Congratulations to winners of the 2023 Awards

At the 25th AGITG Annual Scientific Meeting, held in Christchurch between 13–16 November 2023, members recognised for their contribution to GI cancer research were presented with the AGITG awards.

View all award winners below.

The John Zalcberg OAM Award for Excellence in AGITG Research was presented to Associate Professor Haryana Dhillon in recognition of her significant and outstanding leadership contribution to AGITG research over a sustained period. A/Prof Dhillon joined the AGITG in 1996 and is also a leading figure in the Psycho-oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG). She is currently Co-Chair of the AGITG trial OXTOX, and was Principal Investigator of the AGITG endorsed trial CHALLENGE.

Read article

The award recognises her significant and outstanding leadership in AGITG research for many years. A/Prof Dhillon was nominated by Jan Mumford, former Chair of the Community Advisory Panel.

“It is quite overwhelming to receive this recognition,” said A/Prof Dhillon.

“The fact that my nomination came from Jan Mumford, a long-standing consumer advocate with the AGITG, was particularly moving. I really value the insight people with lived experience bring to the research being undertaken, and to have my involvement recognised by Jan was very special.”

A/Prof Dhillon has been a member of the AGITG since 1996 – one of the earliest pioneers of the organisation. As a behavioural scientist and psycho-oncologist, she is often involved in and champions research with a focus on “helping people to live as well they possibly can for their remaining lives,” as she said in her AGITG Member Spotlight.

She is currently Co-Chair for the OXTOX trial, a colorectal cancer study aiming to reduce toxicity from chemotherapy, and Australian Study Co-Chair for the international CHALLENGE trial, an AGITG endorsed study of the impact of exercise on survival in patients with high-risk Stage II or III colon cancer.

“[A CHALLENGE patient] was 71 when she did Tough Mudder – after she finished three years on the CHALLENGE trial,” A/Prof Dhillon said.

“The study really emphasised for me how important it is to help people to establish what their ‘new normal’ is.

“What concerns me when we talk about ‘the new normal’ is the suggestion to people that how they are right now is the best that they can be. I really urge everyone to think about what that means when patients are approaching you – to think about the therapeutic aspects of the conversation.”

Aside from her involvement with the AGITG, A/Prof Dhillon is also Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee at the Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG) as well as Founding Chair of the Cancer Survivorship Group at the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA).

“I grew up in northwest New South Wales, on Gamilaroi land, which is still what I’ll call my heartland. That experience of living in a rural community has shaped my approach to everything I do now.”

Asked about her drive behind her work, A/Prof Dhillon spoke about her family, including her father, who passed from metastatic cancer.

“I wouldn’t be here without my family. My experience with cancer started relatively early. [Our family’s] four boys have grown up without their grandfather, and that’s what really drives me.”

A/Prof Dhillon was presented with her award by namesake Prof John Zalcberg AO and AGITG Chair Prof Lorraine Chantrill at the 2023 AGITG Annual Scientific Meeting.

“I think the best is yet to come,” said A/Prof Dhillon.

“I will feel as though I have really achieved my goals when we have a much more diverse multi-disciplinary involvement in the group, with greater engagement with nurses, psychologists, exercise physiologists, dietitians, physiotherapists, and palliative care teams.

“The AGITG is a group you can bring new ideas to and make them happen. As an organisation, it is only as strong as its membership – so get involved, and create the change you want to see in the lives of people affected by GI cancer.”

The Member Fundraiser of the Year Award was presented to Associate Professor Andrew Dean, in recognition of his patient, Chris Reichstein. A/Prof Dean referred Chris to the GI Cancer Institute during his treatment for stomach cancer, and Chris then left a generous donation to our research.

Read article

The 2023 award was presented on behalf of A/Prof Dean’s patient, Chris Reichstein. Chris was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2015 and came to know of the AGITG’s research through A/Prof Dean’s practice, and very generously donated to the AGITG.

Chris lived with the disease for six years until his passing in 2021.

A/Prof Dean accepted the award in Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand, and gave a few short remarks about Chris.

“As Chris’ condition became more advanced, he decided to turn to his philanthropy, setting up funds and increasing health awareness amongst rural and remote Australians,” said A/Prof Dean.

A pillar of Esperance, Western Australia, Chris’ legacy is one of nurture and community. He worked as a farmer and had a passion for philanthropy.

