Overview
Background
Emeritus Professor Mark Smithers is a surgical oncologist who specialises in surgery for oesophago-gastric diseases, melanoma, advanced skin cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. He was the Director of the Upper GI and Soft Tissue Unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, in Brisbane, Australia from 1998 - 2023. Commencing his academic career with the University of Queensland in 1987, he progressed to be the Mayne Chair in Surgery and head of the Academy of Surgery. He is the second University of Queensland Medical graduate to be appointed to this role. His research has been focussed on the development and assessment of outcomes from minimally invasive upper GI surgery, and trials assessing the role of perioperative multidisciplinary therapy for esophageal and gastric cancer. As well he has led, or been involved with, clinical trials from phase I to III, for all stages of melanoma through his role as the Chair of the Queensland Melanoma Project. More recently he has been involved with the assessment of access to, and outcomes from, surgery for cancer in Queensland, Australia.
He has overseen the administration and development of the surgery curriculum, and the teaching, in the Academy of Surgery, in the UQ Faculty of Medicine. He was on a number of committees relevant to the implementation of the UQ MD design course. He has held various leadership and committee roles with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, as well as leadership roles, including the Presidency, in the Australian and New Zealand Oesophago Gastric Surgeons Association. He has also been on the committees of international organisations related to oesophageal and gastric surgery. He has published 250 articles, eight book chapters, and has been on the editorial board of a number of surgical journals.
He has been recognised for his clinical and academic roles by the award of Member of the Order of Australia (AM). The citation reads, "for service to medicine in the fields of gastro-intestinal and melanoma surgery, to medical education and to professional organisations". The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons awarded him the Sir Hugh Devine medal, for services to surgery and the community. This is the College’s highest honour. Internationally, he has been awarded an honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and recently, in the United States, he was elected as an Honarary Fellow of the American Surgical Association.
Availability
- Professor Mark Smithers is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and Medical Science, The University of Queensland
- Honorary Fellow, American Surgical Association, American Surgical Association
- Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
- Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
- Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Royal College of Surgeons of England
Research interests
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Cutaneous Melanoma
epidemiology, public health issues and management of all stages
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Management of Oesophageal and Gastric Cancer
Investigation and management of benign and malignant diseases of the oesophagus and the stomach.
Works
Search Professor Mark Smithers’s works on UQ eSpace
2020
Journal Article
Anxiety and depression after diagnosis of high-risk primary cutaneous melanoma: a 4-year longitudinal study
Beesley, Vanessa L., Hughes, Maria Celia B., Smithers, B. Mark, Khosrotehrani, Kiarash, Malt, Maryrose K., von Schuckmann, Lena A. and Green, Adèle C. (2020). Anxiety and depression after diagnosis of high-risk primary cutaneous melanoma: a 4-year longitudinal study. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 14 (5), 712-719. doi: 10.1007/s11764-020-00885-9
2020
