CURRICULUM VITAE: Bernard Mark SMITHERS
ACADEMIC ADDRESS: Department of Surgery, University of Queensland, Princess
Alexandra Hospital, Ipswich Rd., Brisbane, Australia 4102
PRIVATE PRACTICE: GIAST Clinic, Suites 30,31 Mater Medical Centre, 293 Vulture St.,
South Brisbane, Australia 4101
E MAIL:
PLACE
OF BIRTH: Brisbane, Queensland.
EDUCATION:
TERTIARY: University of Queensland 1972-1977 M.B.B.S.
POSTGRADUATE: Fellow Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Feb 1985
Fellow Royal College of Surgeons of England, Jan 1986
QUALIFICATIONS: M.B.B.S.(Qld), F.R.A.C.S., F.R.C.S.(Eng).
PRESENT APPOINTMENTS:
ACADEMIC: Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Queensland (Part Time)
Level D, Academic (Point 0404)
Honorary Associate, NH&MRC Trials Centre, Faculty of Medicine,
University of Sydney
CLINICAL: Senior Visiting Medical Officer - Trauma/General Surgeon,
Director, Upper GI and Soft Tissue Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital.
PREVIOUS APPOINTMENTS:
Consultant Surgeon Appointments.
• Locum Surgeon, Flying Surgeon Service, Longreach, Australia, Jan 1987.
• Locum Vascular Surgeon, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Jan-Feb 1988.
• Visiting Consultant Surgeon, Logan Hospital, June 1990-91.
• Clinical Lecturer, University of Queensland, Department of Surgery, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane. Sept 1987 - June 1988.
• Senior Lecturer in Surgery, University of Queensland, Department of Surgery, Trauma/General Surgeon, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane. June 1988 - April 1995.
• Associate Professor in Surgery, University of Queensland, Department of Surgery, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane. May 1995 -
• Visiting Surgeon, Upper GI and Soft Tissue, Unit Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane. May 1995 - July 1996
• Senior Visiting Surgeon, Director, Upper GI and Soft Tissue Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane. July 1996 – present time
LICENSURE: Medical Board of Queensland.
General Medical Council of England.
SPECIALTY CERTIFICATION: General Surgery
PROCEDURAL CERTIFICATION: Colonoscopy, Gastroscopy
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
1978 Medical Defence Society of Queensland 1978-1997
1980 Australian Sports Medicine Federation 1980-2006)
1982 Visa Qualifying Examination of Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (E.C.F.M.G.)
1985 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (Current)
1986 Royal College of Surgeons of England (Current)
1986 World Association of Hepato Pancreatico-Biliary Surgeons
1988 Gastroenterological Society of Queensland (Current)
1991 Clinical Oncological Society of Australia (Current)
1992 Gastroenterological Society of Australia (1992 – 2008)
1992 Surgical Research Society of Australasia (Current)
1994 Eastern Co-operative Oncology Group (E.C.O.G.) - Investigator (Current)
1997 United Medical Protection Society (1997 - 2007)
1998 International Association of Hepato-pancreaticobiliary Surgeons(Current)
1999 International Society of Diseases of the Esophagus(Current)
2000 Society of Surgical Oncology (USA)- (Current)
2007 Australia and New Zealand Gastro-Oesophageal Surgeons Association (Current)
2007 Avant Medical Insurance (Current)
AWARDS:
1992: Queensland Cancer Fund - E.S.A. International Scholarship
Study and Travel Programme:
MD Anderson Cancer Centre - Houston, Texas,
Department of Surgery, University of Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute, New York.
Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University, Hong Kong.
2003: Philip Goatcher Surgeon in Residence – Royal Perth Hospital.
July, Perth
2007: Nimmo Visitor – Royal Adelaide Hospital
October 29 – November 1, Adelaide, Australia.
2008: Distinguised Invited Visitor - Combined Royal Australasian College
of Surgeons and College of Surgeons of Hong Kong Annual Scientific
Congress. May 13 – 18, Hong Kong
CLINICAL INTERESTS:
UPPER G.I. SURGERY - I am one of four Surgeons and the Chairman/ Director of the Upper G.I./Soft Tissue Unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital.
