Professor Richard Kefford AM

Director Westmead Institute for Cancer Research

• Research Interests
• Publications
• Contact Details

Richard Kefford is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Westmead Institute for Cancer Research (WICR) in the University Department of Medicine at Westmead Hospital and Consultant Medical Oncologist to the Sydney Melanoma Unit and the NSW Breast Cancer Institute.

He is an active founding member of the international Melanoma Genetics Consortium and led the senior group of clinicians within the Consortium who prepared international guidelines for genetic counselling and DNA testing for melanoma.

He Chaired the Australian Cancer Network Familial Cancer Working Group, which prepared the NHMRC Guidelines on Familial Cancer, and is a member of the three-member writing group of the NHMRC Melanoma Guidelines (in preparation).

Previously, Professor Kefford Chaired the NHMRC Regional Grants Interviewing Committee (Melbourne) and the Oncology GRP. He Chaired the NHMRC Project Grants Committee and was a Member of the NHMRC Research Committee 2001-2006. He is a member of the Medical Oncology Group of Australia Ethics Committee and the Expert Advisory Committee for the National Breast Cancer Centre.

Professor Kefford has authored more than 140 publications in international peer-reviewed journals including two papers in “Nature” and a major review of advances in melanoma in “The Lancet”.

Professor Kefford also plays a major role in the design, organisation and conduct of clinical trials in melanoma. Since 2002 he has been Principal Investigator on 4 large multicentre Phase I, II and III clinical trials, chief Australian investigator on 2 NIH-sponsored multinational multicentre Phase III clinical trials, and Chief Investigator on 20 multicentre Phase II and III trials, the majority of which have been large multinational studies. He is a member of the Expert International Advisory Committee for four large international clinical trials in melanoma, including one conducted by the EORTC.

Research Interests

Together with the Melanoma Research Group of WICR he has been investigating the molecular genetics of melanoma since 1986. This work is conducted in collaboration with the Sydney Melanoma Unit and the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research Institute, of which he is a Director.

His research group played a major role in the mapping of the melanoma susceptibility gene p16 and in characterising hereditary mutations in this gene, which predisposes individuals to a very high risk of melanoma.

Publications

- 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 -

2009

• Thompson, J., Scolyer, R., Kefford, R. Cutaneous melanoma in the era of molecular profiling. Lancet. 2009; 374:362-365. [Abstract]
• Becker, T., Haferkamp, S., Dijkstra, M., Scurr, L., Frausto, M., Diefenbach, E., Scolyer, R., Reisman, D., Mann, G., Kefford, R., Rizos, H. The chromatin remodelling factor BRG1 is a novel binding partner of the tumor suppressor p16INK4a. Molecular Cancer. 2009; 8:4. [Abstract]

• Bishop DT, Demenais F, Iles MM, Harland M, Taylor JC, Corda E, Randerson-Moor J, Aitken JF, Avril MF, Azizi E, Bakker B, Bianchi-Scarra G, Bressac-de Paillerets B, Calista D, Cannon-Albright LA, Chin AWT, Debniak T, Galore-Haskel G, Ghiorzo P, Gut I, Hansson J, Hocevar M, Hoiom V, Hopper JL, Ingvar C, Kanetsky PA, Kefford RF, Landi MT, Lang J, Lubinski J, Mackie R, Malvehy J, Mann GJ, Martin NG, Montgomery GW, van Nieuwpoort FA, Novakovic S, Olsson H, Puig S, Weiss M, van Workum W, Zelenika D, Brown KM, Goldstein AM, Gillanders EM, Boland A, Galan P, Elder DE, Gruis NA, Hayward NK, Lathrop GM, Barrett JH, Bishop JA (2009) Genome-wide association study identifies three loci associated with melanoma risk. Nat Genet 41: 920-925 [Abstract]

• Davis ID, Brady B, Kefford RF, Millward M, Cebon J, Skrumsager BK, Mouritzen U, Hansen LT, Skak K, Lundsgaard D, Frederiksen KS, Kristjansen PE, McArthur G (2009) Clinical and biological efficacy of recombinant human interleukin-21 in patients with stage IV malignant melanoma without prior treatment: a phase IIa trial. Clin Cancer Res 15: 2123-2129 [Abstract]

• Haferkamp S, Scurr LL, Becker TM, Frausto M, Kefford RF, Rizos H (2009) Oncogene-induced senescence does not require the p16(INK4a) or p14ARF melanoma tumor suppressors. J Invest Dermatol 129: 1983-1991 [Abstract]

