Bruce Cain Lectures

2025
Lung cancer promotion and prevention: Myeloid mayhem
Prof Charles Swanton, Francis Crick Institute

2024
Development of immune-modulators in the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre for the treatment of cancer: Discovery and Impact
Prof Lai-Ming Ching, University of Auckland 

Note this lecture was deferred to 2025

2023
Communication skills in medicine: nature or nurture?
Prof Fran Boyle, University of Sydney and Mater Hospital

2022
Breast, basal, brain: biology-pathology-therapy
Prof Sunhil Lakhani, University of Queensland  

The 2022 Conference was combined with NZSP and RCPA and the Bruce Cain Lecture was therefore also the AB Pearson Memorial Lecture

2021
Getting Better: patients, politics, and purpose.
Prof Christopher Jackson, medical oncologist at Southern DHB and a senior lecturer in medicine at the University of Otago.

2020
Addressing the gaps in evidence for prevention of rarer cancers and cancers with long lead times
Prof Terry Dwyer

2019
Prof Sherene Loi, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

2018
Prof Bridget Robinson, Professor and Clinical Director of Mackenzie Cancer Research Group, University of Otago, Christchurch; Medical Oncologist, Christchurch Hospital

2017
Dissecting Colorectal Cancer in Multiple Targetable Subtypes
Dr Josep Tabernero, Clinical Director, Department of Medical Oncology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona

2016
From Then Till Now – 40 Years of Changes and Challenges: A Personal and Imperfect Story of the Development of Medical Oncology in Auckland
Dr Vernon Harvey, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Oncology, University of Auckland Medical School; Consultant Medical Oncologist, Auckland Hospital

2015
The Cain Legacy: Re-Thinking Cancer Drug Discovery and Development in the 21st Century
Prof Bill Wilson, Professor and Co-Director of the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, and leader of its Experimental Therapeutics Group, University of Auckland

2014
The Evolution of Disease-Based Cancer Care
Sir Murray Brennan, Vice President of International Programs and Director of the Bobst International Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York

Professor Brennan was appointed Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015

2013
Interrogating the Architecture of Cancer Genomes
Dr Peter Campbell, Head of Cancer Genetics and Genomics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

2012
Bruce Cain; The Legacy. Cancer Drug Development in the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre
Prof Sir Bill Denny, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, and Principal Investigator in the Maurice Wilkins Centre, University of Auckland

2011
Drugging the Cancer Genome: New Molecularly Targeted Drugs and Biomarkers for Personalised Cancer Medicine
Prof Paul Workman, Deputy Chief Executive of the Institute of Cancer Research, Head of the Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Director of the Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, and Harrap Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the Institute of Cancer Research, London

2010
Harnessing Transposons for Cancer Gene Discovery: Solid Tumors
Dr Nancy Jenkins, Emeritus Professor of Oncology, Institute for Academic Medicine; Co-Director of Houston Methodist Cancer Biology Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute

2009
Tumour Cell or Tumour Stroma? New Challenges for Translational Cancer Research
Prof Bruce Baguley, Professor and Co-Director of the Auckland Cancer Research Centre, University of Auckland

2008
Mechanism Oriented Clinical Trials – Can We Define Proof of Principle?
Prof David Kerr, Professor of Cancer Medicine, University of Oxford

2007
Interferons, Innate Immunity and Cancer
Prof Bryan Williams, Professor and Director of the Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Melbourne

2006
Translational Drug Development – Pitfalls and Solutions
Prof Gordon Youcef Rustum, Research Professor, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, New York

2005
Implications of Breast Cancer Stem Cells
Prof Michael Clarke, Professor of Cancer Biology and Medicine, Associate Director of the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University

2004
Tumor-Endothelial Cell Interactions – Evidence for Paracrine Survival Signals with and without Hypoxia and Therapy
Prof Mark Dewhirst, Gustavo S. Montana Professor of Radiation Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine

2003
From Cancer Genomics to New Molecular Therapeutics
Prof Paul Workman, Director of Cancer Research, UK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, Institute of Cancer Research, London

