Medical Oncologist

Dr Richard To

MBBS (Hons), FRACP, PhD

Dr Yat Hang (Richard) To is a Melbourne medical oncologist with particular expertise in gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancers.

He graduated with Honours in Medicine and Surgery from Monash University in 2011, completed specialist medical oncology training and was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2019. His clinical training and fellowship experience has included Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and the Andrew Love Cancer Centre at Barwon Health.

Dr To combines clinical oncology with a strong academic focus on precision cancer care, clinical trials and health services research. He completed a PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2025 on personalised adjuvant chemotherapy decision-making for stage II and III colorectal cancer, with a particular focus on circulating tumour DNA and health economics. He currently holds appointments with Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Northern Health and the Australian Prostate Centre, and teaches in the University of Melbourne Master of Cancer Sciences program.

Dr To’s combined clinical and health-economics research background supports discussions about both the potential benefits of emerging cancer treatments and how they can be used thoughtfully in real-world care.

Special Interests:

  • Colorectal cancer
  • Gastrointestinal cancers, including pancreatic cancer
  • Prostate cancer and other genitourinary cancers
  • Circulating tumour DNA and precision oncology
  • Personalised adjuvant chemotherapy decisions
  • Cancer clinical trials
  • Cancer health services research and health economics

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Medicine (PhD), University of Melbourne, 2025 – thesis: Personalised adjuvant chemotherapy decision making for stage II and III colorectal cancer
  • Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians – Medical Oncology (FRACP), 2019
  • Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery with Honours (MBBS Hons), Monash University, 2011

Sub-Specialised Fellowship Training

  • Medical Oncology Clinical Research and Clinical Trial Fellow, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 2019–2020 – melanoma, gastrointestinal and gynaecological tumour streams

Registrar / Specialist Training

  • Medical oncology training across Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and the Andrew Love Cancer Centre / Barwon Health

Academic, Research & Professional Appointments

  • Consultant Medical Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre – Symptom and Urgent Review Clinic
  • Consultant Medical Oncologist, Northern Health – Clinical Trials Unit and Visiting Medical Officer
  • Consultant Medical Oncologist, Australian Prostate Centre
  • Research Fellow, Cancer Health Services Research, University of Melbourne
  • Tutor, Master of Cancer Sciences, University of Melbourne
  • Consultant Medical Oncologist, Northern Blood & Cancer Care, Northern Private Hospital
  • Member, Omico Molecular Tumour Board – Medical oncologist providing expert review of comprehensive genomic profiling results and clinical interpretation to inform personalised cancer treatment.
  • Contribute to multidisciplinary molecular tumour board discussions, translating genomic findings into clinically relevant treatment recommendations and clinical trial opportunities

Memberships

  • Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP)

Awards & Career Achievements

  • Best New Investigator Podium Research Presentation, ISPOR Conference, Washington, 2022
  • Walter & Eliza Hall Scientific Excellence PhD Scholarship, awarded from 2021
  • Walter & Eliza Hall Institute Professional Development Award, 2021

Research Interests

Personalised colorectal cancer treatment, circulating tumour DNA, health economics, treatment patterns and outcomes, pancreatic cancer and clinical trial access. His PhD focused on using emerging biomarkers to improve adjuvant chemotherapy decision-making in stage II and III colorectal cancer.

Consulting Locations

  • Northern Blood & Cancer Care – Northern Private Hospital, Epping
  • Australian Prostate Centre, Melbourne

Hospital / Clinical Appointments

  • Northern Health / Northern Hospital Epping
  • Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
  • Northern Private Hospital

Northern Blood & Cancer Care

Specialist Blood & Cancer Care in Melbourne

Northern Blood & Cancer Care brings together a highly experienced team of haematologists, medical oncologists and specialist physicians, with consultations available at Northern Private Hospital in Epping.

Contact our team to arrange an appointment or discuss a referral.