TUH registar recognised for outstanding brain cancer research

TUH registar recognised for outstanding brain cancer research

Townsville University Hospital (TUH) radiation oncology registrar Dr Ravi Marwah has paved the way to better outcomes for those suffering from recurring aggressive brain tumours.

Ravi was awarded the prestigious 2024 Bourne and Langlands Prize by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) for his 2023 publication comparing approaches to the treatment of recurrent high-grade gliomas.

High-grade gliomas are fast-growing tumours occurring in the brain and spinal cord.

The prize is awarded for outstanding research by a registrar and can only be received once by any registrar across their five-year training program – making it even more impressive with Ravi only in his first year of registrar training.

Ravi said the research looked at different treatment options for patients with recurrent brain tumours.

“It’s particularly important because despite initial treatment approaches typically involving combinations of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, a lot of these brain tumours tend to
recur,” Ravi said.

Ravi’s study was undertaken in collaboration with TUH, JCU and colleagues from the National University Cancer Institute Singapore, and Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre.

Ravi said the study provided important evidence to help inform clinicians in their treatment planning for patients with recurring high-grade gliomas.

“The research team found significant increases in patient survival measures, including overall survival and progression-free survival, with the use of combination therapies combining re-irradiation
and systemic therapy,” Ravi said.

“It’s a real step in the right direction to figure out the best treatment for patients.”

TUH radiation oncologist and director of training Dr Tim Squire said providing research opportunities to registrars was a priority for the health service.

“It is vital we facilitate these opportunities for our registrars, particularly junior registrars, so they can build up a portfolio of research early in their career,” Tim said.

“This means they can pursue interests which not only help them, but also the patients, department, and overall community.”

TUH radiation oncologist and JCU associate professor Daniel Xing said Ravi’s publication had achieved worldwide recognition after being cited in the European Society for Therapeutic

Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) guidelines for re-irradiation of brain tumours.

“It’s great to see this project and the team involved receive this sort of recognition,” Daniel said.

“This study sets the foundation for a nationwide phase two and phase three trial.

“Further research is planned to investigate the impact of different treatment approaches on the quality of life of patients."