Cancer Care

At the Sydney Colorectal Clinic, we are dedicated to providing holistic, compassionate, and patient-centred care to patients, especially those navigating a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Whether you have recently been diagnosed, are seeking a second opinion, or are exploring your treatment options, our experienced team is here to guide and support you every step of the way

Colorectal cancer is incredibly common, occurring in as many as 1 in 11 Australians and is the second most common cancer in Australia. Colon polyps can be a precursor to colorectal cancer, where growths of the bowel lining develop. It is a condition that has a good prognosis and a good chance of a cure, especially when detected early.

Colorectal Cancer Explained

The cause of colorectal cancer is multifactorial. Colorectal cancer typically develops from polyps in the bowel where environmental and inherited factors are implicated. Diets high in red meat, obesity, smoking, lack of physical exercise, and excessive alcohol intake have all been shown to increase the risk of colorectal cancer. In contrast, diets high in fibre, vegetables and fruit have been shown to decrease the risk of cancer developing. However, some patients develop polyps or colon cancer without risk factors, where abnormalities of the colon lining develop on their own.
Polyps commence as outpouchings of the lining of the bowel. Given time, they may develop into bowel cancer. However, it is generally accepted that their rate of transition to cancer occurs over an extended period of time. Because they can turn into cancer, removing polyps is critical in cancer prevention. Removal is usually performed during a colonoscopy; however, occasionally, surgery may be required.
Bowel cancer may be present in patients with no symptoms; hence, screening is incredibly important. When symptoms are present, they may include a change in bowel habits (diarrhoea, constipation or bleeding). Anaemia (a low blood count) is another relatively common presentation. Pain and weight loss are usually late symptoms, as is a bowel obstruction or blockage.

Colorectal Cancer is treated principally with surgery however may require additional therapies with either chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Colorectal cancer treatment is constantly progressing and improving. Dr Urquhart will help manage your case with a team of cancer specialists.

Depending on your case, the best option for your surgical treatment may include laparoscopic (keyhole surgery), endoscopy, open surgery or robotic surgery. Dr Urquhart will discuss all the different options with you and ensure your treatment is completely evidenced based. Dr Urquhart operates through the St Vincent’s Health Campus (St Vincent’s Private, St Vincent’s Public and St Vincent’s Day Surgery) and consults through his speciality rooms in Darlinghurst.

Dr Urquhart is a specialist in minimally invasive keyhole surgery for colorectal cancer and has completed 5 years in General Surgery training followed by 4 subspeciality training years in advanced laparoscopic, robotic and endoscopic surgery. Dr Urquhart is also the chair of the St Vincent’s Hospital Enhanced Recovery After Colorectal Surgery Working Group.

Colorectal cancer surgery refers to surgery of the colon or rectum aiming to remove cancer and any potential lymph glands that tumours may spread to.

Depending on the site of the tumour, a section of the intestine on either side of the tumour will be resected. The surgery aims to resect the tumour and any potential microscopic tumour cells. Following this, in most cases, the intestine is then joined back together with a combination of staples and dissolving sutures.

 The resected specimen is then sent to our pathology team for analysis. From this, the characteristics of the tumour, possible spread to lymph nodes and need for additional treatment is determined.

All of our colorectal cancer cases are discussed in a multidisciplinary meeting at the Kinghorn Cancer Centre.

In this meeting, your case is discussed with our group of colorectal surgeons, radiologists, oncologists, radiation oncologists, genetic counsellors and allied health teams.

At the Sydney Colorectal Clinic, Dr Hamish Urquhart delivers a patient-centred, holistic, evidence-based approach utilising the most up-to-date and minimally invasive techniques. Dr Urquhart employs a multidisciplinary approach, coordinating your care with allied health professionals, physicians, radiologists, pathologists, and other specialist surgeons.

Dr Urquhart is a member of the St Vincent’s Hospital Colorectal Cancer Multi-Disciplinary Team. This team is based at St Vincent’s Hospital and is an avenue through which all colorectal cancer cases are discussed. If you are being treated for cancer, your specific case will be discussed with a team of experts at this meeting. These include specialists from medical oncology (chemotherapy), radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, and allied health professionals (including genetic counsellors). In this meeting, your treatment options will be optimised using the most up-to-date and evidence-based approaches, following best practice guidelines. This ensures you are receiving the best possible treatment, and it also provides an avenue for multiple specialists to provide input on your care.

