Event Topic: Understanding brain metastases: when melanoma spreads to the brain.
This webinar video is for people in Australia with melanoma that has spread to the brain, and their family and friends, who are looking for information to understand how melanoma can metastasize to the brain, what might happen when this occurs, which sorts of treatments are available, and where to find further information and support. Prof Kate Drummond (neurosurgeon) will be joined by guest panel members with clinical expertise and personal experience of metastatic melanoma to share their knowledge and perspectives on this topic.
About our host and panel members:
- Professor Kate Drummond is a neurosurgeon and Director of Neurosurgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Kate also leads the team that developed Brain Tumours Online.
- Hayley Burridge is a Melanoma and Skin Cancer Clinical Nurse Consultant, Medical Oncology, at Alfred Health in Melbourne.
- Alexandra Macalister-Bills brings her lived experience perspective of melanoma that spread to the brain. Alexandra is a survivor of metastatic melanoma, which included a brain tumour. Having received radiation, immunotherapy and surgery she is now in complete remission. Alexandra is a teacher living in Far East Gippsland. She loves reading, yoga and is learning to surf. She is passionate about improving outcomes and support for patients.
- Dr Annie Wong is a Consultant Medical Oncologist with the melanoma unit at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. She completed her medical training through the University of Otago and Wellington Hospital in New Zealand, followed by a PhD on melanoma immunotherapy under the tutelage of Professor Grant McArthur. Dr Wong currently serves on the ESMO Cancer Medicines Committee, ESMO clinical guidelines group for mucosal and acral melanoma and Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials Medical Oncology DSA.
- Clare McInerney-Harris is a Melanoma Nurse Counsellor at Melanoma Patients Australia.
Our panel also do their best to answer YOUR questions on this webinar topic (time permitting), but if you have a more general question, or our panel doesn’t get time to answer your question during the live webinar, you might like to consider joining our social media community where you have the opportunity to “Chat with a brain tumour nurse” at regular weekly 1-hour chat sessions on Fridays.
Please note: these webinars are for education purposes only and should not be taken as individual medical advice. Consult with your healthcare team to find out what approach is best for you.
Video:
The webinar was recorded live on 16th July 2026. The recording is now available to watch. If you have feedback about the video or have topics to suggest for a future webinar, please complete this short webinar video feedback survey.
Additional relevant resources:
- During the webinar, one of our panelists, Hayley, mentioned a practical app called “Gather my crew” which can help with requesting help or managing offers of help from friends. To find out more about this app, click here.
- If you are interested in finding out more about the Brain Tumours Online research interview study mentioned in the final minutes of the webinar, click here. Please note this research study is open for recruitment in July-Aug 2026.