My interests and research include:
(i)Malignant diseases of the oesophagus and stomach. In 1994 we established a multi-disciplinary Upper GI Oncology Clinic, involving surgery, medical oncology and radiation oncology. We presently run a weekly multidisciplinary meeting to discuss all new and problem cases of cancer of Gastric and Oesophageal Malignancy. All oesophageal and gastric malignancies are documented onto a prospective database. We see over 100 new patients with malignant dysphagia each year and operate on 45%.
(ii) Benign conditions notably Gastro-oesophageal Reflux. In collaboration with my colleagues Professor David Gotley and Les Nathanson we are documenting all patients who have had surgery.
(iii) We are a tertiary referral centre for complicated upper GI problems including patients with Achalasia and those who have had previous surgery with functional problems.
MELANOMA - I am the Senior Surgeon in the Melanoma Clinic at Princess Alexandra Hospital. This is a multi-disciplinary clinic with medical oncology and radiotherapy, and is the base for the initiation of a number of clinically based research projects and trials. I am Chairman of The Queensland Melanoma Project which is the research arm of the Melanoma Clinic. This group runs and co-ordinates the clinically based trials for patients managed through the Melanoma Clinic.
ENDOSCOPY - DIAGNOSTIC - I am accredited in colonoscopy and gastroscopy with the combined committee of the G.E. Society of Australia and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
ENDOSCOPIC SURGERY - I am experienced in advanced Laparoscopic Surgery including cholecystectomy, Nissen fundoplication, oesophageal resection, adrenalectomy and splenectomy. At the time of the introduction of laparoscopic surgery, I had been on the teaching faculty for practical courses, as well as attending many workshops.
I have coordinated a prospective randomised trial of open versus laparoscopic appendicectomy.
TRAUMA - The Princess Alexandra Hospital is a major metropolitan hospital dealing with primary, secondary and tertiary referrals of patients with major trauma. I am interested in the assessment, care and documentation of these patients. In the past I had the responsibility to organize the trauma roster and service with my earlier appointment to the hospital including the title of Trauma surgeon.
I have been a Director and Instructor of the Early Management of Severe Trauma Course which is run by the Australasian College of Surgeons. I have taught on a number of courses in Australasia and more recently have directed a number of participant and instructor courses. From January 1995 to February 2000 I was on the national EMST Committee.
RESEARCH
OESPHAGUS – Active
NH&MRC:
APP 1011782 – Docetaxel with or without radiation therapy for resectable oesophageal adenocarcinoma based on early PET response to induction chemotherapy. (DOCTOR trial)
CIA Andrew Barbour; CIB Bernard Smithers, CIC Bryan Burmeister, CID Euan Walpole, CIE John Zalcberg, CIF Nigel Spry, CIG Garett Smith
2011 – 13: $791,991.44
· “Prospective assessment of Quality of Life after Intervention for oesophageal cancer”.
Chief Investigators: Assoc. Prof. M Smithers, Professor D Gotley
Support: Mater Private Hospital
· Prospective documentation of Oesophageal and Gastric cancers managed within Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Mater Medical Centre.
OESPHAGUS – COMPLETED
NIH
Molecular epidemiology of Barrett’s oesophagus and cancer.
Chief Investigator: David Whiteman
Associate Investigators: G. Jameison, A Green, D Purdie, D Gotley, BM Smithers, D. Watson
Support: National Institute of Health, USA - $US 1,250,000 2003 – 08.
NHMRC
Towards Prognostic Markers for Oesophageal Cancer
Chief Investigator: David Whiteman
Associate Investigators: Assoc Prof BM Smithers, Prof DC Gotley, Prof A Green
Support: NH&MRC: 2006-8
Randomized trial of Surgery alone compared with chemoradiation prior to surgery for operative oesophageal carcinoma. This was a National multicentred trial co-ordinated by a management committee under the auspices of the Australasian Gastro Intestinal Trials Group and the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group.
Chief Investigator: Assoc. Prof. B Burmeister
Principle Investigators: Assoc. Prof. M Smithers, Prof. J Denham, Dr S Ackland
Support: NHMRC 1996-1998 - $73,000 per annum
Epidemiology of Oesophageal Cancer.
