Program

The PaCCSC & CST Research Forum 2025 program will run over two days. Day 1 will focus on cancer symptom and management and day 2 will focus on palliative care. The program includes consumer views throughout as well as a session focused on carer advocates.

Level 4 foyer, International Convention Centre, Sydney with view over the harbour through large picture windows.

Consumer Included event

Cancer Voices has given the PaCCSC & CST Research Forum 2025 'Consumers Included' status. This ensures that the perspectives of patients, survivors, carers, and other members of the public affected by cancer are considered in forum planning and program delivery.

Speakers

Speaker bios will also be updated periodically. To read about the speakers, please go to the speakers page. 

Registration

To register for the forum, please go to the registration page.

Program Day 1

Registration commences at 8.15am for an 8.45am start. 

 

Cancer Symptom Management

8.45am - 10.25am

Session topic - Geriatric oncology
Session Chair - Christopher Steer

  • Welcome to Country - Aunty Rhonda Dixon Grovenor
  • Welcome from the CST Chair - Meera Agar
  • Opening address - Hon Ged Kearney MP (via video)
  • Keynote presentation: Strategic coordination of clinical trials for older adults through infrastructure: The Cancer & Aging Research Group (CARG) experience - William Dale
  • In conversation: What matters most for older people with cancer? - Christopher Steer (facilitator) and James Butler OAM (consumer)
  • CST Strategic Plan 2024 to 2029 - Rayan Saleh Moussa
10.25am - 10.55.00amMorning tea
10.55am - 12.10pm

Session topic - Cancer-related fatigue
Session Chair - Celia Marston

  • In conversation - Consumer perspectives – John Stubbs (consumer)
  • The Elusiveness of Cancer-Related Fatigue: from Mechanisms to Management in Research and Practice – Carolina Sandler
  • Managing Cancer Fatigue in Children: Harnessing Exercise for Symptom Relief and Recovery - David Mizrahi
  • Battle fatigue in the cancer journey: The role of exercise - Maria Fiatarone Singh 
12.10pm - 1.10pmLunch
1.10pm - 3.10pm

Session topic - Flexible delivery methods for clinical trials
Session Chair - Jenny Philip

  • Building clinical trial access for people at home: Learning from the COMET program – Jenny Philip
  • Transforming access to clinical trials in a regional context - Michelle Tusler
  • Tele-trial model for medicinal cannabis - barriers and opportunities – Tay Gurgenci
  • Discussion panel - Wei Lee (facilitator), Jenny Philip, Tay Gurgenci, Michelle Tusler, Belinda Fazekas (panel members)
3.10pm - 3.40pmAfternoon tea
3.40pm - 5.00pm

Session topic - Abstracts in cancer symptom management
Session Chair - tbc

  • Feasibility and acceptability of LiCPAIN Phase II RCT: Perceptions and experiences of people with neuropathic cancer pain receiving continuous subcutaneous infusion of lidocaine or placebo and their carers - Jessica Lee
  • Development of targeted symptom score to assist in screening for pancreatic exocrine insufficiency - Amanda Landers
  • Current gaps and challenges of breakthrough cancer pain diagnosis and management in Australia - A gap analysis - Wei Lee
  • CST Emerging Trialist Award - to be presented by Celia Marston

Program Day 2

Registration commences at 8.15am for an 8.45am start. 

Palliative Care

8.45am - 10.35am

Session topic - Innovation in clinical trials
Session chair - Tim Luckett

  • Keynote presentation: Navigating Complexity: The Role of Feasibility Studies and Process Evaluation in Palliative Care Trials of Complex Health Service Interventions - Catherine Walshe 

  • Using clinical registries to conduct clinical trials: opportunities and challenges – Zoe McQuilten

  • Improving the Detection, Assessment, Management and Prevention of Delirium in Palliative Care Units (DAMPen-D); Integrating co-design and process evaluation in a feasibility study - Mark Pearson

10.35am - 11.05amMorning tea
11.05am - 12.05pm

Session topic - Abstracts in palliative care
Session chair - Ruwani Mendis

  • A novel non-pharmacological Breathlessness Intervention Service (BIS) improves breathlessness mastery in patients with COPD: A randomised controlled trial - Tracy Smith

  • A multicentre, randomized controlled trial and observational study on the efficacy of specialized rehabilitation using the Op-reha Guide for terminal cancer patients in palliative care units - Nanako Nishiyama

  • Palliative Care for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Motor Neurone Disease (ALS/MND): Perspectives of Clinicians, Patients and Care Partners in the United States – Kara Bischoff 

12.05pm - 1.05pmLunch
1.05pm - 2.50pm

Session topic - Carer advocates - partners in care
Session chair - Rayan Saleh Moussa

  • In Conversation - Consumer as carer and advocate – Imelda Gilmore (consumer advocate) and Kristine Rawlinson (consumer advocate)

  • Caring for carers of people with advanced cancer at hospital discharge (CARENET): A feasibility trial - Celia Marston 

  • Improving the wellbeing of people with advanced cancer and their family carers together: overview of international trial results and Australian research protocol for the FOCUS intervention – Peter Hudson 

  • Family carer information needs at end of life & in bereavement – Brendan Myhill  

  • Consumer discussion panel – Vanessa Yenson (facilitator), Tim Benson, Imelda Gilmore, Kristine Rawlinson (consumer advocate panel members) 

2.50pm - 3.15pmAfternoon tea
3.15pm - 5.00pm

Session topic - Clinical trial design
Session chair - Angela Rao-Newton

  • Keynote Presentation - The value of a data registry to support clinical trials and generate questions and hypotheses for testing in Randomised Controlled Trials - Steve Pantilat 

  • Discussion panel - Innovative clinical trial designs emerging in palliative care and cancer symptom care – Brian Le (facilitator), Catherine Walshe, Steve Pantilat, William Dale, Zoe McQuilten, Peter Spolc (consumer) (panel members) 

 

 

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.