• Kefford RF, Thomas NP, Corrie PG, Palmer C, Abdi E, Kotasek D, Beith J, Ranson M, Mortimer P, Watson AJ, Margison GP, Middleton MR (2009) A phase I study of extended dosing with lomeguatrib with temozolomide in patients with advanced melanoma. British Journal of Cancer 100: 1245-1249 [Abstract]

• Leachman SA, Carucci J, Kohlmann W, Banks KC, Asgari MM, Bergman W, Bianchi-Scarra G, Brentnall T, Bressac-de Paillerets B, Bruno W, Curiel-Lewandrowski C, de Snoo FA, Debniak T, Demierre MF, Elder D, Goldstein AM, Grant-Kels J, Halpern AC, Ingvar C, Kefford RF, Lang J, MacKie RM, Mann GJ, Mueller K, Newton-Bishop J, Olsson H, Petersen GM, Puig S, Rigel D, Swetter SM, Tucker MA, Yakobson E, Zitelli JA, Tsao H (2009) Selection criteria for genetic assessment of patients with familial melanoma. J Am Acad Dermatol 61: 677 e1-14 [Abstract]

• McKenzie H, Becker TM, Scurr LL, Kefford RF, Rizos H (2009) Wild type and melanoma-associated mutant p16 proteins do not oligomerize in vivo. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 22: 131-133 [Abstract]

• Tarhini AA, Millward M, Mainwaring P, Kefford R, Logan T, Pavlick A, Kathman SJ, Laubscher KH, Dar MM, Kirkwood JM (2009) A phase 2, randomized study of SB-485232, rhIL-18, in patients with previously untreated metastatic melanoma. Cancer 115: 859-868m [Abstract]

• Watson AJ, Middleton MR, McGown G, Thorncroft M, Ranson M, Hersey P, McArthur G, Davis ID, Thomson D, Beith J, Haydon A, Kefford R, Lorigan P, Mortimer P, Sabharwal A, Hayward O, Margison GP (2009) O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase depletion and DNA damage in patients with melanoma treated with temozolomide alone or with lomeguatrib. Br J Cancer 100: 1250-1256 [Abstract]

2008

• Gallagher, S., Thompson, J., Indsto, J., Scurr, L., Lett, M., Gao, B., Dunleavey, R., Mann, G., Kefford, R., Rizos, H. p16INK4a expression and absence of activated B-RAF are independent predictors of chemosensitivity in melanoma tumors. Neoplasia. 2008; 10:1231-1239. [Abstract]
• Haferkamp, S., Becker, T., Scurr, L., Kefford, R., Rizos, H. p16(INK4a)-induced senescence is disabled by melanoma-associated mutations. Aging cell. 2008; 7:733-745. [Abstract]
• Brown, K., Macgregor, S., Montgomery, G., Craig, D., Zhao, Z., Iyadurai, K., K Henders, A., Homer, N., Campbell, M., Stark, M., Thomas, S., Schmid, H., Holland, E., Gillanders, E., Duffy, D., Maskiell, J., Jetann, J., Ferguson, M., Stephan, D., Cust, A., Whiteman, D., Green, A., Olsson, H., Puig, S., Ghiorzo, P., Hansson, J., Demenais, F., Goldstein, A., Gruis, N., Elder, D., Bishop, J., Kefford, R., Giles, G., Armstrong, B., Aitken, J., Hopper, J., Martin, N., Trent, J., Mann, G., Hayward, N. Common sequence variants on 20q11.22 confer melanoma susceptibility. Nature genetics. 2008; 40:838-40. [Abstract]
• Collinson, F., Lam, T., Bruijn, W., de Wilt, J., Lamont, M., Thompson, J., Kefford, R. Long-term survival and occasional regression of distant melanoma metastases after adrenal metastasectomy. Annals of Surgical Oncology. 2008; 15:1741-1749. [Abstract]

