General News
9 October, 2026
City in skin cancer limelight
CAIRNS is hosting an internationally-recognised skin cancer conference this week, drawing medical professionals from across Australia and overseas to the Far North.
The inaugural Australasian Dermoscopy Meeting 2026 until tomorrow, involves delegates travelling from Australia, New Zealand, Europe, South America and the United States. The venue and three-day conference dates was conceived in Cairns by local doctor Dr Vin Rajeswaran, who approached Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) to use local businesses to develop a national conference.
TTNQ Partnerships and Events general manager Tara Bennett said Dr Rajeswaran was internationally recognised for his commitment to improving access to high-quality skin cancer care, particularly in rural and remote Australia.
“We connected Dr Rajeswaran with Cairns-based Professional Conference Organiser Andrea Wicking at TPM Events and they have been working with the Pullman Cairns International team to organise the meeting,” she said.
The conference is endorsed by the International Dermoscopy Society and Dr Ashfaq Marghoob serves as course director.
Dr Rajeswaran said the meeting was designed for medical professionals at all stages of their careers.
“This conference is for clinicians at every stage of their dermoscopy journey from GPs and skin cancer doctors through to dermatologists, nurses, nurse practitioners, registrars and specialists,” he said.
Following the three-day conference, delegates will head to the Great Barrier Reef on day four, with Dr Rajeswaran hoping to use the region to encourage medical professionals to consider living and working in Cairns.
“We live in paradise and I want to encourage doctors and nurses to move to Cairns so on day four we are taking the conference to the Great Barrier Reef to showcase the destination,” he said.
TPM Events senior event manager Andrea Wicking said the conference demonstrated what could be achieved by combining a local idea with Cairns’ business expertise.
“This conference is a great example of what can happen when a strong local idea is matched with local business events expertise,” she said.
Plans are underway for the Australasian Dermoscopy Meeting to return to Cairns in October 2027, along with a surgical conference in April 2027.