Chief Investigator: David Whiteman
Associate Investigators: Prof Adele Green, Assoc Prof M Smithers, Prof. David Gotley
Support: Queensland Cancer Fund - $60,000 per annum 2001- 2002
NH&MRC programme grant to Queensland Institute of Medical Research
Randomised Phase II trial of preoperative chemotherapy compared with preoperative chemoradiation for operable carcinoma of the oesophagus
Investigators: Assoc Professor B. Burmeister, Assoc Professor M. Smithers, Prof D. Gotley, J. Harvey, E. Walpole, D. Thomson.
Support: Internal
GASTRIC CANCER - Active
Cancer Australia
Randomised phase III study of preop-chemoradiotherapy vs preop-chemotherapy for resectable gastric cancer.
Support: Cancer Australia 570996 (app ID) $596625, 2009-2011
Chief Investigator: Trevor Leong,
Associate Investigators: Val Gebski, Mark Smithers, David Watson, Nigel Spry, John Zalcberg, Michael Michael, Alex Boussioutas
GIST – Completed
Intermediate and high risk localized, completely resected, gastro-intestinal stromal tumours (GIST) expressing KIT receptor: a controlled randomized trial on adjuvant Imatinib mesylate (Glivec) versus no further therapy after complete surgery. Intergroup study (EORTC 62024). – 5%
Australian sponsor; Australasian Gastrointestinal Trials Group (AGITG)
Trial Management Committee: Dusan Kotachek, BM Smithers, B. Mann, G Van Hazel,
Garret Smith, D Porter, D Watson, S Pieterse, J Simes, J Zalcberg, D Miller, M Hall
2005 - $90002, 2006 - $87002, 2007 - $76168
ENDOSCOPIC SURGERY - Active
• “Pre and post-operative assessment for laparoscopic fundoplication”.
This study utilizes oesophageal physiology studies and quality of life instruments to objectively assess the results of all patients who have anti-reflux surgery, both in the short and long term.
• Prospective documentation of advanced laparoscopic surgery – cardiomyotomy, splenectomy, adrenalectomy
MELANOMA - Active
NH&MRC:
APP 1004999: Effects of nevogenesis susceptibility genes and phenotype correlation with dermoscopic characteristics of nevi.
CIA Peter Soyer, CIB Richard Sturm, CIC David Duffy, CID Bernard Smithers.
2011 -13, $535,206
Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy for Melanoma Trial II: A Phase III Multicenter
Randomized Trial of Sentinel Lymphadenectomy and Complete Lymph Node Dissection versus Sentinel Lymphadenectomy Alone in CutaneousMelanoma Patients with Molecular or Histopathological Evidence of Metastases in the Sentinel Node.
Multicentre trial co-ordinated by John Wayne Cancer centre.
PI Donald Morton
Local Investigators: BM Smithers, Gerard Bayley, Andrew Barbour
A phase 2 study of intralesional PV-10 in the treatment of metastatic melanoma.
Sponsor – Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Delpharm Consultants
Chief Investigator (Qld) – BM Smithers
Co-investigators – A Barbour, G. Bayley
A phase I study of Genvax for Stage IV metastatic Melanoma.
Sponsor –
Chief Investigator – BM Smithers
Co-investigators – A Barbour, G Bayley, D. Thomson
DERMA Study - A phase III study of MAGE for patients with stage III metastatic melanoma.
Sponsor – GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals
Chief Investigator (Qld) – BM Smithers
Co –investigators – A Barbour, G Bayley, D Thomson
MELANOMA RESEARCH - COMPLETED
NH&MRC
Treatment of recurrent malignant melanoma by limb infusion of cytotoxic drugs and other techniques.
Chief Investigator: Prof M Roberts
Principle Investigators: A/Prof BM Smithers, A/Prof J Thompson and A/Prof C Anderson
Support NHMRC #981314: 1998 – 2000 $273,453
Preclinical development of a melanoma – selective drug:
Chief Investigator: Dr P Parsons
Principle Investigator: Assoc. Prof M Smithers
Support: NHMRC 1998 – 2000 - $60,000 per annum
The role of TAPP and MHC Class ! expression in the response to melanoma immunotherapy using dendritic cells.
