For the first time, the AGITG will be featuring a program of surgical oncology sessions, including this surgical workshop, running on Monday, 14 November.

Join the Chair and Co-Chair of the Annual Scientific Meeting Surgical Sub-Committee and fellow surgical oncologists from the AGITG and our distinguished Invited Faculty to discuss contemporary topics such as big data, digitising health, increasing surgical trials engagement in Australasia and navigating barriers to equity and engagement. We will cover minimally invasive techniques and approaches in GI/colorectal and HPB surgery, including ‘how I do it’ perspectives from esteemed international and national speakers covering difficult clinical problems.

Chair

Prof Jas Samra

Prof Samra is a Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of Sydney. He has been a surgeon at Royal North Shore Hospital and Ryde Hospital for 19 years. He has a keen interest in integration of innovation and new technology in clinical practice.

Co-Chair

Dr Manju Chandrasegaram

Dr Chandrasegaram is a HPB and General Surgeon at the Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane since 2015. She is an active clinical researcher and is passionate about improving patient outcomes.

Featuring:

Prof Tim Pawlik

Professor Pawlik currently is the Chair of Surgery at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. His clinical interests include alimentary tract surgery, with interest in hepatic, pancreatic and biliary diseases. He also studies patient–physician communication and patient perception of cancer-care goals.

Dr Saxon Connor

Dr Connor has been an HPB Surgeon at Christchurch hospital, New Zealand since 2005. His research interests include safe cholecystectomy, bile duct injury, minimally invasive pancreatic necrosectomy, enhanced recovery surgery and post pancreatectomy pancreatitis.

Monday, 14 November

08.30 – 10.00

Artificial intelligence and big data

This session explores the big topic of digitising health and big data topics from our expert invited faculty. We explore the emerging role of AI in surgery and hear about the latest research in this space.

Chairs: Prof Jonathan Koea & Dr Mandivavarira Maundura

Presentation 1: Big Data for Big Questions: The Need for a Diversified Approach
Prof Tim Pawlik

Presentation 2: Digitising Healthcare: A journey Towards our Future
Dr Saxon Connor

Presentation 3: The Emerging Role of Artificial Intelligence in GI Surgery
Dr Henry Badgery
10.00 – 10.30 Morning tea
10.30 – 12.00

Minimally invasive surgery and other adjunctive techniques

This session explores the role of the advanced endoscopist in managing upper GI cancers, robotic HPB surgery and delves into “to TME or not to TME” and the impact of TNT in rectal cancers. We explore the role of adjuncts in managing liver metastases from ablation, TACE, and SIRT and when to consider which modality.

Chairs: Dr Suellyn Centauri, Dr Simon Wilkins & Prof Jas Samra

Presentation 1: Robotic HPB Surgery
A/Prof David Cavallucci

Presentation 2:

When Do I Use My Adjunct and Which One Do I Use? MWA, TACE, RFA, SIRT
A/Prof Charbel Sandroussi

Presentation 3: To TME or Not to TME and the Impact of TNT
A/Prof Matthew Morgan

Presentation 4: How I Approach Neoplasia and Early Cancer in the UGI Tract
Prof Michael Bourke
12.00 – 13.00 Lunch
13.00 – 14.30

Colorectal metastases

Hear from leading experts on the management of peritoneal metastases, the role of surgery in multi-site colorectal metastases and sequencing of treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Chairs: Dr Kaye Bowers & A/Prof Charbel Sandroussi

Presentation 1: Peritoneal Metastases
A/Prof Cherry Koh

Presentation 2: Sequencing Treatment for Synchronous Colorectal Liver Metastasis: is there an Optimal  Approach?
Prof Tim Pawlik

Presentation 3: Role of Surgery in Multi-site Metastases
Prof Alexander Heriot
14.30 – 15.00 Afternoon tea
15.00 – 16.30

Pearls and barriers to surgical engagement in AGITG trials

Join us as we explore lessons learnt here and overseas from experts and how we can reduce barriers and improve equity to trial access for our patients. Hear a personal account of an extraordinary patient journey and then explore how we can do better in engaging in surgical trials in Australasia in a panel discussion and make this accessible for all patients.

Chairs: Prof Mark Smithers & Prof Jonathan Koea

Presentation 1: Secrets of a Successful Surgical Trial: Lessons from one of the most successful trials in Australasia
Prof Mark Smithers

Presentation 2: Barriers to Clinical Trials Among Patients and Providers: Two Different Sides to the Same Coin
Prof Tim Pawlik

Presentation 3: Ensuring Trials Address the Population Most at Risk
Dr George Laking

Presentation 4: What Do Patients Want and Experience in Clinical Trials? A patient Perspective
David Downs, patient

Panel discussion: Dr Dan Croagh, A/Prof Nick O’Rourke, A/Prof David Cavallucci, Kate Wilson and A/Prof David Clark

Tuesday, 15 November

07.15 – 08.45

Surgical oncology: Keynote breakfast session

Theme: Lower GI Cancer

Chairs: Prof Alexander Heriot &  A/Prof Cherry Koh

Presentation 1: TNT: Tailoring lateral pelvic Nodal Treatment
Prof George Chang

Presentation 2: Christchurch Approach to Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
Dr Tamara Glyn

Presentation 3: Right-sided Colonic Resection: My Perspective
Dr Kim-Chi Phan-Thien

Thursday, 17 November

07.15 – 08.45

Surgical oncology: Keynote breakfast session

Theme: The latest on gall bladder and pancreatic cancer

Chairs: Dr Manju Chandrasegaram & Dr Saxon Connor

Presentation 1: Gallbladder Cancer: The Need for a Multi-disciplinary Approach
Prof Tim Pawlik

Presentation 2: Pancreatic cancer, arteries – Divest/Resect/Don’t, and Isolated/Oligo Pancreatic liver Mets
Prof Jas Samra

Presentation 3: EUS Molecular Profiling of Pancreatic and Biliary Cancer
Dr Dan Croagh

Presentation 4: SCANPatient: A Trial of Synoptic Reporting for Pancreatic Cancer
A/Prof Charles Pilgrim
12.45 – 13.45

Surgical workshop: NETs workshop

Listen to the experts cover a dedicated neuroendocrine session. How far can we go with GEPNET resections and when do we abort? Listen to the advances in managing metastatic neuroendocrine tumours and come hear a challenging case of PNET from our Invited Faculty.

Chairs: Dr Christopher Lim & Dr Ee Jun Ban

Presentation 1: PNET: A Challenging Case
Dr Saxon Connor

Presentation 2: Management of NET Liver Metastases – Does Grade Matter?
Prof Benjamin Thomson

Presentation 3: GEPNET: When to Debulk, When to Abort, How Far is too Far?
Dr Anubhav Mittal