Stomach cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide, with an estimated 2,576 Australians receiving the diagnosis this year. Chris’ generous gift of $300,000 will be put towards stomach cancer research, with the aim of improving outcomes and quality of life for people with stomach cancer.

Chris’ story shows the importance of engaging with patients. Members may connect them to the GI Cancer Institute and make an impact – not just for donations, but to offer them support, too.

“I would like to accept this award on behalf of Chris Reichstein,” said A/Prof Dean.

“He believed in the importance of the AGITG’s role in finding new, innovative therapies."

“Thank you to the Mount Burdett Foundation, and thank you to the AGITG.”

The Innovation Grant was presented to Dr David Liu for his research concept titled, “Multi-omics evaluation of peritoneal fluid in gastro-oesophageal cancer: A prospective trial to develop a sensitive assay to detect clinically occult peritoneal metastases (OMEGCA)”.

Read article

Currently, peritoneal metastases of gastro–oesophageal cancer is considered incurable. Dr Liu’s concept could lead to a method of early detection of peritoneal disease, especially micro-metastases, which could lead to changes in the intent and approach to treatment.

“OMEGCA seeks to develop and validate an accurate molecular test to detect microscopic spread of stomach cancer in the abdominal cavity,” said Dr Liu.

“We hope that our findings will inform patient counselling, treatment decision-making and design of future therapeutic clinical trials.”

Dr Liu and his team were already able to establish the use of peritoneal fluid to detect peritoneal tumour DNA. The project aims to develop an urgently needed molecular assay to enable accurate cancer staging of the peritoneal cavity in patients with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma.

The Innovation Grant is directly supported by funds from the GI Cancer Institute’s Gutsy Challenge. As the 2023 recipient of the Innovation Grant, Dr Liu is thankful for the encouragement of the community.

“We are tremendously grateful to receive the support of the GI cancer community. In fact, OMEGCA was conceived following feedback from gastric cancer survivors,” said Dr Liu.

“It is amazing to see that our study community advisors are themselves supported by the GI cancer community, and and we are honoured to be recognised by the AGITG as well. This injected funding will be critical to enable our study to complete recruitment. Thank you.”

The award was received on the night by Dr Nick Clemons on behalf of Dr Liu.

This year, the Outstanding Metropolitan Site Award was brought home by the St John of God Subiaco Hospital, WA.

Read article

We would like to congratulate Dr Dean, Dr Clay, Dr Van Hagan, all the nurses in the IVY suite and everyone at SJOGSH clinical trials for all their incredible hard work that led to this award. Dr Dean received the award on behalf of the site team in Christchurch this week.

In particular, the presentation of this award recognises the work that the SJOGSH has dedicated to provide patients with a more inclusive, culturally sensitive and patient-centric experience. For example, the usage of interpreter services in important conversations has now increased to 76%, compared with 33% in 2021.

SJOGSH is actively involved with the AGITG and is a recruiting site for three current trials – ASCEND, iLSTA, and INTEGRATE IIb. Notably, for the ASCEND study, the team at St John of God Subiaco Hospital has surpassed their target recruitment by 625% – no doubt a testament to their dedication to patient care. Survival rates in Western Australia for certain cancers are among the best in the world. A study published in the Lancet in 2019 reported that WA outperformed 18 other jurisdictions across seven high-income countries in 5 year survival for ovarian, colon, pancreatic and stomach cancers. A recent study conducted by Dr Alice Talbot et al. published in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology this year reported that the overall survival for patients with pancreatic cancer between April 2008 and October 2021 for SJOGSH was 26 months, which is a significant prolonged survival compared with the numbers reported globally.

We spoke to Dr McSweeney the clinical trials registrar in SJOG Subiaco. “Receiving a cancer diagnosis is a devastating, life changing event for people,” said Dr McSweeney.

“We endeavour to treat our patients in a holistic manner, not only focusing on the physical symptoms. We are truly grateful that the AGITG recognises our efforts and philosophy to cancer care.

“The results speak for themselves. It is our experience as a site that if patients feel supported and listened to, they tend to remain on study and are happy to be followed up as per protocol.”

In the near future, the team plans to focus on implementing even greater inclusivity measures, including implementing Auslan awareness training and continuing to advocate for translated resources.