2007

• Rizos, H., Scurr, L., Irvine, M., Alling, N., Kefford, R. p14ARF Regulates E2F-1 Ubiquitination and Degradation via a p53-Dependent Mechanism. Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.). 2007; 6:1741-7. [Abstract]
• Thompson, J., Scolyer, R., Kefford, R., Uren, R. Melanoma management in 2007. Australian family physician. 2007. p. 487-488; author reply 488-489. [Abstract]
• Ranson, M., Hersey, P., Thompson, D., Beith, J., McArthur, G., Haydon, A., Davis, I., Kefford, R., Mortimer, P., Harris, P., Baka, S., Seebaran, A., Sabharwal, A., Watson, A., Margison, G., Middleton, M. Randomized trial of the combination of lomeguatrib and temozolomide compared with temozolomide alone in chemotherapy naive patients with metastatic cutaneous melanoma. Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 2007; 25:2540-2545. [Abstract]
• Kefford, R., Beith, J., Van Hazel, G., Millward, M., Trotter, J., Wyld, D., Kusic, R., Shreeniwas, R., Morganti, A., Ballmer, A., Segal, E., Nayler, O., Clozel, M. A Phase II study of bosentan, a dual endothelin receptor antagonist, as monotherapy in patients with stage IV metastatic melanoma. Investigational new drugs. 2007; 25:247-52. [Abstract]
• Goldstein, A., Chan, M., Harland, M., Hayward, N., Demenais, F., Bishop, D., Azizi, E., Bergman, W., Bianchi-Scarra, G., Bruno, W., Calista, D., Cannon-Albright, L., Chaudru, V., Chompret, A., Cuellar, F., Elder, D., Ghiorzo, P., Gillanders, E., Gruis, N., Hansson, J., Hogg, D., Holland, E., Kanetsky, P., Kefford, R., Landi, M., Lang, J., Leachman, S., Mackie, R., Magnusson, V., Mann, G., Newton-Bishop, J., Palmer, J., Puig, S., Puig-Butille, J., Stark, M., Tsao, H., Tucker, M., Whitaker, L., Yakobson, E., Study Group, L., Genomel, M. Features associated with germline CDKN2A mutations: A GenoMEL study of melanoma-prone families from three continents. Journal of medical genetics. 2007; 44:99-106. [Abstract]

2006

• Shankar, A., Wang, J.J., Rochtchina, E., Yu, M.C., Kefford, R.F., Mitchell, P. Association between circulating white blood cell count and cancer mortality: a population-based cohort study. Arch Internal Med, 166(2):188-194, 2006.  [Abstract]
• Frazer, I.H., Kefford, R.F. Progress in Cancer Control: The Alan Coates Effect (Editorial). Cancer Forum, 30 (2):96-97, May 2006.
• Kefford, R.F. Melanoma: Narrowing the sights on an evasive enemy. Cancer Forum, 30 (2):110-115, May 2006.
• Kefford, R.F. Medical Heat for climate change (Viewpoint). Medical J Aust, 184(11):582, 2006.  [Abstract]
• Goldstein, A. M., Chan, M., Harland, M., Gillanders, E. M., Hayward, N. K., Avril, M. F., Azizi, E., Bianchi-Scarra, G., Bishop, D. T., Bressac-de Paillerets, B., Bruno, W., Calista, D., Albright, L. A. C., Demenais, F., Elder, D. E., Ghiorzo, P., Gruis, N. A., Hansson, J., Hogg, D., Holland, E. A., Kanetsky, P. A., Kefford, R. F., Landi, M. T., Lang, J., Leachman, S. A., MacKie, R. M., Magnusson, V., Mann, G. J., Niendorf, K., Bishop, J. N., Palmer, J. M., Puig, S., Puig-Butille, J. A., de Snoo, F. A., Stark, M., Tsao, H., Tucker, M. A., Whitaker, L., and Yakobson, E. High-risk melanoma susceptibility genes and pancreatic cancer, neural system tumors, and uveal melanoma across GenoMEL. Cancer Research, 66: 9818-9828, 2006. [Abstract]
• Gallagher, S. G., Kefford, R. F. and Rizos, H. The ARF tumour suppressor. Int J Biochem Cell Biol, 38(10):1637-41, 2006.  [Abstract]
• Goldstein, A. M., Chan, M., Harland, M., Hayward, N. K., Demenais, F., Bishop, D. T., Azizi, E., Bergman, W., Bianchi-Scarra, G., Bruno, W., Calista, D., Cannon Albright, L. A., Chaudru, V., Chompret, A., Cuellar, F., Elder, D. E., Ghiorzo, P., Gillanders, E. M., Gruis, N. A., Hansson, J., Hogg, D., Holland, E. A., Kanetsky, P. A., Kefford, R. F., Teresa Landi, M., Lang, J., Leachman, S. A., MacKie, R. M., Magnusson, V., Mann, G. J., Newton Bishop, J., Palmer, J. M., Puig, S., Puig-Butille, J. A., Stark, M., Tsao, H., Tucker, M. A., Whitaker, L., Yakobson, E., and (GenoMEL), T. L. M. S. G. a. t. M. G. C. Features associated with germline CDKN2A mutations: A GenoMEL study of melanomapronefamilies from three continents. J Med Genet, Aug 11, (Electronic,) 2006.  [Abstract]
• Kefford, R., Beith, J., Van Hazel, G., Millward, M., Trotter, J., Wyld, D., Kusic, R., Coward, J., Shreeniwas, R., Morganti, A., Ballmer, A., Segal, E., Nayler, O., and Clozel, M. A Phase II study of bosentan, a dual endothelin receptor antagonist as monotherapy in patients with Stage IV metastatic melanoma. Invest New Drugs, Oct 5, 2006.  [Abstract]
• Rizos, H., McKenzie, H.A., Ayub, A.L., Woodruff, S., Becker, T.M., Scurr, L.L., Stahl, J., Kefford, R.F. Physical and functional interaction of the p14ARF tumour suppressor with ribosomes. J Biol Chem, 281 (49): 38080-8, 2006. [Abstract]