Conditions

Colon Cancer

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Rectal Cancer

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Anal  Cancer & Lessions

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Oesophageal Cancer
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Gastric Cancer
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Pancreatic Cancer
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Assessments & Tests

During your consultation, we may need to arrange different tests to determine what your condition is and how to best treat it. These tests may include:

  • Pathology tests (blood tests, urine or stool analysis)
  • Nutritional assessments
  • Radiology investigations (CT, MRI, Ultrasound, Pelvic imaging studies)
  • Colonoscopy and gastroscopy
  • If your colonoscopy or gastroscopy is for surveillance or due to a positive FOBT, we could arrange this directly if you prefer
  • Surgical Diagnostics

Comprehensive, Multidisciplinary Care

Colorectal cancer treatment requires a team of specialists working together to ensure the best possible outcome. Led by Specialist Colorectal Surgeon Dr Hamish Urquhart, our team includes leading oncologists, radiation specialists, physicians, nurses, and patient coordinators, all dedicated to delivering world-class care tailored to your needs.
 
We focus on evidence-based treatment plans designed to prioritise your comfort, quality of life, and recovery. From surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and ongoing support, we provide comprehensive, coordinated care so you feel confident in your treatment journey.

Specialist Medical Team

Our expert team provide comprehensive, patient-centred care to patients diagnosed with colon, rectal, anal, oesophageal, stomach and pancreatic cancer.

Working closely with Dr Hamish Urquhart, our specialists—Dr Megan Barnett and Dr Subo Thavaneswaran (Medical Oncologists) alongside Dr Jeremy De Leon and Dr Sandy Sampaio (Radiation Oncologists)—develop personalised treatment plans tailored to each patient’s unique needs. Through a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach, we ensure the highest standard of care, integrating the latest advancements in oncology to optimise outcomes and support patients throughout their treatment journey.

Dr Hamish Urquhart

Director of the Sydney Colorectal Clinic & Specialist Colorectal Surgeon

Dr Hugh Giddings

Dr Hugh Giddings

Specialist Colorectal & General Surgeon

A/Prof Megan Barnet

Medical Oncologist

Dr Subotheni Thavaneswaran

Dr Subo Thavaneswaran

Medical Oncologist

Dr Jeremy De Leong

Dr Jeremy De Leon

Radiation Oncologist

Dr Sandy Sampanio

Dr Sandy Sampaio

Radiation Oncologist

Dr Claire Keenan

Dr Claire Keenan

General Medicine & Perioperative Physician

Aman

Aman Kaur

Practice Nurse

Memberships and Affiliations

Contact our Team

Multidisciplinary Expertise

A team of specialists ensuring optimal care.

Personalised Treatment Plans

Tailored therapies to meet individual needs.

Comprehensive Patient Support

Guidance through every stage of treatment.

Dr Hamish Urquhart

CSSANZ FRACS MBBS (hons), BEngineering Mech/Biomedical (hons)

Dr Hamish Urquhart is a specialist colorectal surgeon, with subspecialty training in proctology, complex colorectal cancer, pelvic floor disorders and inflammatory bowel disease. He is the director of the Sydney Colorectal Clinic and is dedicated to the treatment and management of complex colorectal conditions. Dr Urquhart believes in employing a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to Colorectal Surgery, and works closely with other disciplines to coordinate patient care

Dr Urquhart completed his postgraduate medical degree in 2008 from the University of Sydney, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (honours). He completed his internship and residency training at the Royal North Shore Hospital and subsequently commenced general surgical training in 2010. Dr Urquhart was awarded his Fellowship (FRACS) in General Surgery by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2015. In 2016, he began four additional subspeciality colorectal fellowship years focusing on the latest minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques, robotic surgery and endoscopy. The last 2 of these fellowship years were with the highly regarded Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSSANZ) training program where he completed advanced colorectal surgical techniques.

Dr Urquhart is also a qualified biomedical mechanical engineer, graduating with first class honours from the University of Sydney in 2004. He was the 2005 recipient of the Engineers Australia Excellence Award for Innovation, developing several patents for biomedical devices.

Dr Urquhart is the Director of Surgical Training at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. He is also a member of the NSW training board in General Surgery. Dr Urquhart has published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and has presented at conferences in Australia, North America, Italy and the United Kingdom on Colorectal Surgery. He also has a passion for teaching and has affiliations with the University of New South Wales and the University of Notre Dame.