ASM Outstanding Metropolitan Site award winner

The Outstanding Regional, Rural and Remote Site Award was presented to the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Cancer Centre, NSW.

Read article

The Centre is an active site for AGITG clinical trials and is currently recruiting for the NEO-IMPACT and OXTOX trials. It employs measures to ensure early engagement of patients on clinical trials. Existing interpreter services are used to ensure information is presented in a language our participants are most familiar with, by staff who are familiar with the requisite cultural considerations. This supports continuity of care for participants from culturally and linguistically diverse populations and ensures equitable access to clinical trials. First Nations people are also encouraged to enrol on trials with appropriate cultural support.

“The Centre is presented with unique challenges for consideration of the diversity and cultural backgrounds of their cancer community,” said Prof Lorraine Chantrill, ISLHD Director Clinical Trials.

“Through the dedication of our teams, we have been able to exceed expectations for recruitment to AGITG clinical trials. We’ve increased the number of clinical trials we offer by tenfold and provided access to new treatments for more than 100 patients last year.

“None of this would be possible without our team of dedicated young oncologists and committed staff members.”

The Centre will continue to focus on enhancing clinical trial access for regional, rural and remote communities by building capacity for telehealth models of care and developing strategies to support the cultural needs of clinical trial participants.

The award was accepted by Kyrie Rodgers, the clinical trials coordinator at ISLHD Cancer Care Centre. “I am humbled and honoured as a representative of an extraordinary team, led by our manager Carly Leighton, to accept this award,” she said.

“Our journey has been fuelled by the belief that everyone, regardless of their location or background, deserves equitable access to clinical trials, close to home.

“Our passion and commitment to engage with our Indigenous and disadvantaged communities goes beyond clinical rigour; it is rooted in empathy, respect and a genuine desire to empower our patients. We believe in fostering relationships built on trust, ensuring that these communities not only have the option to participate in trials but are given the opportunities to actively shape the future of their own healthcare.

“Our friends, our family, our children and we, ourselves, live in regional and rural areas. Our community struggles with access to equitable healthcare on a day-to-day basis. This award is not just ours; it belongs to the countless patients and their families, the community, the partnerships and our colleagues who have been part of this journey.”

The Early Career Researcher Award was presented to Dr Dmitrii Shek, who received up to $2,000 to pursue further education.

Read article

Dr Shek has been actively involved with research at the AGITG since he joined in 2021. His PhD project, ICEMELT, is an actively recruiting AGITG endorsed study.

“Within a very short period of time Dr Shek has proven undoubtedly that he is an outstanding student and future leader in research. I have no doubt that Dr Shek will have a highly productive career in academic medicine.” said Prof Golo Ahlenstiel, who is Study Chair of ICEMELT.

During his PhD Dr Shek has already published four papers, with another original paper recently accepted in the journal Genes & Diseases. Last year, Dr Shek won the 3-Minute Thesis competition at Western Sydney University. He also recently presented preliminary data from ICEMELT trial at the 2023 NSW Cancer Conference and received the Best PhD Oral Presentation Award.

His project has already won a few competitive grants for research funding, receiving $300,000 in total between 2020 to 2023.

“I feel truly grateful and honoured,” said Dr Shek, who received the award at Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.

“I’m committed to advancing both medical understanding and patient well-being, partly because of my own personal experience of losing a loved one due to cholangiocarcinoma, a GI cancer.

“I’m also determined to actively engage in teaching and mentorship, fostering the growth of the next generation of professionals over the next five years.

“I would like to thank the AGITG, Western Sydney University, Western Sydney Local Health District, Maridulu Budyari Gumal SPHERE Group, Cancer Institute NSW and Professor Golo Ahlenstiel. Thank you so much.”

The Christine Aiken Memorial Award was presented to Kate Hunter, who received up to $2,000 towards professional development.

Read article

Since joining the TOPGEAR project in November 2016, Kate has been a driving force behind its success. Her role primarily involved direct patient recruitment and consistent follow-up.

“Kate’s dedication to the trial is remarkable,” said Prof Trevor Leong.

“A challenging aspect of the TOPGEAR study has been obtaining surgical reports. After numerous attempts across several years, undeterred by unanswered emails, Kate suggested an alternative method in order to complete surgical data which included sourcing and deidentifying participant records and surgical notes for external review, finally resolving the issue.”

