This webinar aims to provide primary care professionals with a deeper understanding of sarcoma, including early diagnosis and diagnostic challenges.
Several topics will be covered across three expert presentations including the signs and symptoms of sarcoma, appropriate diagnostic tests, imaging techniques and management approaches, and strategies to overcome diagnostic challenges. The webinar will also emphasize the crucial role of data linkage in clinical registries and GP data in identifying delayed sarcoma diagnosis.
A consumer-led session is included which looks at the importance of early diagnosis and referral to specialist sarcoma services, and challenges faced within the diagnostic process for patients.
In this webinar, you will:
Associate Professor Claudia Di Bella is an academic orthopaedic surgeon in Melbourne with a focus on joint arthroplasty and bone and soft tissue tumours. She studied Medicine and Surgery at Bologna University and completed her orthopaedic training at the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute in Bologna. She moved to Australia in 2009, completed her fellowship in musculoskeletal tumours at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the Australian Orthopaedic Association.
Claudia obtained her PhD in oncology and experimental pathology in 2012 and is now an Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Melbourne, Head of the Sarcoma Unit at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, Director of education of ANZSA, Director in the board of ISOLS (International Society of Limb Salvage) and Director in the board of the AOA (Australian Orthopaedic Association) Research Foundation. She is Chair of the advisory committee of the AOA-Research Foundation, Chair of DCAS (Developing a Career in Academic Surgery) of RACS and Chair of the diversity and inclusion committee of ISOLS meeting 2023.
Diagnosed with pelvic osteosarcoma in 2017, Stephanie Webster underwent four years of comprehensive treatment, including surgery and various therapies. She's passionate about increasing sarcoma awareness, providing accurate information and support to those affected. Stephanie fervently advocates for sarcoma research, aiming to improve patient outcomes by securing more resources and funding. As a doctor in Radiation Oncology, she aspires to specialise in Oncology, focusing on patient rights and guiding patients through the healthcare system.
Dr Meena Rafiq is an Academic GP and Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne and University College London (UCL). She has a specialist interest in research using linked Electronic Health Records to improve early cancer diagnosis, with a particular focus on identifying early markers of cancer using data from GP blood tests. Alongside working as a GP in Australia and the UK, she has an MSc in Epidemiology and expertise in conducting 'big data' research using a number of Primary Care datasets worldwide.
