Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials - MASC Trials

02/10/2025

Registrations now open! Join us for the 2025 Australasian Ocular Melanoma Alliance (AOMA) Virtual Summit on Saturday 8 November.
This free, online event will feature international and Australian experts in ocular melanoma, as well as consumer presentations.
Anyone interested in ocular melanoma, from healthcare professionals to consumers, should attend the 2025 AOMA Virtual Summit.
This event is available worldwide for free.
More speakers continue to be added to the program, and the final program with session times will be available soon.
Register for free at https://www.masc.org.au/aoma-summit/

The Australasian Ocular Melanoma virtual summit brings together healthcare professionals, researchers and consumers in ocular melanoma to share the latest knowledge of this rare cancer.

25/09/2025

Uveal melanoma is a rare and aggressive form of ocular melanoma, with very few accepted treatments. More research is urgently needed to identify new options for patients in Australia and worldwide.

Your tax-deductible donation will directly support collaborative clinical research led by the Australasian Ocular Melanoma Alliance (AOMA) to help patients retain their vision.

Find out why Fred is so passionate about AOMA’s work—and why he wants to give hope to ocular melanoma patients like his daughter, Rachel:
🙏 https://melanoma-and-skin-cancer-trials.grassrootz.com/melanoma-and-skin-cancer-trials-nz-trek/fred-taweel

22/09/2025

Develop your research idea into a concept at our upcoming Concept Development Workshop on Thursday 30 Oct, with input from multi-disciplinary peers with expertise in melanoma and skin cancer, biostatisticians, health economics & quality of life experts and consumers with lived experience. Facilitated by MASC Trials, the workshop aims to identify and address gaps in melanoma or skin cancer research.

Refer to our website https://www.masc.org.au/2025-concept-development-workshop/ for more information, and to register your proposal and attendance.
Expressions of interest to register a proposal close COB 3 October 2025.

11/09/2025

We would like to congratulate Carla Duarte on her recent promotion to Clinical Trial Manager.

Since joining MASC Trials in May 2023 as Clinical Research Associate, Carla has been instrumental in driving project milestones within our clinical trial program. She brings over a decade of experience in medical research, and another decade of experience in clinical trial and laboratory operations, gained primarily at The Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute.

Carla’s systematic approach, innate problem-solving ability, mentoring skills, and positive can-do attitude are highly valued by our organisation.

In her new role as Clinical Trial Manager, Carla will oversee early-career research staff and continue to provide high level support to our investigators, delivering collaborative clinical trials that improve outcomes for melanoma and skin cancer patients.

08/09/2025

Ocular melanoma is a rare and debilitating eye cancer that affects about 200 Australians each year. It’s hard to detect, often lethal, and approximately 25% of patients require removal of the affected eye.

The Australasian Ocular Melanoma Alliance (AOMA) drives collaborative research and clinical trials to give patients hope. Your donation helps people like Rachel access life-changing trials and preserve their vision.

👉 Support Fred’s NZ trek and fund vital research:
🙏 https://melanoma-and-skin-cancer-trials.grassrootz.com/melanoma-and-skin-cancer-trials-nz-trek/fred-taweel

Donations over $2 are tax-deductible.

04/09/2025

We are extremely proud to report that the results of the RADICAL trial, sponsored and coordinated by MASC Trials, have been published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. The trial’s Chief Investigators, Prof Pascale Guitera and Prof Angela Hong, examined how Imiquimod, a topical cream, compares to radiotherapy in successfully treating lentigo maligna when surgical excision is not possible.

Lentigo maligna is an early form of melanoma confined to the upper layer of the skin, most commonly affecting sun-damaged areas such as the face and neck. The preferred treatment is surgical excision of the lesion. However, this may not be possible for all patients or may fail, creating a need for alternative treatment options.

RADICAL – a multi-centre, phase 3, randomised controlled trial – randomly allocated 126 participants across 8 sites in Australia, New Zealand and Brazil to either self-apply imiquimod for 12 weeks or receive radiotherapy. Participants were then followed for 24 months. The trial demonstrated that both, imiquimod and radiotherapy, are valid non-surgical treatment options for lentigo maligna, with both displaying response rates of 95% at 6 months with no significant differences in treatment failure, patient-reported skin symptoms, or quality of life at 24 months.

“This trial confirmed the efficacy of these two non-surgical options, empowering clinicians to tailor treatment recommendations based on the size and location of the lentigo maligna and patient’s preference,” Prof Hong said. And Prof Guitera said: “The growing availability of treatment options marks a paradigm shift in how we approach care for these patients.”