Journal Article
Prognostic implications of biopsy with tumor transection for patients with high-risk primary melanoma
von Schuckmann, Lena A., Khosrotehrani, Kiarash, Hughes, Maria Celia B., van der Pols, Jolieke C., Malt, Maryrose, Smithers, B. Mark and Green, Adele C. (2020). Prognostic implications of biopsy with tumor transection for patients with high-risk primary melanoma. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 82 (6), 1521-1524. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.01.067
2020
Journal Article
Patterns of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acid Dietary Intake and Melanoma Thickness at Diagnosis
Mahamat-Saleh, Yahya, Hughes, Maria Celia B., Miura, Kyoko, Malt, Maryrose K., von Schuckmann, Lena, Khosrotehrani, Kiarash, Smithers, B. Mark and Green, Adèle C. (2020). Patterns of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acid Dietary Intake and Melanoma Thickness at Diagnosis. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 29 (8), 1647-1653. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-20-0319
2020
Journal Article
Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors for in-transit melanoma
Nan Tie, Emilia, Lai-Kwon, Julia, Rtshiladze, Michael Alexander, Na, Lumine, Bozzi, James, Read, Tavis, Atkinson, Victoria, Au-Yeung, George, Long, Georgina V., McArthur, Grant A., Sandhu, Shahneen, Saw, Robyn, Walpole, Euan, Menzies, Alexander, Smithers, Mark and Gyorki, David E. (2020). Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors for in-transit melanoma. Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer, 8 (1) e000440, 1-6. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2019-000440
2020
Journal Article
Genome-wide association meta-analyses combining multiple risk phenotypes provide insights into the genetic architecture of cutaneous melanoma susceptibility
Landi, Maria Teresa, GenoMEL Consortium, Bishop, D. Timothy, MacGregor, Stuart, Machiela, Mitchell J., Stratigos, Alexander J., Ghiorzo, Paola, Brossard, Myriam, Calista, Donato, Choi, Jiyeon, Fargnoli, Maria Concetta, Zhang, Tongwu, Rodolfo, Monica, Trower, Adam J., Menin, Chiara, Martinez, Jacobo, Hadjisavvas, Andreas, Song, Lei, Stefanaki, Irene, Scolyer, Richard, Yang, Rose, Goldstein, Alisa M., Potrony, Miriam, Kypreou, Katerina P., Pastorino, Lorenza, Queirolo, Paola, Pellegrini, Cristina, Cattaneo, Laura, Zawistowski, Matthew ... MelaNostrum Consortium (2020). Genome-wide association meta-analyses combining multiple risk phenotypes provide insights into the genetic architecture of cutaneous melanoma susceptibility. Nature Genetics, 52 (5), 494-504. doi: 10.1038/s41588-020-0611-8
2020
Journal Article
Results of a randomized, double-blind phase II clinical trial of NY-ESO-1 vaccine with ISCOMATRIX adjuvant versus ISCOMATRIX alone in participants with high-risk resected melanoma
Cebon, Jonathan S., Gore, Martin, Thompson, John F., Davis, Ian D., McArthur, Grant A., Walpole, Euan, Smithers, Mark, Cerundolo, Vincenzo, Dunbar, P. Rod, MacGregor, Duncan, Fisher, Cyril, Millward, Michael, Nathan, Paul, Findlay, Michael P. N., Hersey, Peter, Evans, T. R. Jeffry, Ottensmeier, Christian Hermann, Marsden, Jeremy, Dalgleish, Angus G., Corrie, Pippa G., Maria, Marples, Brimble, Margaret, Williams, Geoff, Winkler, Sintia, Jackson, Heather M., Endo-Munoz, Liliana, Tutuka, Candani S. A., Venhaus, Ralph, Old, Lloyd J. ... Chen, Weisan (2020). Results of a randomized, double-blind phase II clinical trial of NY-ESO-1 vaccine with ISCOMATRIX adjuvant versus ISCOMATRIX alone in participants with high-risk resected melanoma. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, 8 (1) e000410, e000410. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2019-000410
2020
Journal Article
Quality of surgery and outcome in localized gastrointestinal stromal tumors treated within an international intergroup randomized clinical trial of adjuvant Imatinib