2005

• Lim, I; Kefford, R; Manolios, N. Chemotherapeutic induced fascial oedema. Annals Rheum Dis, 64 (1): 162-163 January 2005. [Abstract]
• Thompson, J.F., Scolyer, R.A., Kefford, R.F. Cutaneous melanoma. Lancet, 365 (9460): 687-701 February 19 2005.  [Abstract]
• Rizos, H., Woodruff, S., and Kefford, R. F. p14ARF interacts with the SUMO-conjugating enzyme Ubc9 and promotes the sumoylation of its binding partners. Cell Cycle, 4 (4),597-603, 2005.  [Abstract]
• Millward, M. J., Joshua, A., Kefford, R., Aamdal, S., Thomson, D., Hersey, P., Toner, G., and Lynch, K. Multi-centre Phase III trial of the polyamine synthesis inhibitor SAM486A (CGP48664) in patients with metastatic melanoma. Invest New Drugs, 23: 253-256, 2005.
• Becker, T.M., Ayub, A.L., Kefford, R.F., Mann, G.J., Rizos, H. The melanoma-associated 24 base pair duplication in p16INK4a is functionally impaired. Int J Cancer, 117(4), 569-573, 2005.  [Abstract]
• Becker, T. M., Rizos, H., de la Pena, A., Leclercq, I. A., Woodruff, S., Kefford, R. F., and Mann, G. J. Impaired inhibition of NF-kappaB activity by melanoma-associated p16INK4a mutations. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 332(3): 873-879, 2005.  [Abstract]
• Ahern, V., Brennan, M., Ung, O., Kefford, R. Locally advanced and inflammatory breast cancer. Aust Fam Physician; 34(12):1027-32, 2005. [Abstract]
• Gallagher, S., Kefford, R.F., Rizos, H. Enforced expression of p14ARF induces p53-dependent cell cycle arrest but not apoptosis. Cell Cycle, 4:465-472,2005. [Abstract]

2004

• Kefford, R. F. Management of the Patient with Advanced Disease. In: J. Thompson (ed.) Melanoma, pp. 535-546. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
• Walker, G. J., Indsto, J. O., Sood, R., Faruque, M. U.; Ping, H.; Pollock, P.M.; Duray, P., Holland, E.A.; Brown, K.; Kefford, R. F., Trent, J. M., Mann, G. J., Hayward, N. K. Deletion mapping suggests the 1p22 melanoma susceptibility gene is a tumour suppressor localized to a 9 Mb interval. Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer, 41:1, 56-64, 2004. [Abstract]
• Kefford, R.F., Mann, G.J., Newton-Bishop, J. Genetic predisposition to melanoma. Eds Thompson J.F., Morton D.L., Kroon B.B.R. in Textbook of Melanoma. Pub. University Press, pp 56-64, 2004.
• Collinson F.J., Bilous A.M., Kefford R.F. Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy from pulmonary metastatic phyllodes tumour of the breast. Med J Aust 2004;181(5):279. [Abstract]

