LATEST NEWS: 14 April 2026

TROG has made a commitment to involving consumer voices in all aspects of our work, from research strategy through to study delivery, as outlined in a new Consumer Engagement Charter.

TROG President A/Prof Puma Sundaresan and TROG Board Independent Consumer Representative Mr Murray McLachlan (pictured left) presented the Consumer Engagement Charter at the 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting.

Consumer engagement matters because it improves the relevance and impact of our research, helps prioritise research activities, informs study design, and improves dissemination of findings, Puma said.

The charter has eight guiding principles:

1. Respect lived experience as expertise.
2. Inclusiveness: diversity including under-represented groups.
3. Equity: remove barriers – accessibility, language, cost
4. Connectivity: work with tumour-specific networks and advocacy organisations to recruit the right voices.
5. Relevance: meaningful roles, not tokenistic consultation.
6. Transparency: clarity on roles, expectations, and how input changes decisions.
7. Partnership: consumers as equal partners across research, governance, and translation.
8. Cultural safety: engagement that is culturally safe and responsive, especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Murray, who is also Deputy Chair of Cancer Voices NSW and Deputy Chair of the Health Consumer NSW Board, said it was important for consumers to be able to contribute across the entire research cycle – and for their contributions to be remunerated, reimbursed and recognised.

Consumer roles at TROG include personal engagement – through lived experience and providing feedback on public-facing material – advocacy, advising on trial processes and participant materials, as an expert on the Board or committees, and as a partner, co-designing research.

The Charter was launched amid strong consumer involvement in the 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting in Melbourne.

Consumers offered valuable insights in sessions focusing on each of TROG’s five subspecialty tumour stream research areas – breast; head, neck and skin; lung; genitourinary and central nervous system.

A number of consumers also joined the Equity in Motion session (pictured above), which highlighted innovative ways to enhance consumer collaboration and equity across clinical trials.

Prof Georgia Halkett presented research into how healthcare professional education can be improved to ensure supportive care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receiving radiation therapy.

Ms Leigh Potter (pictured right) and Dr Daniel Cornfeld from the Mātai Medical Research Institute in New Zealand (Aotearoa) describe how the Institute has built equity in imaging research through strong, ongoing partnerships with the local Māori community.

Puma said TROG was now working to strengthen integration of consumer engagement in the organisation’s strategic and governance frameworks, and to embed routine consumer engagement in study design, implementation and reporting.

• Read the TROG Consumer Engagement Charter
• Express your interest in joining our Consumer Advisory Network or find out more about our TROG Ambassadors program.