Over the years, she has facilitated the recruitment and follow-up of 24 patients, with ongoing support for at least 10 more. Notably, the Peter Mac Moorabbin/Monash site, where Kate works, achieved the highest recruitment numbers globally, with a total of 54 patients.

Impressively, all patients under Kate’s care have remained on the study until completion, with 14 patients currently in the follow-up phase.

“I would like to thank the AGITG for this award,” she said.

“I’m deeply honoured to receive this award and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the TOPGEAR study. I couldn’t have achieved this without the incredible support of Professor Trevor Leong and Associate Professor Andrew Strickland who have made working on this trial so easy and rewarding.

“Thanks must also go to Evonne Tim at the NHMRC CTC for her patience and encouragement, but most importantly, I’d like to thank all our TOPGEAR patients, most of whom I have had the privilege to get to know and who are the reason I love what I do.”

The Best New Concept Award winner was Dr Alex Flynn for her concept, Randomised Phase 3 Trial of personalized versus standard dosing of 5-fluorouracil in first line chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer.

The Runner-Up for Best New Concept was jointly awarded to:

A/Prof Andrew Dean for his presented concept, Immunotherapy – Biliary neoplasm, OXaliplatin, Fluorouracil, Folinic acid, nal‐Irinotecan ChemothErapy for late / advanced tumours A randomised, phase 1b study (i-BOXOFFICE)
Prof Tim Price for his presented concept, FOLFOX and nivolumab combined with Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy: Phase 2 trial in advanced gastric carcinoma (PIPAC).

Thank you to AstraZeneca for supporting the New Concept Symposium in 2023.

The Best Poster was awarded to Dr Avraham Travers for Investigating Peripheral CD8+ T cell Tolerance in Colorectal Cancer.

The Runner-Up for Best Poster was awarded to Dr Natalia Vukelic for GPX2 loss sensitises colorectal cancers to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Thank you to Amgen for supporting the Best of Posters in 2023.

We are proud to announce that the 2024 Merck–AGITG Clinical Research Fellowship in GI Cancer has been awarded to Dr Julia Freckelton.

Read article

Dr Freckelton is an advanced trainee who remains actively involved in GI cancer research following the completion of her PhD in 2018. As the recipient of the fellowship, she will be spending one year at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, UK, known to be the busiest GI cancer clinic in the country.

“My interest in GI oncology began when I did a PhD in pancreatic cancer and outcomes for patients with the disease,” said Dr Freckelton.

“Since that time I’ve had the opportunity to work in some really great oncology units, both through basic training and then in my time during oncology training.”

She has also consistently published in the areas of GI oncology and treatment toxicities, with an interest in chemotherapy-related outcomes, including how body composition affects patient outcomes.

“Body composition for cancer patients, particularly for patients with incurable cancer, is really central to their well-being for a number of reasons,” said Dr Freckelton.

“Firstly, we know that muscle mass and muscle quality impact their quality of life and the things that they’re able to do, but it also has really significant impacts on their outcomes from the cancer. Some of our research but also much of other research shows that patients with poor muscle quality and poor muscle mass are more likely to have treatment toxicity.

“This, again, really impacts their quality of life, but it also impacts what treatments they can tolerate and for how long, and so impacts their survival and their outcomes from their cancer as well.”

Managing Director of Merck Healthcare Australia and New Zealand, Ms Josie Downey, said, “Cancers affecting the digestive system are the most common forms of cancers and can have an enormous impact on the lives of Australians and New Zealanders. That’s why it is so rewarding to see Dr Julia Freckelton receive this year’s Fellowship.

“Merck is proud to foster scientific curiosity that improves the lives of people affected by gastro–intestinal cancers. We have a longstanding commitment to help people affected by colorectal cancer.

“By maximising the impact of our standard-of-care treatments and pioneering novel medicines, and supporting initiatives like this that help build knowledge, we are working to create a world where more cancer patients can become cancer survivors.”

Dr Freckelton has expressed her hopes to learn much from the fellowship, both to focus on her skills in the GI oncology area as well as to experience working in a different country’s healthcare system.

“I certainly hope to come back with some more skills and knowledge as a clinician oncologist, but also to develop skills in research and continue to participate in research – both domestically but also hopefully overseas.

“Thank you to Merck and AGITG for giving me this opportunity.”