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Symposia and Forums

2026 VIC Branch Winter Breakfast

Join us at the annual VIC Branch Winter Breakfast.

Our keynote speaker, Prof Catherine Granger, will be presenting 'Prehab for Major Cancer Surgery'.

Cancer surgery represents a significant physiological stressor, yet many patients enter the operating theatre deconditioned and unprepared. After surgery, patients commonly experience physical and psychological impairments that range from short-term complications to persistent medium- or long-term effects, significantly impacting function and health-related quality of life.

Prehabilitation, a multimodal intervention combining exercise, nutrition, psychological support, and patient education, offers an evidence-based approach to optimise surgical outcomes and accelerate recovery. Recent evidence demonstrates that both comprehensive prehabilitation programs and targeted interventions such as preoperative exercise training or respiratory education effectively minimise postoperative pulmonary complications and maximise patient outcomes.

This presentation explores the rationale for preoperative interventions in major cancer surgery and their measurable benefits. We will examine practical interventions that physiotherapists and the wider healthcare team can implement across settings - hospitals, community services, primary care and private practices. Interventions range from brief single preoperative physiotherapy sessions to comprehensive multimodal programs spanning weeks before surgery. Prehabilitation principles are applicable across diverse cancer surgery types, including thoracic, abdominal, pelvic, and head and neck procedures.

Ultimately, this presentation aims to equip physiotherapists with the knowledge and confidence to integrate prehabilitation into their practice, ensuring more patients can access these evidence-based interventions.

Panel discussion:
A panel discussion will follow the presentation. Panellists TBC.

Registration information:
Registrations for this event have now CLOSED.

Email vic.pd@australian.physio to be placed on the waitlist.

Note: This is a face-to-face event. It is not being recorded or livestreamed.

Event timetable:
6.30am - 7.00am: registration and networking
7.00am - 9.00am: presentation and breakfast
9.00am - 9.30am: networking

Presenters

Catherine Granger


Professor Catherine Granger, FACP, PhD, BPhysio-Hons, GCUT, is an internationally renowned cardiorespiratory physiotherapist and clinician scientist who has made significant contributions to the fields of cancer, critical illness, and respiratory diseases. As a Professor at the University of Melbourne and Head of Physiotherapy Research at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, she has spearheaded groundbreaking research on exercise, prehab and rehab for patients with cancer.Professor Granger's scholarly output, comprising over 140 publications, has established her as the global leader in operable lung cancer and exercise research. In 2025 she was named on the Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List of most-cited researchers in the world.Professor Granger's commitment to nurturing the next generation of researchers is evident in her supervision of 14 PhD students, many of whom have gone on to win awards and secure competitive funding. She has played a pivotal role in curriculum development and teaching within the Doctor of Physiotherapy program at the University of Melbourne.Professor Granger is actively involved in translating research into practice. She has contributed to national clinical guidelines, served on expert panels, and engaged in public outreach through media appearances and community events. Her work continues to shape the future of physiotherapy and improve outcomes for patients with cancer and respiratory diseases. She is passionate about improving patient access to prehabilitation and exercise-based interventions so that all patients can benefit from evidence-based care and achieve optimal health outcomes and quality of life.

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Home address:
Symposia and Forums
24
Friday
24 July
06:30AM - 09:30AM AEST
2 Wallen Road
Hawthorn VIC 3122 View map
Price:
Non-Member: $85.00
APA Member: $85.00
Retired APA Member: $65.00
APA Student Member: $65.00
APA New Graduate: $65.00
Registration closing date:
09 Jul 2026
CPD hours:
2.00
* Early bird prices close 8 weeks prior to the course start date
Your registration status:
Registration details for this event can be found in the description
At a glance
Price:
85.00: $Non-Member
85.00: $APA Member
65.00: $Retired APA Member
65.00: $APA Student Member
65.00: $APA New Graduate
Registration closing date:
09 Jul 2026
Event status:
Closed
CPD hours:
2.00
* Early bird prices close 8 weeks prior to the course start date
Your registration status:
Presenters

Catherine Granger


Professor Catherine Granger, FACP, PhD, BPhysio-Hons, GCUT, is an internationally renowned cardiorespiratory physiotherapist and clinician scientist who has made significant contributions to the fields of cancer, critical illness, and respiratory diseases. As a Professor at the University of Melbourne and Head of Physiotherapy Research at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, she has spearheaded groundbreaking research on exercise, prehab and rehab for patients with cancer.Professor Granger's scholarly output, comprising over 140 publications, has established her as the global leader in operable lung cancer and exercise research. In 2025 she was named on the Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List of most-cited researchers in the world.Professor Granger's commitment to nurturing the next generation of researchers is evident in her supervision of 14 PhD students, many of whom have gone on to win awards and secure competitive funding. She has played a pivotal role in curriculum development and teaching within the Doctor of Physiotherapy program at the University of Melbourne.Professor Granger is actively involved in translating research into practice. She has contributed to national clinical guidelines, served on expert panels, and engaged in public outreach through media appearances and community events. Her work continues to shape the future of physiotherapy and improve outcomes for patients with cancer and respiratory diseases. She is passionate about improving patient access to prehabilitation and exercise-based interventions so that all patients can benefit from evidence-based care and achieve optimal health outcomes and quality of life.


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