Chief Investigator: Assoc Prof R Thomas
Principle Investigators: Dr. Jabbar, Assoc Prof BM Smithers, E Walpole
Support NH&MRC # 102515: 2000 – 2002 $104,000 per annum
Clinical trial of Autologous Melanoma Vaccine in Patients with Stage IV melanoma
Chief Investigator: Dr R Thomas
Associate Investigators: Assoc. Prof M Smithers, Dr E Walpole, Clinical Prof R McLeod
Support: Queensland Cancer Fund – 1999 – 2000 $40,000 per annum
NH&MRC 2000 – 2002 $103,000 per annum
Phase III trial of an immunotherapy for stage III (AJCC) melanoma based on cultured autologous dendritic cells presenting autologous tumour cell analysis.
Investigators: Prof Michael O’Rourke, A/Prof BM Smithers, Prof K. Ellem, C Schmidt, B O’Loughlin, D Lincoln
Support: 2003-05 NH&MRC project grant to Queensland Institute of Medical Research
2006 – MS Principle Investigator - Queensland Cancer Fund (Grant Q57) – 2 years 71,700 per annum.
A trial of surgery versus surgery plus adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with resected nodal metastatic melanoma.
Chief Investigator: M. Henderson, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne
Associate Investigators: W. McCarthy, J. Thompson, B. Burmeister, BM Smithers
Support: NH&MRC - $305000, 2003 – 06
"Physiological Pharmacokinetics in the Isolated Limb".
Chief Investigators: M. Smithers / Prof. M. Roberts
Associate Investigator: Prof. W. Egerton
Support: Queensland Cancer Fund 1993 - $60,000
University of Queensland - Cancer Research Fund 1994 - $31,400
Queensland Cancer Fund 1995-97 - $45,000 per annum
Princess Alexandra Hospital Foundation 1997 - $10,000
Publications: 7 Posters: 4
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of isolated limb perfusion and isolated limb infusion.
Chief Investigator: Prof. M Roberts
Principle Investigators: Assoc. Prof J Thompson, Assoc. Prof M Smithers, Dr C Anderson
Support: Princess Alexandra Hospital Foundation 1998 - $10,000
Development of Autologous Melanoma Vaccine for patients with stage IV metatastic melanoma.
Chief Investigator: Dr R Thomas
Associate Investigators: Assoc. Prof M Smithers, Dr E Walpole, Clinical Prof R McLeod
Support: University of Queensland – Cancer Research Fund – 1998
Queensland Cancer Fund – 1999 – 2000 $40,000 per annum
Phase III multicentred trial of wide excision alone versus wide excision and selective lymphadenopathy for malignant melanoma
Investigators: Assoc. Prof. M Smithers, Clinical Prof R McLeod
This trial is co-ordinated by the John Wayne Institute – California, USA
Commenced 1998. Accrual closed, follow up continues.
Support: John Wayne Cancer Institute - $73,400 (to 2004)
A Phase III Randomized Double-Blind Pivotal Trial of Immunotherapy with
BCG plus a Polyvalent Melanoma Vaccine, CancerVaxTM Vaccine, versus BCG plus a Placebo as a Post-Surgical Treatment for Stage III Melanoma. (Multicentred trial)
Principle Researcher: BM Smithers
Associate Researchers: S. Jones, B. Burmeister, G. Bayley
Sponsor: CancerVax Corporation, Santa Monica, USA
A Phase III Randomized Double-Blind Pivotal Trial of Immunotherapy with
BCG plus a Polyvalent Melanoma Vaccine, CancerVaxTM Vaccine, versus BCG plus a Placebo as a Post-Surgical Treatment for Stage IV Melanoma. (Multicentred trial)
Principle Researcher: BM Smithers
Associate Researchers: E Walpole, G. Bayley
Sponsor: CancerVax Corporation, Santa Monica, USA
A Phase II Trial of Immunotherapy with BCG plus a Polyvalent Melanoma Vaccine, CancerVaxTM Vaccine, in patients with in-transit metastatic melanoma. (Multicentred trial)
Institutional Principle Researcher: BM Smithers
Associate Researchers: E Walpole, G. Bayley, S. Jones, A. Barbour
Sponsor: CancerVax Corporation, Santa Monica, USA
Phase I open label cohort study of two doses of Cavatak (coxsackievirus A21) given intratumorally in stage IV melanoma.