Gronchi, Alessandro, Bonvalot, Sylvie, Poveda Velasco, Andres, Kotasek, Dusan, Rutkowski, Piotr, Hohenberger, Peter, Fumagalli, Elena, Judson, Ian R., Italiano, Antoine, Gelderblom, Hans J., Van Coevorden, Frits, Penel, Nicolas, Kopp, Hans-Georg, Duffaud, Florence, Goldstein, David, Broto, Javier Martin, Wardelmann, Eva, Marréaud, Sandrine, Smithers, Mark, Le Cesne, Axel, Zaffaroni, Facundo, Litière, Saskia, Blay, Jean-Yves and Casali, Paolo G. (2020). Quality of surgery and outcome in localized gastrointestinal stromal tumors treated within an international intergroup randomized clinical trial of adjuvant Imatinib. JAMA Surgery, 155 (6), e200397. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2020.0397
2020
Journal Article
Systemic therapy for melanoma: ASCO guideline
Seth, Rahul, Messersmith, Hans, Kaur, Varinder, Kirkwood, John M., Kudchadkar, Ragini, McQuade, Jennifer Leigh, Provenzano, Anthony, Swami, Umang, Weber, Jeffrey, Alluri, Krishna C., Agarwala, Sanjiv, Ascierto, Paolo A., Atkins, Michael B., Davis, Nancy, Ernstoff, Marc S., Faries, Mark B., Gold, Jason S., Guild, Samantha, Gyorki, David E., Khushalani, Nikhil I., Meyers, Michael O., Robert, Caroline, Santinami, Mario, Sehdev, Amikar, Sondak, Vernon K., Spurrier, Gilliosa, Tsai, Katy K., van Akkooi, Alexander and Funchain, Pauline (2020). Systemic therapy for melanoma: ASCO guideline. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 38 (33), 1-27. doi: 10.1200/JCO.20.00198
2020
Journal Article
Regional nodal metastasis and 5-year survival in patients with thin melanoma in Queensland: a population-based study
Theile, Harrison, Moore, Julie, Dunn, Nathan, Cossio, Danica, Forristal, Catherine E., Green, Adele C. and Smithers, B. Mark (2020). Regional nodal metastasis and 5-year survival in patients with thin melanoma in Queensland: a population-based study. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 90 (4) ans.15804, 503-507. doi: 10.1111/ans.15804
2020
Journal Article
International multicenter experience of isolated limb infusion for in-transit melanoma metastases in octogenarian and nonagenarian patients
Teras, Jüri, Kroon, Hidde M., Miura, John T., Kenyon-Smith, Tim, Beasley, Georgia M., Mullen, Dean, Farrow, Norma E., Mosca, Paul J., Lowe, Michael C., Farley, Clara R., Potdar, Aishwarya, Daou, Hala, Sun, James, Carr, Michael, Farma, Jeffrey M., Henderson, Michael A., Speakman, David, Serpell, Jonathan, Delman, Keith A., Smithers, B. Mark, Barbour, Andrew, Tyler, Douglas S., Coventry, Brendon J., Zager, Jonathan S. and Thompson, John F. (2020). International multicenter experience of isolated limb infusion for in-transit melanoma metastases in octogenarian and nonagenarian patients. Annals of Surgical Oncology, 27 (5), 1420-1429. doi: 10.1245/s10434-020-08312-0
2020
Journal Article
Statins may reduce disease recurrence in patients with ulcerated primary melanoma
von Schuckmann, L. A., Khosrotehrani, K., Ghiasvand, R., Hughes, M. C.B., van der Pols, J. C., Malt, M., Smithers, B. M. and Green, A. C. (2020). Statins may reduce disease recurrence in patients with ulcerated primary melanoma. British Journal of Dermatology, 183 (6), 1049-1055. doi: 10.1111/bjd.19012
2020
Journal Article
Accuracy of mobile digital teledermoscopy for skin self-examinations in adults at high risk of skin cancer: an open-label, randomised controlled trial
Janda, Monika, Horsham, Caitlin, Vagenas, Dimitrios, Loescher, Lois J., Gillespie, Nicole, Koh, Uyen, Curiel-Lewandrowski, Clara, Hofmann-Wellenhof, Rainer, Halpern, Allan, Whiteman, David C., Whitty, Jennifer A., Smithers, B. Mark and Soyer, H. Peter (2020). Accuracy of mobile digital teledermoscopy for skin self-examinations in adults at high risk of skin cancer: an open-label, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Digital Health, 2 (3), e129-e137. doi: 10.1016/S2589-7500(20)30001-7