Read the article here:

04/09/2025

We are proud to announce that the SiroSkin trial has completed recruitment! 🎉

Thank you to the team at Westmead Hospital for recruiting the final participant to the trial.

This important clinical trial, led by Prof Kiarash Khosrotehrani, is investigating the use of a topical treatment to reduce the number of facial skin cancers in solid organ transplant recipients. The trial is looking to determine if the topical treatment can be implemented into current practice to improve the quality of life and long-term outcomes for these patients while reducing costs associated with treatment. The trial will continue while participants are followed up over the next 24 months.

Thank you to all of our sites who made this possible.

03/09/2025

Registrations now open! Join us for the 2025 Australasian Ocular Melanoma Alliance (AOMA) Virtual Summit on Saturday 8 November.

This free, online event (10am-4pm AEDT) will feature international and Australian experts in ocular melanoma, as well as consumer presentations.

Anyone interested in ocular melanoma, from healthcare professionals to consumers, should attend the 2025 AOMA Virtual Summit.

This free event is available worldwide.

More speakers continue to be added to the program, and the final program with session times will be available soon.

Register for free at https://www.masc.org.au/aoma-summit/

28/08/2025

We are thrilled to announce the significant milestone of reaching the accrual target (3,000 patients enrolled) for the MelMarT-II study across 187 sites in 9 countries. Under the leadership of Professor Michael Henderson and Professor Marc Moncrieff, the MelMarT-II study is investigating the optimal surgical excision margins – 1 cm versus 2 cm – for patients with AJCC Stage II melanoma.
Prof Henderson and Prof Moncrieff sincerely thank all our participating sites for their outstanding efforts: “Your dedication and commitment to the success of the MelMarT-II trial are deeply appreciated, and we couldn’t have reached this milestone without your support.” They would also like to extend a special thank you to all the patients who are currently participating, and those who have participated in the trial: “Your contribution is invaluable.”

27/08/2025

Help us conquer ocular melanoma through clinical research! Fred’s daughter Rachel was diagnosed at 26 and fortunately is still chasing her dreams, and starting her own family.

Fred is passionate about supporting the important work of our specialist interest group, the Australasian Ocular Melanoma Alliance (AOMA). AOMA works closely with clinicians and patients to fight this rare and debilitating cancer that develops inside the eye.

Find out more about Fred’s challenging trek in New Zealand to raise funds for AOMA here 👉 https://melanoma-and-skin-cancer-trials.grassrootz.com/melanoma-and-skin-cancer-trials-nz-trek/fred-taweel

Donate today to make a difference in the lives of ocular melanoma patients and their families. Every contribution counts and donations over $2 are tax-deductible.

20/08/2025

On behalf of the MASC Trials Board and CEO, we would like to congratulate Katja Loewe on her promotion to Clinical Program Lead.

Katja has over 14 years of extensive ethical, legal and regulatory knowledge complemented by a proven track record of clinical trial management supporting large investigator-initiated clinical trials. Throughout her career at Monash University and The Alfred, Katja has expertly supported clinicians to deliver high-quality research. Her analytical approach to problem solving, ability to implement, and adapt plans to changing priorities are unequivocal.

After joining MASC Trials in June 2021, Katja has served as a Clinical Research Associate, Senior Clinical Research Associate, and most recently, Research Manager (2.5 years).

During this time with our organisation, Katja has conducted herself with upmost integrity, professionalism and a passion for investigator-initiated trials that has ensured our clinical trial program can operate efficiently and successfully.

The Board and CEO congratulate Katja on this well-deserved promotion and look forward to seeing Katja’s growth and development of the New Research Concept Pathway aligned with the broader strategic objectives of our organisation.

12/08/2025

We are thrilled to announce activation of the SOCRATES study at Nepean Hospital, led locally by Dr John Park!

Under the leadership of Professor Stephen Nicholls, Director of the Monash Victorian Heart Institute and Dr Sean Tan, the SOCRATES study is investigating the link between immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy and heart disease risk in melanoma patients. Research has shown that while ICIs are highly effective in treating melanoma, they may also contribute to inflammation and cholesterol build-up (atherosclerosis) in the heart’s blood vessels.

The trial is recruiting melanoma patients aged over 40 and are starting, have started or completed treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors. 10 sites are currently recruiting to the study across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland. Learn more https://www.masc.org.au/socrates/