OBSERVATIONS IN DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF ORAL CANCER OVER THE PAST 45 YEARS Lessons remain in identifying malignant disorders and prevention across health settings
With
Professor Peter Thomson,
Head of Dentistry and Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences
James Cook University, Cairns
SEGMENT
Filmed in the Gold Coast | May 2026
Peter Thomson is Academic Head of Dentistry and Professor of Oral & Maxillofacial Sciences in the College of Medicine & Dentistry at James Cook University, Australia. A UK and Australian specialist in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Medicine, he qualified BDS from Manchester University and MBBS from Newcastle upon Tyne, gaining Fellowships in Dental Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Ireland and Glasgow and a Fellowship in Surgery from Edinburgh, specializing in Head & Neck Oncology.
He completed MSc and PhD degrees in epithelial biology and cancer research at Manchester University, where he was Lecturer, before returning to Newcastle in 1996 as Professor of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. In 2009, he was appointed Hunterian Professor at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and in 2011 King James IV Professor at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh. In 2014, he gained a Manchester Higher Doctorate (DDSc) for oral oncology research, and in 2016 an MD from the University of Bath for his thesis on interventional management of potentially malignant disorders.
Developing an extensive international profile, Peter was appointed Visiting Professor at the National University of Singapore in 2014 before joining the University of Queensland’s School of Dentistry as Professor of Maxillofacial Surgery & Academic Clinical Director in 2016. He was recruited to The University of Hong Kong in October 2017 to become Associate Dean at the Faculty of Dentistry and Director of the Prince Philip Dental Hospital. He has also held Academic Head and Dean of Dentistry positions at the University of Central Lancashire, UK and Griffith University in Australia. He was invited to join James Cook University as Head of Dentistry in 2021.
Author of more than 350 research papers and 2 oral cancer textbooks, Peter is an internationally recognised authority in oncology, population health and dental education. His research emphasis encompasses oral carcinogenesis, epithelial cell biology, and the early diagnosis and interventional management of cancer.
Source: James Cook University website
Media access credit: Oral Health Association of Australia (OHAA)
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Physiotherapist, exercise physiologist support for management of osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is commonly managed medically and typically with treatment. Exercise is also essential in the management of osteoporosis but tends to be under-utilised due to lack of knowledge and unfounded concerns about the risk of injury. In fact, optimal care of people with low bone mass, osteoporosis and/or increased risk of falling can and should include targeted exercise to help prevent osteoporotic fracture.
In early 2024, Healthy Bones Australia released a summary of the principles of osteogenic loading and fall prevention, the translation of those principles into clinical practice, evidence-based recommendations for exercise prescription, and special considerations, along with links to several relevant resources for people with or at risk of osteoporosis, falls and fractures.
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World first in rural and remote nursing
In March 2023, the Australian Government released the National Rural and Remote Nursing Generalist Framework 2023–2027. The Framework is a world first and describes the unique context of practice and core capabilities for rural and remote Registered Nurses in Australia.
The Framework was developed by the Office of the National Rural Health Commissioner and Australian Health Journal spoke with National Rural Health Commissioner, Adjunct Professor Ruth Stewart, and Deputy National Rural Health Commissioner – Nursing and Midwifery, Adjunct Professor Shelley Nowlan, on the importance of rural and remote nursing and of the Framework itself.
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Priming Australia for social prescribing
Social prescribing provides support in various areas of people’s lives, leading to increased confidence, improved navigation of systems, and enhanced friendships and trust in healthcare, while communities should be designed in an age-friendly way to prevent isolation.
In Part 1 of the Models of Care on Social Prescribing, Australian Health Journal spoke to 4 people advocating for social prescribing in Australia
