TOGA Podcast Thoracic Oncology Group Of Australasia (TOGA)

People living with lung cancer experience a high level of unmet needs, high levels of psychological stress, and a poor quality of life. Additionally, they tend to underutilise hospital and community support services. This situation makes access to a lung cancer nurse imperative. A dedicated nurse can provide essential support and care, improving the well-being of patients with lung cancer. Nurses have many roles and responsibilities and in this TOGA podcast we want to raise awareness of the importance of this role in the delivery a variety of positive outcomes to people living with thoracic cancer and their families.

To discuss their role, how they benefit lung cancer patients and how the national lung cancer screening program may affect their role Dr Vanessa Brunelli, Research Fellow, Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Sustainable Futures); Vice Chancellor’s Unit, University of Wollongong is joined by Fiorina Gibbons, Lung Cancer and Melanoma Clinical Nurse Consultant at Western Cancer Centre Dubbo; Melissa Laan, Lung Cancer Nurse Consultant at Royal Adelaide Hospital; and Associate Professor Henry Marshall , senior staff Thoracic Physician at The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane and Visiting Medical Officer at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Northside, Brisbane.

This podcast has been supported by Community Underwriting.

Radiation therapy can be a very effective treatment for lung cancers, with 77% of patients indicating for radiation therapy in their disease trajectory. Yet, only 40% of patients with lung cancer in NSW receive radiation therapy.

In this podcast, Professor Shalini Vinod, Assoc Professor Mei-Ling Yap, and Dr Clare Bajraszewski discuss why radiation therapy is underutilised in lung cancer, what this means for patients, and potential solutions to address this.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming medicine. Lung Cancer healthcare professionals are interested in the use of AI in radiology, particularly in early diagnosis leading to better patient outcomes. In this podcast we will explore how AI can aid in early detection, accurate interpretation of imaging scans and reduce diagnostic errors. This episode is joined by Associate Professor Michael Franco, a dual trained in medical oncology and palliative care and also the digital health director at Monash in Melbourne. He is featured with Professor Catherine Jones Cardiothoracic Radiologist I-Med Radiology and Clinical Director of Radiology at Redland Hospital, Brisbane and an expert on the Cancer Australia Expert Group for National Lung Cancer Screening Program. And accompanied by Dr Diane Pascoe a Consultant Radiologist and Deputy Director of Medical Imaging at Royal Melbourne Hospital.

In this TOGA Podcast the speakers discuss Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) – An Emerging Treatment Platform in Lung Cancer. The discussion explores the different molecules and mechanisms of drugs currently available, trial results and the subsequent place of ADCs in the Lung Cancer. Furthermore, our guests expand upon the management of patients receiving these drugs.

A/Prof Melissa Moore, Medical Oncologist at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, is joined in this conversation by fellow medical oncologists A/Prof Tom John from Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne and A/Prof Adnan Nagrial from Westmead Hospital in Sydney.

This TOGA Podcast discusses Lung cancer Screening and Moving from Concept to Roll Out. The conversation explores the International Lung Cancer Screening Trial and overseas experience of recruitment, the challenges of reaching different population groups, some of whom stand to benefit most from the LCSP, and what it will mean for healthcare workload. The discussion explores the role of Federal and State jurisdictions in the management of the program.

A/Prof Emily Stone, Head of Thoracic Medicine in the Dept of Thoracic Medicine and Lung Transplantation at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, is joined by A/Prof Gavin Wright Director of Surgical Oncology and a Thoracic Surgeon at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, A/Prof Nicole Rankin, an implementation scientist from The University of Melbourne with expertise in lung cancer and A/Prof Annette McWilliams who is a respiratory Physician at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth and clinical lead for the Thoracic Tumour Collaborative for Western Australia.

This podcast is produced in support of lung cancer awareness month. Throughout the month of November please help spread awareness of lung cancer. If you want to find out more about lung cancer, get involved or donate towards lung cancer research- please go to TOGA's website at www.thoraciconcology.org.au

For more information on the program https://thoraciconcology.org.au/lung-cancer-screening-program/

This TOGA Podcast discusses strategies for enhancing patients’ recovery from lung cancer resection in light of new and emerging data for new peri-operative therapies that improve survival. The conversation explores the guidelines available, the changing landscape for the patient with neoadjuvant and adjuvant management options, and the multidisciplinary considerations to optimise the care of patients.

Dr Jazmin Eckhaus, a thoracic surgeon from The Austin, Melbourne, is joined by A/Prof Emily Stone, Head of Thoracic Medicine in the Dept of Thoracic Medicine and Lung Transplantation at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, A/Prof Melissa Moore, a medical oncologist from St Vincent’s in Melbourne and Chair of the TOGA Education Committee and Professor Catherine Granger, Head of Physiotherapy Research at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and an Associate Professor of Physiotherapy at The University of Melbourne in Australia. Professor Granger is a cardiorespiratory physiotherapist and clinician scientist with expertise in physical activity and exercise for cancer patients’ populations.