2003

• Indsto, J., Nassif, N., Kefford, R., Mann, G. Frequent loss of heterozygosity targeting the inactive X chromosome in melanoma. Clinical Cancer Research. 2003; 9:6476-6482. [Abstract]
• Gillanders, E., Juo, S., Holland, E., Jones, M., Nancarrow, D., Freas-Lutz, D., Sood, R., Park, N., Faruque, M., Markey, C., Kefford, R., Palmer, J., Bergman, W., Bishop, D., Tucker, M., Bressac-de Paillerets, B., Hansson, J., Stark, M., Gruis, N., Bishop, J., Goldstein, A., Bailey-Wilson, J., Mann, G., Hayward, N., Trent, J., , L., , M. Localization of a novel melanoma susceptibility locus to 1p22. American journal of human genetics. 2003; 73:301-313. [Abstract]
• Kefford, R., Mann, G. Is there a role for genetic testing in patients with melanoma?. Current opinion in oncology. 2003; 15:157-61. [Abstract]
• Kefford, R. Adjuvant therapy of cutaneous melanoma: the interferon debate. Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology / ESMO. 2003; 14:358-65. [Abstract]
• Rizos, H., Diefenbach, E., Badhwar, P., Woodruff, S., Becker, T., Rooney, R., Kefford, R. Association of p14ARF with the p120E4F transcriptional repressor enhances cell cycle inhibition. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2003; 278:4981-9. [Abstract]
• Hornbuckle, J., Culjak, G., Jarvis, E., Gebski, V., Coates, A., Mann, G., Kefford, R. Patterns of metastases in familial and non-familial melanoma. Melanoma research. 2003; 13:105-9. [Abstract]

2002

• Kefford, R. F. Guidelines for the management of those at high risk for developing cutaneous melanoma. In: J. A. Newton-Bishop and M. Gore (eds.), Melanoma: Critical Debates, pp. 70-77. Oxford: Blackwell, 2002.
• Kefford, R. F. Clinical approach to genetic risk for melanoma. In: M. C. Perry (ed.) American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book, pp. 436-445. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2002.
• Kefford, R., Bishop, J. N., Tucker, M., Bressac-de Paillerets, B., Bianchi-Scarra, G., Bergman, W., Goldstein, A., Puig, S., Mackie, R., Elder, D., Hansson, J., Hayward, N., Hogg, D., and Olsson, H. Genetic testing for melanoma, Lancet Oncol. 3: 653-4., 2002.
• Balleine, R.L. and Kefford, R.F. Targeting molecular mechanisms in cancer, ANZ Journal of Surgery., 72: 760-763, 2002.
  

2001

• Becker, T.M., Rizos, H., Kefford, R.F., and Mann, G.J.
  Functional impairment of melanoma-associated p16(INK4a) mutants in melanoma cells despite retention of Cyclin-dependent Kinase 4 binding. Clin Cancer Res. 7: 3282-8., 2001.
• Shannon, J., Kefford, R. F., Mann, G.J. Responses to ultraviolet-B in cell lines from hereditary melanoma kindreds. Melanoma Res., 2001; 11(1): 1-9.
• Rizos, H., Darmanian, A.P., Holland, E.A., Mann, G.J., and Kefford, R.F.
  Mutations in the INK4a/ARF Melanoma Susceptibility Locus Functionally Impair p14ARF. J Biol Chem. 276: 41424-34., 2001.
• Rizos, H., Puig, S., Badenas, C., Malvehy, J., Darmanian, A.P., Jimenez, L., Mila, M., and Kefford, R.F.
  A melanoma-associated germline mutation in exon 1beta inactivates p14ARF. Oncogene. 20: 5543-7., 2001.
• Kefford, R. Melanoma. In: M. Schwab (ed.), Encyclopedic Reference of Cancer, pp. 540-544. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, 2001.
  Indsto, J. O., Cachia, A. R., Kefford, R. F., and Mann, G. J. X-inactivation, DNA deletion and microsatellite instability in common acquired melanocytic nevi with observations on X-inactivation status of normal tissues., Clin Cancer Res. 7(12):4054-9, 2001.
  

2000

• Rizos, J., Darmanian, A.P., Mann, G.J. and Kefford, R F.
  Two arginine rich domains in the p14ARF tumour suppressor mediate nucleolar localisation and hdm2 binding. Oncogene, 2000;19(26):2978-85.
• Kirk J, Kefford R. Cancer in the family: Risks and management (editorial). Medical Journal of Australia 2000; 172:529-530
• Carrick S, Kirk J, R. Kefford R. A plan for a national familial cancer support facility. Melbourne: National Cancer Control Initiative. 1-92., 2000.
• Carrick S, Kirk J, Kefford R. A National Public and Professional Education Plan for Familial Bowel Cancer and a Plan for a National Familial Cancer Support Facility. Melbourne: National Cancer Control Initiative. 1-248, 2000.
  

Contact Details

T +61 2 9845 6033

F +61 2 9687 2331

E rick_kefford@wmi.usyd.edu.au