John Thompson

John Thompson is a Professor of Melanoma and Surgical Oncology at the University of Sydney since 1999, affiliated with the Central Clinical School. He previously served as Executive Director of Melanoma Institute Australia (1998–2016) and held leadership roles such as Chairman of the Australian and New Zealand Melanoma Trials Group (2002–2013) and Chairman of the Australian Melanoma Management Guidelines Working Party (since 2013).

His research focuses on pioneering surgical techniques like isolated limb infusion (ILI) for melanoma and soft-tissue sarcoma, and advancing sentinel node biopsy (SNB) methodologies to reduce unnecessary lymph node dissections. He also contributed to international cancer staging systems, including the AJCC 6th, 7th, and 8th editions for cutaneous melanoma, leveraging data from Melanoma Institute Australia. Thompson developed an online melanoma prognosis prediction tool as part of the AJCC Melanoma Staging Taskforce.

Thompson has authored 785 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, edited 11 books, and held editorial roles in journals like Journal of Clinical Oncology and Annals of Surgical Oncology. His awards include the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for contributions to oncology research and medical education, and Honorary Fellowships from the American College of Surgeons, American Surgical Association, and Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

• Key Achievements: Developed ILI and SNB techniques; co-created the AJCC staging system updates and melanoma guidelines.
• Global Impact: His work is widely adopted in Australia, North America, Europe, and South America, influencing melanoma treatment standards.
• Education & Mentorship: Supervised 6 PhD students (including Marc Moncrieff, Hidde Kroon, Richard Martin) and mentored researchers who now lead in melanoma management internationally.

Advising & Grants:

Thompson’s advisory roles include:

• Chairman of NHMRC-endorsed melanoma management guidelines (2008–ongoing)
• Member of UICC TNM Expert Panel (Skin)
• Taskforce member of Cochrane Skin Group on excision margins for melanoma

His research has secured grants for large-scale trials, such as the Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial (MSLT-II), and collaborations on cost-effectiveness of imaging strategies for stage III melanoma. He advocates for balanced approaches to sentinel node biopsy and adjuvant therapy in modern practice.

Lab/Teams: Collaborates with the Melanoma Institute Australia, AJCC Melanoma Staging Committee, and international groups like the EORTC Melanoma Taskforce and Cochrane Skin Group to advance melanoma research and clinical standards.