulted in the development of numerous, influential projects including the Queensland Oncology Online Tool which collects data for all patients with cancer in Queensland – a unique resource and tool to actively monitor and advocate for quality cancer care. Also, as a founding member of the Australia and Asia Pacific Clinical Oncology Development Workshop in 2004, he played a vital role in the creation of Australia’s leading, international training program in oncology clinical trials research that has directly benefited the careers of many young oncologists.

It is therefore timely that we can also report that from 25-30 September Professor Chris Karapetis convened the third annual online Asia-Pacific Clinical Oncology Workshop (making it the 11th the ACORD Workshop since 2004). Over 60 oncology junior clinicians and 35 Faculty from five countries in the Asia-Pacific region participated in the Workshop; and MOGA was pleased to welcome guest observers from the Hanoi Cancer Centre in Vietnam.

On 3 December Dr Connie Diakos will convene a one-day Sciences of Oncology Education Program for Australian Medical Oncology Trainees in the Hunter Valley. A distinguished national faculty will explore themes including Molecular Pathology, the Cell Cycle through to Oncogenes and Tumour Suppressors and many other areas of the sciences that underpin current, professional clinical practice.

Dr Yada Kanjanapan, the 2022 recipient of the Martin H. Tattersall’s Heroes AM also presented at the MOGA 2023 Annual Meeting for providing outstanding leadership on the role of COVID vaccination for individuals with cancer. Her dedicated work provided invaluable professional best practice guidance on how best to vaccinate our vulnerable patients by tirelessly reviewing the literature and updating the COVID-19 vaccination in adult patients with solid tumours MOGA position statement. This ultimately resulted in the following important publication: Kanjanapan Y, Blinman P, Underhill C, Karikios D, Segelov E, Yip D. Medical Oncology Group of Australia Position Statement: COVID-19 vaccination in patients with solid tumours, Internal Medicine Journal, 2021;51(6):955-95. It also noteworthy that Dr Kanjanapan’s work was supported by two major research grants; one, from the Canberra Hospital Private Practice Fund for Principal investigator in project: Assessment of antibody response to COVID-19 and vaccination in people with solid tumour; and the second, from the John James Foundation-Co-investigator in project: Measuring anti-PF4 Antibodies and D-dimer in people post COVID-19 vaccination.

Dr Deme Karikios

Chair, Medical Oncology Group of Australia