The Oncology Podcast

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In this episode, the Oncology Journal Club team take a whistle-stop tour through some of the latest evidence in breast, colorectal, lung and thyroid cancer, with plenty to discuss around AI pathology, access to palliative care and the ever-changing world of ASCO Guidelines.
We kick things off with a lively deep dive into SERENA-6 and the idea of switching treatment when an ESR1 mutation emerges — before the cancer has actually progressed — in first-line treatment of hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer. The team get into the biology behind the approach, the potential benefits for patients and, importantly, what we’re really measuring when treatment changes halfway through the journey.
Next up is a deceptively simple question with potentially big implications: could aspirin have a role as adjuvant treatment after colorectal cancer surgery? The ASCOLT translational work, alongside signals from other trials, raises the possibility that benefit may be concentrated in patients with particular PIK3CA mutations rather than applying to everyone. But that leads to a very real-world question: if the treatment is cheap but the testing isn’t, how do we make precision prevention accessible — and when should we start?
We then turn to PD-L1-high advanced non-small cell lung cancer, where a systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that chemoimmunotherapy may offer better survival than PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor monotherapy. But, as always, the numbers are only part of the story — particularly when we’re treating older or less-fit patients in the real world.
And in our Quick Bites, we look at why so many patients never receive systemic treatment, why early palliative care is still underused, the potential of faster respiratory pathways to improve access, AI-powered pathology, and new ASCO Guidelines.
If you enjoy sharp takes on new oncology papers — and  what they actually mean for patients and practice — subscribe, share the episode with a colleague and leave us a review to help others find the show.
The Oncology Journal Club Podcast is hosted by Professor Craig Underhill, Dr Kate Clarke and Professor Chris Jackson, and proudly produced by The Oncology Network.
Visit oncologynetwork.com.au for Show Notes, to send us Voice Notes and more information.

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The September changes to Australia's PBS will have a wide and lasting impact on the oncology treatment landscape.
Rachael Babin from the Oncology Network sits down with Professor Craig Underhill to translate the latest Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) oncology and haematology listings into what clinicians actually need: who’s eligible, what the key trials show and what to watch for once the script is written. 
This month we unpack three significant PBS developments:
We discuss the new multi-cancer listing for pembrolizumab, expanding access for patients with advanced or metastatic immunotherapy-sensitive cancers
The listing of enfortumab vedotin in combination with pembrolizumab for previously untreated advanced urothelial cancer
And the addition of durvalumab alongside FLOT chemotherapy as neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment for resectable gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancers. 
We discuss the clinical evidence behind these changes, some of the practical considerations around managing treatment-related toxicities and new funding to expand specialist prostate cancer nursing services.
If this helped you keep up with PBS oncology and haematology updates, please subscribe, share it with a colleague and leave a review so more clinicians can find us.

Visit the Show Notes for links to the papers and other materials related to the PBS updates discussed in this episode and to send us audio feedback or questions for future episodes.
Proudly produced by The Oncology Network - with thanks to our Editor, Graham Knowles.

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PBS listings can radically reshape practice and the August changes are all about precision. Rachael Babin from the Oncology Network sits down with Professor Craig Underhill to translate the latest Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) oncology and haematology listings into what clinicians actually need: who’s eligible, what the key trials show and what to watch for once the script is written. 

We start with vorasidenib, newly listed for IDH mutant astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas. Alongside a powerful public advocacy story, we unpack the INDIGO phase 3 data and why a clear progression-free survival gain matters for patients facing long treatment journeys. We also get practical about toxicity, including fatigue and liver function abnormalities, and the reality that chronic low-grade side effects still require close monitoring and supportive care to keep people well on therapy. 

Next, we move to selpercatinib for RET-mutated medullary thyroid cancer, a rare disease where “getting the target right” can be transformative. Craig talks us through the LIBRETTO-531 results, what “PFS not reached” signals, and why tolerability and discontinuation rates matter just as much as headline efficacy. 
We then cover tafasitamab (anti-CD19) added to rituximab and lenalidomide for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, including day unit visit burden, neutropenia risk and the size of the benefit reported. 

To close, we ask the bigger question: as targeted therapy and tumour-agnostic approvals increase, are we heading toward mutation specialists rather than tumour-type silos? If this helped you keep up with PBS oncology and haematology updates, please subscribe, share it with a colleague and leave a review so more clinicians can find us.

Visit the Show Notes for links to the papers and other materials related to the PBS updates discussed in this episode and to send us audio feedback or questions for future episodes.
Proudly produced by The Oncology Network

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Negative trials matter. In this episode, the Oncology Journal Club team discuss research that challenges established practice, alongside thought-provoking papers exploring how we communicate treatment goals in the era of immunotherapy and precision oncology.
Professor Chris Jackson reviews the PERISCOPE II trial, showing that adding gastrectomy, cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC to systemic therapy does not improve survival for patients with gastric cancer and limited peritoneal metastases, while substantially increasing treatment-related morbidity.
Dr Kate Clarke examines the NeoSUMMIT-01 trial, which provides further evidence supporting perioperative PD-1 inhibition alongside chemotherapy for gastric and gastro-oesophageal cancers, with encouraging improvements in event-free and overall survival.
Professor Craig Underhill leads a discussion on a JAMA Oncology viewpoint questioning whether the traditional "curative" versus "palliative" treatment framework remains fit for purpose in modern oncology, particularly as immunotherapy and targeted therapies create new patterns of long-term survival.
The team also explores:
Smoking cessation programmes that improve outcomes for patients with cancer 
New ctDNA data following colorectal liver metastasectomy 
Steroids to reduce morphine-induced nausea and vomiting 
Highlights from the ASCO Breakthrough meeting 
The Lancet Oncology Commission on the global cancer workforce crisis 
Tumour-agnostic therapies and the challenges of equitable implementation 
Five-year follow-up from TOPAZ-1 in advanced biliary tract cancer 
A comprehensive review of recent advances in prostate cancer 
The Oncology Journal Club Podcast is hosted by Professor Craig Underhill, Dr Kate Clarke and Professor Chris Jackson, and proudly produced by The Oncology Network.
Visit oncologynetwork.com.au for Show Notes, to send us Voice Notes and more information.

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The July 2026 PBS update brings a number of important changes for oncology clinicians, with several new and expanded cancer medicine listings set to improve access to cancer treatments across breast, lung, blood and biliary tract cancers.
In this episode, Rachael Babin and Professor Craig Underhill discuss the clinical significance of the latest Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme changes, including who is now eligible for treatment, what these listings mean for multidisciplinary care and why comprehensive biomarker testing continues to grow in importance.
In this episode:
PBS listing for pertuzumab (Perjeta®) in high-risk HER2-positive early breast cancer 
Listing of alectinib (Alecensa®) for ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer 
Osimertinib (Tagrisso®) listing for EGFR-mutated unresectable Stage III NSCLC following chemoradiation 
First PBS listing of romidepsin (Romidepsin-Reach®) for relapsed peripheral T-cell lymphoma 
First PBS listing of futibatinib (Lytgobi®) for FGFR2-altered advanced cholangiocarcinoma 
What the new broad (multi-cancer) PBS listing principles for PD-(L)1 inhibitors could mean for future cancer drug funding
Follow The PBS Update for regular discussions on PBS listings and oncology policy changes affecting Australian healthcare professionals.
Visit the Show Notes for links to the PBS updates discussed in this episode and to send us audio feedback or questions for future episodes.
Proudly produced by The Oncology Network