Dr Hugh Giddings

Dr Hugh Giddings

CSSANZ FRACS MBBS (hons) PhD

Dr Hugh Giddings is a specialist colorectal and general surgeon with subspecialty training in colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, pelvic floor disorders, endometriosis surgery, and proctology. He performs open, laparoscopic, robotic and endoscopic procedures to treat a wide range of colorectal and general surgical conditions.

Dr Giddings received his postgraduate medical degree from the University of Sydney in 2010 (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery with honours). He went on to complete his general surgical fellowship (FRACS) with the Royal Australia College of Surgeons in 2020, including several years training at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney.

Following this Dr Giddings was the Notaras Scholar through the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand, with clinical posts at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney where he trained in advanced oncological colorectal surgery, and The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital specialising in minimally invasive techniques. An additional honorary fellowship was undertaken at St Mark’s Hospital in the United Kingdom with a focus on the surgical management of inflammatory bowel disease, and complex proctology.

Dr Giddings has a strong research background having presented both nationally and internationally, and was awarded the Royal Australian College of Surgeons Mark Killingback research prize in 2025. He recently completed his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis looking at the trends in surgical workload, outcomes following surgery, and the quality of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) surgical care in Australia. Dr Giddings continues to be involved in collaborative research and is a member of the Australia and New Zealand inflammatory bowel disease consortium, and the scientific, medical, and quality of care advisory committee for Crohn’s Colitis Australia.

A/Prof Megan Barnet

BSc MBBS (Honours) FRACP PhD

A/Prof Meg Barnet is a Staff Specialist in medical oncology treating gastrointestinal cancers, with special interests in immuno-oncology and genomic sequencing.

After completing her undergraduate degrees in biology and economics at Duke University, A/Prof Barnet returned to Australia and graduated medicine with Honours from the University of Sydney in 2008. She completed her general medical and physician training at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse before moving to the St Vincent’s precinct to complete her PhD in immunology at the Garvan Institute.

A/Prof Barnet is a clinician researcher, having been awarded competitive funding including grants from NHMRC (Ideas), Australian Genomic Health Alliance, SVC Foundation, AMR and Tour de Cure to support her work, which focuses on germline determinants of response to immunotherapy. A/Prof Barnet is based in the immunology department at the Garvan Institute, consults from The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and St Vincent’s Clinic, chairs the multi-disciplinary meeting in upper gastrointestinal cancers, supervises within the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) and is a member of the St Vincent’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). She is a conjoint Associate Professor within UNSW Sydney and Professor within UTS School of Biomedical Engineering, serves as Principal Investigator on numerous GI-focused clinical trials and is an advisor on research committees for Cancer Council NSW, Cancer Institute NSW and the Australian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group.

Dr Subotheni Thavaneswaran

Dr Subotheni Thavaneswaran

BSc, MBBS (Honours), FRACP, MMed, PhD

Dr. Subo Thavaneswaran is a medical oncologist specialising in colorectal cancers, neuro-oncology, and precision oncology clinical trials. She has been an active member of the St Vincent’s precinct since 2017 and plays a key role in the colorectal and neuro-oncology multidisciplinary team meetings and molecular tumour boards. Dr. Thavaneswaran also serves as a principal, or sub-investigator for several investigator-initiated clinical trials utilising genomic biomarkers for patient selection, in addition to industry-led trials.

She holds a Visiting Scientist position at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, following the completion of her PhD in cancer genomics, and is a Conjoint Senior Lecturer at the University of NSW. Additionally, she is a Senior Research Fellow at the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, where she serves as clinical lead for the Cancer Molecular Screening and Therapeutics (MoST) program. As a dedicated clinician-researcher, Dr. Thavaneswaran remains committed to translating genomic discoveries into clinical practice to improve patient outcomes.

Dr Jeremy De Leong
Dr Jeremy de Leon

BSc, M.B.B.S, FRANZCR

Jeremy completed a Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics prior to graduating from a Bachelor of Medicine with Honours in 2006 from the University of Sydney. He completed his radiation oncology training at Liverpool, Campbelltown, and Canberra Hospitals, followed by a Fellowship at the Royal North Shore Hospital.

Jeremy subsequently took up a staff specialist position at the Illawarra and Shoalhaven Cancer Therapy Centres, prior to joining GenesisCare, Darlinghurst (based at the St Vincent’s Hospital campus) in Sydney, as the Head of the MR-Linac program.

