Westmead Dermatology Striving towards disease-free skin
During the last meeting of the Australasian Society for Dermatology Research, Pablo Fernandez-Peñas presented a review of the influence of cellular and biochemical pathways in understanding diseases. Pablo described how the use of BRAF inhibitors in melanoma created a number of cutaneous effects. Clinical findings and basic research (including original research by our group) helped …
Written by Dr Cathy Zhao The Department of Dermatology at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, is holding our first “Skin Effects of Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapies” education day. This is an opportunity for anybody involved in the management of these patients to learn about the diagnosis and management of skin conditions in patients on anti-cancer therapies, including dermatologist, …
Written by Dr Cathy Zhao Last weekend, Dr Rose Liu (research fellow) and I attended the Australasian Dermatopathology Society Annual Meeting in Melbourne. The meeting was an extremely enlightening learning experience, where we learned about the dermatopathology of various skin conditions including lymphoma, skin infection and alopecia. We also learned about newer immunohistochemistry stains. The …
This year, the Australian and New Zealand Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference (ANZSMS26) was held in Adelaide, South Australia from, Sunday 16 to Thursday 20 July 2017. ANZSMS26 is the premier conference for mass spectrometry in the Australia & New Zealand region with an aim to provide a forum for the presentation of research in …
Congratualations to Dr Shaun Chou, with the paper “PD-1 inhibitor associated lichenoid inflammation with incidental suprabasilar acantholysis or vesiculation – report of four cases” accepted in Journal of Cutaneous Pathology last week. This is a paper about four rare cases of atypical lichenoid reactions with histological blistering, that histologically mimicked paraneoplastic pemphigus. All of the …
Various cutaneous side-effects have been reported with anti-melanoma systemic therapies. BRAF inhibitors, MEK inhibitors, anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 molecules have changed the prognosis of patients with metastatic melanoma, improving their chances of survival. Some side effects appear in these patients, including changes in nevi (moles). We have reviewed the changes in our patients on dabrafenib, vermurafenib …
Written by Dr Cathy Zhao Also known as naevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBSCCS), Gorlin syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic syndrome with increased risk of developing basal cell carcinomas (BCC). In Australia, the estimated prevalence of Gorlin syndrome is 1:164000 as per a local study done in 1994. The PTCH1 gene, with produces a …
Written by Dr Cathy Zhao Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are common skin cancers that are usually localised and treated with standard surgical excision or Mohs micrographic surgery, electrodessication and curettage, imiquimod, or 5-fluorouracil. Their growth is driven by mutations that lead to inappropriate Hedgehog signalling pathway. Very rarely, BCCs can become locally destructive and metastasise, …
Dr Shelley Ji Eun Hwang, a former dermatology research fellow at Westmead Hospital (current accredited dermatology registrar at the Skin and Cancer Foundation, Darlinghurst) has been awarded the Eileen Collins Memorial Prize by the Australasian College of Dermatologist (ACD) in the 50th Annual Scientific Meeting for delivering the best paper presentation by a NSW registrar. …
In the 50th Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) of the Australasian College of Dermatologist (ACD), Pablo Fernandez-Peñas chaired a session about Dermatology Hospitalists. The aim was to gather together dermatologists interested in inpatient care. Hospital dermatology has different challenges than office-based dermatology, with more acute, urgent and complex presentations, multiple comorbidities and poli-medication, and the need …