2020
Journal Article
Long‐term deaths from melanoma according to tumour thickness at diagnosis
Baade, Peter D., Whiteman, David C., Janda, Monika, Cust, Anne E., Neale, Rachel E., Smithers, B. Mark, Green, Adele C., Khosrotehrani, Kiarash, Mar, Victoria, Soyer, H. Peter and Aitken, Joanne F. (2020). Long‐term deaths from melanoma according to tumour thickness at diagnosis. International Journal of Cancer, 147 (5) ijc.32930, 1391-1396. doi: 10.1002/ijc.32930
2020
Journal Article
Genes determining nevus count and dermoscopic appearance in Australian melanoma cases and controls
Duffy, David L., Jagirdar, Kasturee, Lee, Katie J., McWhirter, Seamus R., McMeniman, Erin K., De’Ambrosis, Brian, Pflugfelder, Annette, Rayner, Jenna E., Whiteman, David C., Brown, Matthew A., Martin, N.G., Smithers, B.M., Schaider, Helmut, Soyer, H. Peter and Sturm, Richard A. (2020). Genes determining nevus count and dermoscopic appearance in Australian melanoma cases and controls. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 140 (2), 498-501.e17. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2019.05.032
2020
Journal Article
Preoperative cisplatin, fluorouracil, and docetaxel with or without radiotherapy after poor early response to cisplatin and fluorouracil for resectable oesophageal adenocarcinoma (AGITG DOCTOR): results from a multicentre, randomised controlled phase II trial
Barbour, A. P., Walpole, E. T., Mai, G. T., Barnes, E. H., Watson, D. I., Ackland, S. P., Martin, J. M., Burge, M., Finch, R., Karapetis, C. S., Shannon, J., Nott, L. M., Varma, S., Marx, G., Falk, G. L., Gebski, V., Oostendorp, M., Wilson, K., Thomas, J., Lampe, G., Zalcberg, J. R., Simes, J., Smithers, B. M. and on behalf of the DOCTOR investigators (2020). Preoperative cisplatin, fluorouracil, and docetaxel with or without radiotherapy after poor early response to cisplatin and fluorouracil for resectable oesophageal adenocarcinoma (AGITG DOCTOR): results from a multicentre, randomised controlled phase II trial. Annals of Oncology, 31 (2), 236-245. doi: 10.1016/j.annonc.2019.10.019
2020
Conference Publication
Oncologic Outcomes After Isolated Limb Infusion (ILI) for Advanced Melanoma: An International Comparison between the US and Australia
Sun, J., Kroon, H. M., Miura, J. T., Beasley, G. M., Farrow, N. E., Mosca, P., Lowe, M. C., Farley, C. R., Kim, Y., Naqvi, S. M., Carr, M. J., Kirichenko, D., Potdar, A., Daou, H., Mullen, D., Farma, J. M., Henderson, M. A., Serpell, J., Delman, K. A., Smithers, M., Coventry, B. J., Tyler, D. S., Thompson, J. F. and Zager, J. S. (2020). Oncologic Outcomes After Isolated Limb Infusion (ILI) for Advanced Melanoma: An International Comparison between the US and Australia. Society-of-Surgical-Oncology (SSO) International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care, Boston Ma, Mar 25-28, 2020. NEW YORK: SPRINGER.
2020
Conference Publication
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Melanoma is Therapeutic: Predictors of Long-Term Node Basin Control with SLN Biopsy Alone
Crystal, J., Thompson, J. F., Cochran, A. J., Hyngstrom, J., Caraco, C., Zager, J. S., Jahkola, T., Beitsch, P. D., Moncrieff, M., Ingvar, C., Levine, E., Agnese, D., Henderson, M. A., Dummer, R., Rossi, C., Wright, F., Byrd, D., Matter, M., Ross, A. M., Hsueh, E., Johnson, D. B., Terheyden, P., Wayne, J. D., Huston, T., Smithers, M., Ariyan, C. E., Schneebaum, S., Jacobs, L. K., McMasters, K. M. ... Faries, M. B. (2020). Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Melanoma is Therapeutic: Predictors of Long-Term Node Basin Control with SLN Biopsy Alone. Society-of-Surgical-Oncology (SSO) International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care, Boston Ma, Mar 25-28, 2020. NEW YORK: SPRINGER.