2002
New Approaches in Enhancing Radiotherapy
Prof Ted Lawrence, Professor of Radiation Oncology, Michigan University

2001
Antisense Strategies for Cancer Therapy
Prof Finbarr Cotter, Professor of Haematology, Barts Cancer Institute and the London School of Medicine

2000
Molecular Endpoints in Early Clinical Trials
Prof David (Herbie) Newell, Professor of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Professor Newell was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2011

1999
Partnerships for Progress
Prof Alan Coates, Clinical Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney; Chief Executive Officer of the Cancer Council Australia
Professor Coates was elected as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2002 and received the Distinguished Service Award for Scientific Leadership from the American Society for Clinical Oncology in 2006

1998
Dr Jeffrey Trent, Scientific Director, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland
Dr Trent became the founding president and director of the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Arizona in 2002

1997
Advances in Immunotherapy of Melanoma
Prof Peter Hersey, Conjoint Professor of Oncology, University of Newcastle; Senior Staff Specialist in Immunology and Oncology, Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital; and Medical and Research Director, Newcastle Melanoma Unit

1996
Design, Evaluation, and Development of Novel Anticancer Drugs
Prof Ken Harrap, Professor of Biochemical Pharmacology and Head of the Centre for Cancer Therapeutics at the Institute of Cancer Research, London
Professor Harrap was made a Life Fellow of the Cancer Research Campaign, a UK-based organisation, in 1994

1995

1994
Prof Richard Kefford, Founding Director of the Department of Medical Oncology, Westmead Hospital, New South Wales, Australia

1993
Hypoxic Cells in Tumors: New Opportunities for Selective Anticancer Therapy
Prof J. Martin Brown, Professor and Director, Division of Radiation Biology and Cancer Biology Research Laboratory, Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine

1992
Prof Alan Horwich, Professor in the Academic Unit of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Marsden Hospital, London
Professor Horwich was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2003

1991
Rational Design and Use of Anticancer Drugs: Practicality, Possibility or Mere Vanity
Prof Hilary Calvert, Director of the Cancer Research Unit, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne
Professor Calvert received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Oncological Association in 2009, and the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010

He accepted the invitation to deliver the Bruce Cain Memorial Lecture at the NZSO after the unexpected death of Tim McElwain, Professor of Medical Oncology at the Institute for Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden Hospital, who had initially agreed to present. The meeting included a symposium in honour of Tim McElwain, titled 'From the Laboratory to the Clinic'.

1990
Accelerated Growth During Cancer Treatment.
Prpf H. Rodney Withers, Professor and Director of the Institute of Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital/University of New South Wales

1989
Mechanisms of Drug Resistance and Sensitivity.
Prof Adrian Harris, Professor of Medical Oncology, University of Oxford

1988
High Dose Chemotherapy in Cancer Management.
Prof Peter Selby, Senior Lecturer in Medicine, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton

1987
Dr Derek Raghavan, Staff Oncologist and Research Director, Urological Cancer Research Unit, University of Sydney/Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

1986
Blind Alleys and Promising Routes in the Cancer Therapist's Maze.
Prof Michael Whitehouse, Professor of Medical Oncology, University of Southampton

In 2000, Professor Whitehouse was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, one of the leading organisational bodies in the UK with an emphasis on medical science

1985
Drug Resistance and Cancer Chemotherapy
Prof Martin Tattersall, Professor of Cancer Medicine, University of Sydney.

Professor Tattersall was awarded the Medical Oncology Group of Australia Cancer Achievement Award in 2000

1984
Screening for Breast Cancer. Findings of the BCDPP study
Prof William Herman Hartmann, Professor of Pathology and Director of Surgical Pathology, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee

1983
DNA Tumourploidy and Clinical Outcome
Prof Keith R. Fox, Research Fellow, Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge.

1982
The Use of New Inhibitors of Oestrogen and Androgen Production as Treatment of Breast and Prostatic Cancer
Prof Richard J. Santen, Division of Endocrinology, Milton S. Hershey Medical Centre, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine