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Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials - MASC Trials

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Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials - MASC Trials

Conquering melanoma and skin cancer through clinical trials We aim to make our clinical trials accessible to all Australians, no matter where they live.

Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials (MASC Trials) specialises in investigator-initiated melanoma and skin cancer research. We work collaboratively with world-leading researchers to deliver clinical trials that improve melanoma and skin cancer outcomes. Since 1999, the high-quality evidence published from our trials has changed clinical practice to impact the lives of patients and improve how doctors prevent, diagnose and treat melanoma and skin cancer. Our network of over 2,250 healthcare professionals and consumers spans all Australian metropolitan cities and many regional towns, with trials currently running at 111 institutions around the world. To learn about our research, including clinical trials that are currently enrolling participants, visit our website: https://www.masc.org.au/

25/02/2026

We would like to congratulate Elsa Marquez on her recent promotion to Senior Clinical Data Manager.

Since joining MASC Trials in May 2024 as a Clinical Data Manager, Elsa has been responsible for the data management of our Merkel cell carcinoma trials, and – more recently – taken on the database management of a large national cohort study. Prior to her work at MASC Trials, Elsa worked as a Biomedical Researcher on immunology and cancer research projects, and gained valuable clinical trial experience as a Study Coordinator at The Alfred Hospital.

Her due diligence, willingness to help the team and advance the organisation’s mission to deliver collaborative clinical trials that improve outcomes for melanoma and skin cancer patients, and drive to grow in her skills, has made her a valuable and reliable team player.

In her role as Senior Clinical Data Manager, Elsa will assist in mentoring Clinical Data Managers and junior staff.

24/02/2026

🎊Recruitment completed 🎊

We are pleased to announce a major milestone with the completion of recruitment for the GoTHAM study! A total of 24 participants have been enrolled at 10 sites across Australia.

Congratulations to A/Prof Wen Xu and his team at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane for enrolling their final participant last week.

This important trial, led by Prof Shahneen Sandhu, is investigating the use of immunotherapy drug Avelumab when combined with conventional radiotherapy in patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma. Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare and highly aggressive form of skin cancer with a high risk of recurrence. Because of this, there is an urgent need to explore new treatment options to further improve disease control and overall survival.

11/02/2026

🚨 New Publication Alert! 🚨

We’re pleased to share new findings published in Immunity, revealing how microbiota derived butyrate drives a FOXO1 induced stemness program in CD127⁺ CD8⁺ T cells, supporting durable anti-tumour immunity in melanoma.

Importantly, this research was strengthened by insights from the CHARLI study, sponsored by the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and coordinated by MASC Trials, which contributed clinical microbiome and immune profiling data that helped validate links between short-chain fatty acid-producing microbiota, enhanced T-cell stemness, and improved melanoma control.

CHARLI, a multi-centre phase Ib/II trial led by Prof Shahneen Sandhu, is investigating whether the addition of Denosumab to combination immunotherapy is more effective for survival compared to the combination immunotherapy alone in patients with unresectable stage III and IV melanoma. A total of 52 patients were enrolled across 10 Australian sites.

Congratulations to all authors on this significant contribution to our understanding of metabolic-immune interactions and their potential to improve responses to immunotherapy.

Read the publication here: https://www.cell.com/immunity/abstract/S1074-7613(25)00434-0

10/02/2026

Strengthen your dermoscopy skills and build confidence in diagnosing two of the most challenging melanoma subtypes: acral and nodular melanoma.

Melanoma Institute Australia is hosting a Hybrid GP Education Breakfast designed for Skin Cancer GPs and experienced General Practitioners seeking practical, evidence-based insights to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient care.

Delivered in partnership with St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney, this session includes expert presentations, interactive panel discussions, and (for in person attendees) small group case studies and a networking breakfast.

Event details:
• Saturday 21 February 2026
• Online (9–11am AEDT) or in person in Sydney or Wagga Wagga (8:30am–1pm AEDT)
• Cost: Free
• CPD: 2 EA + 1.5 RP hours (in person) or 2 EA hours online
Accredited with RACGP (ID: 1436973) and SkinPro CPD (ID: 10121).

Register now: https://events.humanitix.com/hybrid-gp-breakfast?c=masc

09/02/2026

🎉 Treatment completed! 🎉

This week marks the completion of treatment for all participants in the SiroSkin trial. This is a major step forward in improving care for solid organ transplant recipients who are at high risk of facial skin cancers.

A heartfelt thank you to the 146 participants across Australia and our dedicated clinical teams located in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for their incredible commitment to advancing this important research.

The SiroSkin trial is investigating whether topical sirolimus, a cream with an established safety profile, can help reduce the onset of facial squamous cell carcinomas which could transform long term outcomes and quality of life for transplant recipients.

We look forward to sharing results as the study progresses.

29/01/2026

🌞 Today is Check4Spots Day! 🕵️‍♀️🕵️‍♂️
Every January 30 is a powerful reminder to “be all over melanoma” in memory of 25‑year‑old Morgan Mansell, who tragically lost her life to this disease.

Melanoma is often called Australia’s national cancer, and it can appear anywhere — not just in sun exposed areas. As the long hot summer holidays wrap up, take a moment to grab a partner and check each other for 'ugly ducklings', those moles that don't look like the ones around them.

Learn how to check your own skin, visit https://www.alfredhealth.org.au/services/victorian-melanoma-service/check-for-spots-day

16/01/2026

We are proud to share that the RADICAL trial, led by MASC Trials, has had another Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology publication (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2025.12.053), presenting its economic evaluation. The study, led by Prof Pascale Guitera and Prof Angela Hong, compared two non-surgical treatments for lentigo maligna – imiquimod (a topical cream) and radiotherapy – when surgery isn’t an option.

