Cabrini Oncology and Haematology Symposium
We are delighted to invite you to our Cabrini Oncology and Haematology Symposium. This full day event has been carefully designed to provide General Practitioners and other health professionals with relevant up-to-date information that can be easily adapted to everyday practice. Presented by 23 of Cabrini’s leading specialists, the symposium will include plenary sessions and concurrent workshops.
This free event will take place on Saturday, 3 October 2026 at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, Kooyong.
Speakers and topics
Chair – Dr Matthew Loft, Medical Oncologist and Cabrini Oncology Strategic Lead
Plenary session one
Dr Matthew Loft, Medical Oncologist – Beyond chemotherapy: The new era of cancer treatment
Prof Michael Dickinson, Haematologist – Blood cancer breakthroughs: What’s new, what works, what you need to know
Prof Gary Richardson OAM, Haematologist, Oncologist, Medical Oncologist – Why clinical trials now matter to all patients
Concurrent workshops one – choose three sessions to attend
Session one
Dr Michael Lee, Medical Oncologist – Pancreatic cancer in practice: an oncology toolkit for GPs
Dr Kaye Bowers, Hepatobiliary/Pancreatic, Upper Gastrointestinal and General Surgeon – Updates in early diagnosis and screening for pancreatic cancer
Session two
Dr Hari Wimaleswaran, Respiratory and Sleep Physician and Dr Adi Balasubramanian, Medical Oncologist – Lung cancer in 2026: from first suspicion to management precision
Session three
Dr Paul Viray, Dual Medical Oncologist and Geriatrician – The optimal care pathway for older people with cancer
A/Prof Melita Kenealy, Haematologist/Oncologist – Beyond cancer treatment: Survivorship, supportive care and wellness. The Cabrini experience with a Supportive Care Screening Tool and the Exercise and Wellness Centre
Session four
Dr Anna Kalff, Haematologist – Plasma cell disorders in general practice – diagnosis to shared care
Dr Adrian Minson, Haematologist – Navigating blood count and abnormalities
Concurrent workshops two – choose two sessions to attend
Session one
Mr David Dangerfield, Urologist – Update of PSA testing
Dr Josh Hurwitz, Medical Oncologist – Metastatic prostate cancer: living longer, managing more
Session two
Dr Shih-Ern Yao, Gynaecological Oncologist – Risk reduction in gynaecological cancers
A/Prof Lara Lipton, Medical Oncologist – Familial cancer – testing and management
Session three
Dr Merlina Sulistio, Palliative Care Physician, Director Palliative and Support Care – Identifying palliative care needs: the intersection between generalist and specialist palliative care
Dr Despina Handolias, General Medical Oncology – Integrating lifestyle medicine across the cancer care continuum; A health-span approach to oncology
Plenary session two
An overview of the multidisciplinary team approaches at Cabrini – moderated by Dr Matthew Loft
Ask the experts: Breast Cancer – case studies
Miss Shiba Sinha, Plastic Surgeon
Dr Sarah Birks, Breast Surgeon
Dr Libby Blackley, Breast Oncologist
Mr David Burrows, Radiologist
Ask the experts: Colorectal cancer – case studies
A/Prof Vignesh Narasimhan, Colorectal and General Surgeon
Dr Ben Markman, Medical Oncologist
Mr David Burrows, Radiologist
Event Details
| When | Saturday, 3 October 2026 |
| Registration | Registration from 8:30 am |
| Event | Program 9 am – 3:30 pm |
| Where | Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, 489 Glenferrie Road, Kooyong |
| Parking | On site, north of the Kooyong stadium, between the stadium and Monash Freeway, or opposite Kooyong, at the H.A. Smith Reserve, on Glenferrie Road |
| Cost | Free event |
| Catering | Dinner and beverages provided |
Register for the event
To reserve a spot for this free education activity, please follow this link to a dedicated event page.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) details
This is a RACGP CPD Approved Education Activity for 5 hours.
Learning outcomes:
- Identify contemporary changes in cancer treatment, including targeted therapies, immunotherapy and precision oncology.
- Outline new blood cancer treatments and recognise their implications for general practice.
- Discuss when clinical trial participation should be considered and how to discuss this with patients
- Apply contemporary evidence to breast and colorectal cancer case scenarios and develop appropriate primary-care management and referral plans.