LATEST NEWS: 4 December 2025

TROG provided a kick-start for a number of exciting new research ideas at the 2025 Concept Development Workshop held on 2 December.

A total of 11 research concepts were submitted by TROG members from across a variety of disciplines (radiation oncology, radiation therapy and medical oncology), over a diverse range of sub-specialities.

The research ideas covered areas included breast cancer, salivary gland carcinoma, gioblastoma, endometrial cancer, adverse reactions and data collection.

Thank you to Varian, which sponsored the virtual one-day workshop and to Johnny Cheng, APAC MSL lead of Medical Affairs at Varian Medical Systems, who addressed the attendees.

The workshop was convened by TROG President A/Prof Puma Sundaresan and TROG Scientific Committee Chair A/Prof Hien Le (pictured above).

“The goal of today is to produce a one-page concept, so you can then take this onto the next step in terms of trial development,” A/Prof Le told the workshop. “At TROG, we understand this whole process is about sowing as many seeds as possible so that some will germinate, grow and develop into something significant.”

He gave the example of the TROG 23.02  SMART trial, which was first proposed at TROG’s 2023 Concept Development Workshop, went on to gain grant funding this year, and will open in 2026.

Biostatistician Chris Brown gave a presentation on steps to develop a trial concept and trial design. Smaller group discussions were then led by Mr Brown and Radiation Oncologist Dr Yu Yang Soon, where each idea was workshopped in a multidisciplinary and collaborative manner, receiving input and guidance from experienced TROG trialists, mentors and representatives from the Cancer Australia-funded Quality of Life (CQUEST) and health economics (CREST) National Technical Services (NTS).

By the end of the workshop, the 11 research proponents each developed a one-page outline of their concept for further development into a trial protocol, proposal or grant proposal.

A/Prof Wee Loon Ong rounded off the workshop with an insightful address on his experiences in finding grant funding for new research.

TROG CEO Susan Goode said the Concept Development Workshop is a valuable way for TROG to foster new research.

“This Workshop is a key step in driving new research that advances our mission to revolutionise cancer care, improve quality of life and work towards cures. It also showed our commitment to broadening TROG’s research and making trials truly accessible, empowering our members to design innovative, inclusive studies that reach those who need them most.”

We want to thank the many other TROG members who contributed their time and expertise to the day: A/Prof Sweet Ping Ng, Dr Katrina Woodford, Prof Danny Roos, Dr Kylie Jung, Prof Steven David, Prof Trevor Leong and Dr Tim Wang; and the representatives of the National Technical Services: CREST, Professor Richard De Abreu Lourenco and CQUEST, Dr Carrie-Anne Ng.

Thank you also to long-standing oncology consumer advocate, Louise Dillon, who offered a valuable consumer perspective on the research proposals.

• Contact the TROG team at TSC@trog.com.au for further information about submitting a trial concept or proposal..