Please join The Cairns Group GPs on the 4th of August to learn about important non-malignant haematology presentations in general practice.
Dr Avery and Dr Cuming will walk us through:
- DVT – Distinguishing true unprovoked events from minor/transient risk factors. Long term treatment for both provoked & unprovoked DVT & appropriate Travel Prophylaxis
- Role of screening for Factor V, Protein S & Protein C abnormalities
- Haemochromatosis: De-coding Ferritin vs. TSat and interpreting values with underlying inflammation / liver disease
- Iron Transfusion in General Practice. Monitor HB? Ferritin? TSat?
- White Cell Anomalies, both leucopaenia & leucocytosis and what is safe watchful waiting?
DR Sharon Avery
Dr Sharon Avery is a highly experienced Clinical Haematologist and the Director of Cancer Care Services at Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service. With over two decades of clinical and research experience—including a long tenure as a Senior Staff Specialist at Melbourne’s The Alfred Hospital—Dr Avery has built an esteemed career bridging complex patient care with national healthcare leadership.
While widely recognised for her pioneering work in blood cancer treatments and post-transplant survivorship, Dr Avery maintains a deep clinical focus on non-malignant haematology. Her comprehensive approach to patient care includes extensive work in managing benign blood disorders, complex clotting and thrombosis issues, and treating the long-term, non-malignant physical side effects faced by bone marrow transplant survivors.
A former Chair of the eviQ Blood and Marrow Transplant Reference Committee and a member of the National Blood Cancer Taskforce, Dr Avery is dedicated to translating rigorous clinical insights into accessible, high-quality care for regional and metropolitan communities alike.
DR Dave Cuming
Dr Dave Cuming is a highly respected General Practitioner at Redlynch Medical Centre in Cairns, where he provides comprehensive primary care to the Far North Queensland community. He graduated from the University of London in 1985 and is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP).
With decades of experience spanning both the United Kingdom and Australia, Dr Cuming has developed broad clinical expertise with dedicated special interests in dermatology, skin cancer medicine, and complex chronic disease management. As a primary care advocate, Dr Cuming is passionate about bridging the gap between tertiary hospital guidelines and daily general practice. In this presentation, he will provide the practical primary care perspective alongside Dr Avery’s tertiary insights, untangling the common diagnostic and therapeutic gray areas that GPs encounter when managing iron deficiencies, white blood cell trends, and complex anticoagulation pathways in the community.
Agenda –Â Tuesday 4th of August 2026
- 6pm: Register and light refreshments
- 6:15pm: Introduction and update from GP Facilitator
- 6:30pm – 7:30pm: Presentation
- 7:30pm – 8:00pm: Panel discussion (with presenters and GP facilitator)
Location
James Cook University, The Yeinie Building, 11-13 Charles Street, Cairns North
Additional information
Zoom links will be emailed to all attendees closer to the event. Any core reading will be sent out closer to the event.