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Mark Brooke
Lung Foundation Australia’s incoming boss Mark Brooke says removing the stigma around lung cancer and strengthening ties with clinicians will be top priorities under his leadership.
Mr Brooke, who was previously CEO of Asthma Australia and HeartKids, takes the reins of the national charity at a pivotal time as the organisation begins work on Australia’s very first national strategic plan for lung conditions, funded by the federal government.
The document will be a “seminal piece of work that will guide clinicians and patients for a number of years,” according to Mr Brooke, who says he is excited about returning to the world of respiratory health after leading Asthma Australia between 2010-16.
Moving forward, he says key areas for advocacy will include lung cancer, which he describes as an under-recognised and underfunded disease despite its prevalence, accounting for 9% of new cancer cases diagnosed in 2017.
“Lung cancer suffers from a significant stigma which needs to be corrected. I think that does cross into how the government is making decisions about investment and research so I think there is a significant piece of advocacy there.”
He also wants to continue to build on LFA’s relationship with clinicians and researchers.
“Our relationship with TSANZ I hope will strengthen over the next few years because it is at the intersection between patient advocacy and clinical advocacy that we see true growth. It’s really important to me as the incoming CEO that we have a very strong partnership not just with the clinical and research community but with the patients and that LFA creates that bridge.”
Another focus will be the crossover between asthma and COPD.
“That’s largely an area which is poorly defined and poorly understood so there is a significant amount of work we need to do in that space,” says Mr Brooke.
LFA will continue its push for government funding for new lung disease registries, and for the evidence that they yield to be translated into clinical practice in primary and tertiary care.