Dr Thiru Prasanna

MBBS, FRACP, PhD
Medical Oncologist
Become a Patient

Dr Thiru Prasana is deeply committed to providing his patients with access to clinical trials and the latest in oncology treatments. He endeavours to empower his patients with evidence-based information in a clear and honest manner.

Biography

Dr Thiru Prasanna is an experienced medical oncologist at Icon Cancer Centre Canberra. In 2005, he obtained a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka and completed specialist physician training and medical oncology training in Canberra, Australia. Dr Prasanna subsequently undertook a phase one trial fellowship at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and was later awarded fellowship at the Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP).

With a strong interest in clinical and translational research, Dr Prasanna completed a PhD at the University of Canberra where he investigated novel biomarkers and drugs to improve breast cancer outcomes. He has been awarded several research grants and first authored a number of peer-reviewed book chapters and publications in national and international journals. Dr Prasanna is the principal investigator in a biomarker study in early breast cancer and an active member of the breast and gastrointestinal cancer multidisciplinary meetings at Canberra Hospital. He is actively involved in teaching medical students, basic physician and advanced trainees at Canberra Hospital and in his role as associate clinical lecturer at The Australian National University Medical School. He is a medical student examiner at Australian National University and an examiner of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP).

Dr Prasanna speaks fluent English, Tamil and Sinhalese, and looks forward to caring for patients and their loved ones in their preferred language. His clinical experience covers a broad range of solid tumour malignancies with a special clinical interest in breast cancer, upper and lower gastrointestinal cancer, lung cancer, melanoma and neuroendocrine tumours.

Affiliations & Memberships

  • American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
  • Australian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group (AGITG)
  • Medical Oncology Group of Australia (MOGA)
  • Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP)
  • Young Oncologist Group of Australia (YOGA)

Special Interests

Dr Thiru Prasanna accepts referrals for all cancer types, with a special clinical interest in:
  • Breast cancer
  • Gastrointestinal cancer
  • Lung cancer
  • Melanoma
  • Neuroendocrine tumours

Icon Locations

Canberra View centre

Visiting Locations

  • Canberra Hospital
  • North Canberra Hospital
  • South East Regional Hospital

Publications

  • Prasanna, T., Malik, L., McCuaig, R. D., Tu, W. J., Wu, F., Lim, P. S., Tan, A. H. Y., Dahlstrom, J. E., Clingan, P., Moylan, E., Chrisp, J., Fuller, D., Rao, S., & Yip, D. (2022). A Phase 1 Proof of Concept Study Evaluating the Addition of an LSD1 Inhibitor to Nab-Paclitaxel in Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer (EPI-PRIMED). Frontiers in oncology12, 862427. 

  • Prasanna, T., Wong, R., Price, T., Shapiro, J., Tie, J., Wong, H. L., Nott, L., Roder, D., Lee, M., Kosmider, S., Jalali, A., Burge, M., Padbury, R., Maddern, G., Carruthers, S., Moore, J., Sorich, M., Karapetis, C. S., Gibbs, P., & Yip, D. (2021). Metastasectomy and BRAF mutation; an analysis of survival outcome in metastatic colorectal cancer. Current Problems in Cancer45(1), Article 100637.

  • Tu, W. J., McCuaig, R. D., Tan, A. H. Y., Hardy, K., Seddiki, N., Ali, S., Dahlstrom, J. E., Bean, E. G., Dunn, J., Forwood, J., Tsimbalyuk, S., Smith, K., Yip, D., Malik, L., Prasanna, T., Milburn, P., & Rao, S. (2020). Targeting Nuclear LSD1 to Reprogram Cancer Cells and Reinvigorate Exhausted T Cells via a Novel LSD1-EOMES Switch. Frontiers in immunology11, 1228.
  • Strach, M. C., Prasanna, T., Carrigy, M. A., Bilton, K., Hui, M., Harrison, M., Beith, J. M., & McNeil, C. M. (2020). Impact of a novel breast cancer survivorship program on patient-centered outcomes: A single institutional study. The breast journal26(7), 1466–1471. 

  • Wu, F., McCuaig, R. D., Sutton, C. R., Tan, A. H. Y., Jeelall, Y., Bean, E. G., Dai, J., Prasanna, T., Batham, J., Malik, L., Yip, D., Dahlstrom, J. E., & Rao, S. (2019). Nuclear-Biased DUSP6 Expression is Associated with Cancer Spreading Including Brain Metastasis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. International journal of molecular sciences20(12), 3080.