2020
Conference Publication
The Utility of Ultrasound in the Follow-up of Patients with Melanoma Sentinel Node Metastases Undergoing Observation: An Analysis of MSLT-II
Garland-Kledzik, M., Thompson, J. F., Cochran, A. J., Hyngstrom, J., Caraco, C., Zager, J. S., Jahkola, T., Beitsch, P. D., Moncrieff, M., Ingvar, C., Levine, E., Henderson, M. A., Dummer, R., Rossi, C., Wright, F., Byrd, D., Matter, M., Ross, A. M., Hsueh, E., Johnson, D. B., Terheyden, P., Wayne, J. D., Huston, T., Smithers, M., Ariyan, C. E., Schneebaum, S., Jacobs, L. K., McMasters, K., Gesierich, A. ... Faries, M. B. (2020). The Utility of Ultrasound in the Follow-up of Patients with Melanoma Sentinel Node Metastases Undergoing Observation: An Analysis of MSLT-II. Society-of-Surgical-Oncology (SSO) International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care, Boston Ma, Mar 25-28, 2020. NEW YORK: SPRINGER.
2020
Conference Publication
Factors Predicting Toxicity and Response Following Isolated Limb Infusion for Melanoma: An International Multi-Center Analysis
Kroon, H. M., Kenyon-Smith, T., Miura, J. T., Teras, J., Beasley, G. M., Mullen, D., Farrow, N. E., Mosca, P., Lowe, M. C., Farley, C. R., Kim, Y., Naqvi, S. M., Potdar, A., Daou, H., Sun, J., Farma, J. M., Henderson, M. A., Speakman, D., Serpell, J., Delman, K. A., Smithers, M., Coventry, B. J., Tyler, D. S., Zager, J. S. and Thompson, J. F. (2020). Factors Predicting Toxicity and Response Following Isolated Limb Infusion for Melanoma: An International Multi-Center Analysis. Society-of-Surgical-Oncology (SSO) International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care, Boston Ma, Mar 25-28, 2020. NEW YORK: SPRINGER.
2020
Conference Publication
Highlights of the 2019 Annual Academic Surgery Conference
Di Bella, Claudia, Lee, James C., Koh, Cherry E., Mukherjee, Payal and Smithers, Mark (2020). Highlights of the 2019 Annual Academic Surgery Conference. 2019 Annual Academic Surgery Conference, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 7-8 November 2019. Richmond, VIC, Australia: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1111/ans.15713
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Mark Smithers is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Master Philosophy
Assessment of the impact of treating service characteristics on surgical and oncological outcomes for patients with Retroperitoneal and Inguinal Sarcomas in Queensland
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Andrew Barbour
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Master Philosophy
Factors Influencing Anastomotic Complications after Oesophagectomy
Associate Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
New tools for the multi-modal evaluation of pancreatic cancer and its precursor neoplasms.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr David Cavallucci
Completed supervision
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2020
Master Philosophy
An assessment of the impacts of centralising complex upper-gastrointestinal surgery in Queensland
Principal Advisor
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2024
Master Philosophy
In vivo Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) with 2-Dimensional (2D) COrrelated Spectroscopy (COSY) applied to breast cancer
Associate Advisor
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Natural history of high-risk cutaneous primary melanoma and risk factors for disease progression
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kiarash Khosrotehrani
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
An evaluation of the role of locoregional treatments for the management of in-transit melanoma metastases
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Peter Soyer, Associate Professor Helmut Schaider
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Mark Smithers directly for media enquiries about:
- Advanced endoscopic surgery
- Cancer surgery
- Endoscopic surgery
- General surgery
- Melanoma
- Surgery - cancer
- Surgery - oesophageal, gastric cancer
- Surgery - upper GI
- Upper GI surgery
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