Lentigo maligna (LM) is an early melanoma typically found on sun-damaged skin, with surgery being the preferred treatment. When surgery isn’t possible, alternatives are needed.

RADICAL, a multi-centre phase 3 trial, enrolled 126 participants across Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil, randomising them to either 12 weeks of imiquimod or radiotherapy, with 24 months of follow-up. The main study results showed that both treatments are effective, with response rates of 95% at 6 months and no significant differences in treatment failure, patient-reported skin symptoms, or quality of life at 24 months.

This latest analysis showed that imiquimod is a substantially more cost-effective treatment option for LM than radiotherapy, Radiotherapy incurred substantially higher healthcare system costs per patient, required more treatment visits and resulted in greater productivity losses and travel time costs compared to imiquimod. These results provide economic evidence to inform non-surgical treatment selection and patient-centred shared decision-making for lentigo maligna management.

18/12/2025

📢 We’re excited to share our 2024–2025 Annual Report!

This year’s report includes:
✅ Updates from our clinical trials program
✅ Inspiring patient stories
✅ Recognition of our extraordinary supporters
✅ How you can help us conquer melanoma and skin cancer

Our sincere thanks to the many researchers, consumers, Board of Directors, staff, and supporters who contributed to this report. Your commitment drives our mission forward, and we look forward to working with you in 2026!

👉 Read the full report here:https://www.masc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/MASC-AR-2025-web.pdf

Together, we’re making a difference in melanoma and skin cancer research. 💙

05/12/2025

👁️ Videos of the 2025 Australasian Ocular Melanoma Alliance (AOMA) Virtual Summit held on Saturday 8 November are now available online. Watch available sessions from ocular melanoma experts and consumers.
🔗 https://www.masc.org.au/aoma-summit-2025/

02/12/2025

🚨 New Publication Alert! 🚨
We are excited to announce that results from the EAGLE FM trial on the accuracy of using PET/CT imaging for diagnosing pelvic lymph node metastases in melanoma patients with groin lymph node involvement have been published in the European Journal of Surgical Oncology.
https://www.ejso.com/article/S0748-7983(25)01591-4/abstract

✅ What is EAGLE FM?
• An international phase III randomised trial across 17 sites in 6 countries
• Sponsored by MASC Trials, led by Prof Andrew Spillane
• Enrolled 101 patients with stage III melanoma with confirmed melanoma spread to the superficial area of the groin
• PET/CT imaging had to be negative for pelvic lymph node involvement to be eligible for randomisation

The trial compared two commonly performed surgical methods: A limited superficial lymph node area removal, compared to that superficial procedure in combination with more complex deeper pelvic lymph node removal. The decision between these options was previously controversial in patients with this common pattern of disease spread. The study aimed to determine which method is safest for patients in terms of melanoma survival, quality of life, and side effects of the surgery.

🔍 Key Finding:
In this substudy, data on PET/CT's accuracy for diagnosing pelvic lymph node metastases showed that whilst PET/CT remains important for staging advanced melanoma patients to rule out disease spread elsewhere, compared to microscopic assessment, it has limited accuracy for pelvic lymph node assessment.

👏Huge congratulations to Dr Mike Russell for leading this analysis and publication!

📢 Coming soon: The main trial results with 5-year follow-up data—stay tuned!

27/11/2025

📢 Together, we’re driving change for melanoma and skin cancer in Australia!

Yesterday, our CEO Gabrielle Byars and Clinical Program Lead Katja Loewe joined clinicians, researchers, and industry partners including and , along with advocates at Parliament House to keep skin cancer firmly on the national agenda.

It was fantastic catching up with Australian Melanoma and Skin Cancer Alliance (AMSCA) members at the Parliamentary Friends of Melanoma & Skin Cancer Awareness Start of Summer BBQ Lunch.

Later, Gabrielle attended MSCAN’s first Thought Leadership Roundtable, bringing together people with lived experience, clinicians, researchers, organisations, and partners to collaborate on solutions.

👏 Congratulations to MSCAN and ACD – The Australasian College of Dermatologists – on launching the National Skin Cancer Scorecard 2025!

✅ The Scorecard shows how Australia is tracking in prevention, early detection, treatment, support & care, with 16 evidence-based measures highlighting gaps and next steps to reduce the burden of melanoma and skin cancer.

Skin cancer is Australia’s most common cancer, taking more than 2,000 lives every year and costing the health system $2.47 billion annually. We can change this—but only if we act together.

👉 Explore the Scorecard and join us in keeping skin cancer on the national agenda:
🔗 https://lnkd.in/g43j8YQP

26/11/2025

🌞 Start of Summer BBQ at Parliament House 🌞

Today we joined the melanoma and skin cancer community, clinicians, researchers, industry leaders, and advocates for the Parliamentary Friends of Melanoma & Skin Cancer Awareness Start of Summer BBQ Lunch.

A huge thank you to the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Advocacy Network (MSCAN) and Co-Chairs The Hon. Jason Clare MP and The Hon. Darren Chester MP for leading this important initiative. We’re grateful for the opportunity to engage with members of the Australasian Melanoma and Skin Cancer Alliance (AMSCA) as we work together to improve prevention, early detection, and treatment outcomes for Australians affected by these cancers.

Summer is here—let’s keep raising awareness because early detection saves lives!

Address

553 St Kilda Road
Melbourne, VIC
3004

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

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+61399039022

Website

https://www.masc.org.au/

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