Jeremy’s clinical interests are upper GI, urogenital, lung cancers and stereotactic treatments. He is the most experienced doctor in Australia utilising the MR-Linac technology to treat a range of tumour types.

Jeremy is an active clinician researcher and investigator in international and national clinical trials. The Australian MR-Linac team has published multiple peer reviewed articles about improving treatment efficiency and clinical outcomes in different tumour types. In addition, Jeremy has presented at both international and national conferences on various topics about he and the team’s experience using MR-Linac technology.

Beyond his clinical responsibilities, he is active in professional organisations, serving on the TROG Adaptive Radiotherapy subcommittee and the Radiation Oncology Alliance working group on Adaptive Radiation Therapy. Additionally, he is an executive member of the NSW Cancer Institute Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry and the RANZCR Faculty of Radiation Oncology Genito-Urinary Group.

Outside of work, Jeremy enjoys time with his family, which usually revolved around food.

Dr Sandy Sampanio
Dr Sandy Sampaio

MBBCh, FRANZCR

Dr. Sandy Sampaio is a highly skilled radiation oncologist with a subspecialty focus on gastrointestinal cancer, on brain and spine cancer and palliative radiation therapy. She is dedicated to providing comprehensive, patient-centered care, with a strong commitment to improving survivorship and quality of life for her patients. 

Dr. Sampaio obtained her medical degree from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa before pursuing physician training in both the United Kingdom and Adelaide, Australia. She completed her specialist training in radiation oncology across several leading cancer centers, including Prince of Wales, Liverpool, Campbelltown, and Wollongong hospitals. Following her training, she undertook a clinical fellowship at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Since then, Dr Sampaio has also been appointed the clinical director of Radiation oncology at Macquarie University Hospital.

Dr. Sampaio previously served as a Staff Specialist at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, where she developed her subspecialty interests in upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tumors and central nervous system (CNS) malignancies. She has since transitioned her practice to GenesisCare, where she continues to provide care to patients facing complex oncological conditions.

As an accredited Gamma Knife radiosurgery practitioner, Dr. Sampaio manages complex brain tumors ensuring collaborative and tailored treatment approaches for patients.

Clinical Interests

  • Gastrointestinal cancer (upper and lower GI)
  • Brain and spine cancer
  • Palliative radiation therapy
  • Survivorship and supportive care


Professional Memberships

  • Leksell Gamma Knife Society (LGK)
  • European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO)
  • Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group (AGITG)


Dr. Sampaio remains dedicated to advancing radiation oncology through research, multidisciplinary collaboration, and compassionate patient care.

Dr Claire Keenan
Dr Claire Keenan

BHB MBChB FRACP

Dr Keenan is a specialist general medicine and perioperative physician. As a specialist physician she will assess you as a whole and address how your medical conditions interconnect, ensuring that you get the best outcomes in your care.

Dr Keenan completed her specialist training across New Zealand and Australia and has subspecialty expertise in peri-operative medicine, obstetric medicine, and managing patients with multiple medical conditions with complex needs.

Dr Keenan takes a holistic view and recognises the importance of addressing the medical conditions in parallel with your lifestyle, diet and general health goals.  She is a big advocate of multidisciplinary care and works closely with surgeons, physicians, nursing staff and allied health clinicians and will support your local doctor in your ongoing management.

In addition to her work at St Vincent’s, Dr Keenan is an academic at the University of New South Wales where she teaches the next generation of aspiring doctors.

Aman
Aman Kaur

Aman is one of our practice nurses. Our practice nurses monitor patient care throughout the pre-operative and post-operative periods and are available to provide support, advice and reviews. Aman completed a Bachelor of Nursing through the University of Newcastle and has trained in peri-operative practice at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for seven years, specialising in colorectal and general surgery. Throughout this time, she has built a strong professional and interpersonal relationship with Dr Urquhart and Isabelle. Aman is currently studying her Master’s in peri-operative practice and aims to be a surgical assist alongside Dr Urquhart in theatre. 

Originally from the central coast, Aman grew up appreciating a coastal lifestyle. Outside of work, Aman enjoys a very active life that involves endurance running, competes both in triathlons and marathons. Aman also loves spending time with her family and friends, she is a self-confessed fun aunty to her two nephews. She also loves to read, explore new places and new cafes.