Cancer expert, cancer treatment help

Is a second opinion your right as a cancer patient?

Dr Hawson cancer survival rates, Cancer treatment, Second Opinion July 4, 2019July 4, 2019

Is a second opinion a right or only a possible option for cancer patients? I have written an article for Dr Q (the AMAQ quarterly Magazine) which gives the details of the process that I use and follow for the

Are you confused about cancer survival rates?

Dr Hawson cancer confusion, cancer mortality rates, cancer prognosis, cancer survival rates March 27, 2019April 9, 2019cancer prognosis, cancer survival rates

After a diagnosis of cancer many people have two main questions: Can my cancer be cured? Will my cancer come back? In order to answer these questions we need to look at cancer recurrence and survival rates. These

Worried about chemotherapy side effects?

Dr Hawson Cancer treatment, Chemotherapy, Side effects March 27, 2019April 22, 2019cancer treatment, chemotherapy, side effects

Worrried about chemotherapy side effects there is an answer

Are you worried whether you should have chemotherapy because of the side effects you have heard of ? My article, Worried about chemotherapy side effects. Should I have it? will help with your decision.

Will adjuvant chemotherapy work for me?

Dr Hawson Adjuvant chemotherapy, Cancer treatment, Chemotherapy March 27, 2019April 22, 2019adjuvant, Cancer, cancer treatment, chemotherapy

Has your surgeon or oncologist recommended adjuvant chemotherapy and you are unsure what adjuvant chemotherapy is and why it has been recommended? Find answers in my article: Will adjuvant therapy work for you?

Six reasons to seek a second opinion for your cancer diagnosis and treatment

Dr Hawson Cancer diagnosis, Cancer treatment, Second Opinion February 27, 2019April 22, 2019Cancer, cancer diagnosis, cancer treatment, second opinion

6 reasons to get a second opinion for your cancer

Why should I seek a second opinion about my cancer diagnosis and treatment? Seeking a second opinion is commonplace. For most of us, getting a second or third quote for car and home repairs and upgrades is a routine activity

UPDATE: Crizotinib now approved on PBS for ROS1 mutation in Lung Cancer!

Dr Hawson Cancer treatment, Genomic Testing, Lung cancer, Targeted therapies, TKI February 27, 2019April 22, 2019genomic testing, Lung cancer, targeted therapies

As of 1st January 2019, the Australian Government has approved the use of Crizotinib in non-small cell lung cancer with a ROS1 mutation. “The drug may stop or slow the growth of Stage IIIB (locally advanced) or Stage IV (metastatic)

Chemotherapy Confusion

Dr Hawson Cancer Maze, Chemotherapy, Side effects December 9, 2018April 22, 2019adjuvant, carcinoma-in-situ, chemotherapy, pre-malignant, side effects

Are you confused about whether you should have chemotherapy? The issue really comes down to what cancer you have and how much you have. There are different types of cancer and treatments: Some conditions are pre-malignant meaning that cancer has

Iron deficiency anaemia for beginners

Dr Hawson Haematological Conditions July 18, 2018February 27, 2019anaemia, anemia, blood loss, iron

My doctor says my iron is low and I need iron tablets Why is that? Do I really need them? Iron deficiency (not enough iron in the body) is one of the most common causes of anaemia worldwide and the

Do you need a liquid biopsy test to find out if you have cancer? Circulating Tumour DNA (ctDNA)

Dr Hawson Genomic Testing, Liquid biopsy, Ongoing monitoring, Targeted therapies March 12, 2018April 22, 2019CanSEEK, ctDNA, False positive, genomics, liquid biopsy

Need a liquid biopsy test? Recent news reports suggest that you do… but do you really? These reports are based on a paper published in Science on 18th January 2018 (including Australian co-authors) proposing that there may well be a

Three questions to ask about targeted therapies and immunotherapies for your cancer.

Dr Hawson Immunotherapy, Targeted therapies November 18, 2017April 22, 2019Cancer, Immunotherapy, targeted therapies

Questions about targeted therapies in Australia

Q1 Are there any targeted therapies or immunotherapies for my cancer? Q2 Are these available to me in Australia? Q3 Are these cancer therapies available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme or do I have to pay the full cost? Why

← Previous

I am registered as a Medical Oncologist, Clinical Haematologist and Palliative Care Physician, and have over 40 years medical experience including as Director of Oncology, Haematology and Palliative Care at large public hospitals in Brisbane, Redcliffe and the Sunshine Coast, as well as in private practice. In 2008 I was awarded Eminent Specialist by Queensland Health and have been an Associate Professor with the University of Queensland since 1993. I have treated a broad range of cancers, including of the breast, bowel, lung, pancreas, prostate and liver. I have contributed to research trials on the most effective cancer treatments, and helped train many cancer specialists. I am particularly interested in mind body wellness and offer medical hypnosis for cancer-related symptoms such as pain and nausea and hot flushes in chemotherapy-induced menopause.