Spring Meeting 2024 wrap up

Another successful CCTG Spring Meeting of Participants ended with ~900 network members, international friends and sponsors contributing to sessions and workshops to propose new trials and review current portfolio of activities. It was hectic but also inspirational. 

Thank you to the many individuals who came a day early to participate in four workshops on Thursday. The new clinical research associates participated in a full day training workshop, the Patient Representative Workshop focused on priority setting and planning and the Integrating EDI in Clinical Trials Workshop will inform diversity related changes that will be initially implemented for the HN13 and PR25 trials and the E-PROs and E-TRIALs Workshop.

Thank you to our amazing plenary presenters and their important trials:  Dr. Valsamo Anagnostou (BR36), Dr. Kelly Davison (HDC1), Dr. Penny Bradbury (IND227) and Dr. Eileen Rakovitch (MAC18) and to our plenary session co-chairs: Dr Mariam Jafri, Dr Joe Pater, Dr Harriet Richardson for organizing this session. A warm thank you to Dr. François Bénard for presenting the Maria Ricci Memorial Lectureship: Radiopharmaceutical Therapy – from Bench to Clinical Trials. It was an absorbing look at the possibilities with novel radiopharmaceuticals in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

The 2023 – 2024 Practicum participants successfully completed their program and were presented with their certificates of completion, congratulations to Dr. Tsan, Dr Soleimani, Dr. Lim-Fat, Dr. Giles, Dr. Kartolo, Dr. Salawu, Dr. Yan, Dr. Smrke, Dr. Tremblay, Dr Wilson and Dr. Nguyen. At the same time we welcomed the new 2024-2025 cohort who were off to a kinetic start, navigating their first CCTG spring meeting. Also attending their first network gathering were our new patient representatives Haydn Bechthold, Suzanne Wood, Michelle Audoin who have already made an impact with the committees they support.

Congratulations to all CCTG 2024 awardees:  

• Joseph Pater Founder’s Award for Excellence in Clinical Trials Research presented to Dr. Lillian Siu
• Elizabeth Eisenhauer Early Drug Development Young Investigator Award presented to Dr. Philippe Jamme
• Elizabeth Eisenhauer Early Drug Development Young Investigator Award Dr. Erica Tsang
• Ralph Meyer Phase III Program Young Investigator Award presented to Dr. Hira Mian
• Excellence in Clinical Trials Conduct presented to Sharon Turnell
• Excellence in Clinical Trials Conduct  presented to Professor Jim Julian
• IND Team Award presented to the IND241 team at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre 
• Phase III Team Award for CCTG-Led Trials presented to the PR21 Team at BC Cancer Vancouver
• Phase III Team Award for Intergroup-Led Trials presented to the ME15 Team at Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Congratulations to  Dr. Joao Paulo Solar Vasconcelos and Dr. Marie Plante who both recieved the 2023 Frances Shephard award. Remember the deadline for applications for the 2024 Frances Shepherd award is May 17, 2024

If you attended any or our accredited sessions don’t forget to claim your education credits and CME certificates by the May 31, 2024 deadline. Also mark your calendars for our next in person meeting April 25-27, 2025  (April 23-26, 2026 and April 29-May 2, 2027).

Thank you to all of those who contributed their time and skills to another successful meeting that sets the agenda for our work over the next year.

Dr. Janet Dancey