Agenda by Day - Monday, May 6th - Thursday, May 9th
Recordings of each day are available on the 'Overview' page.
Monday, May 6, 2024Early Career Investigator Day: Training for Impact: Exploring Capacity Development for Clinical Research in LMICs Overview: Clinical research, which includes clinical trials and observational studies, involves research with human populations that seeks to evaluate the safety and efficacy of interventions to improve cancer outcomes. Training to conduct clinical research is central to advancing cancer control in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where locally relevant, feasible and sustainable interventions are needed. Reviews of global clinical trials suggest that clinical trials, including those recruiting patients in LMICs, are often led by high-income countries and do not address LMIC relevant cancers or their cancer control priorities, perpetuating inequities. Therefore, training the next generation of investigators to develop clinical research questions is a critical first step. The Early Career Investigator Day aims to: Aim 1. Discuss gaps and opportunities for conducting clinical research in LMICs. What are the current inequities and gaps in clinical research; what are the unique opportunities in LMIC-led clinical research in advancing global cancer control? Aim 2. Identify specific areas for training in clinical research. We will discuss specific skills and education needed to conduct clinical research and highlight global models of academic and non-academic training for clinical research skills development. We will address training needs from protocol initiation, development, implementation, and evaluation. Aim 3. Highlight clinical research and clinical trials led by mid- and/or early-career investigators in LMICs and discuss barriers and facilitators to their current leadership in clinical research. |
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8:00-9:00AM |
Networking & Poster Walk Session Description: Participants will join Gather Town to network with fellow participants, speakers, and organizers, and to view posters in this immersive web-based platform that allows participants to move and interact freely within a virtual space. |
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9:00-9:10AM |
Welcome Opening Remarks |
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9:10-10:10AM |
Understanding the Landscape and Opportunities for Clinical Research in LMICs Session Moderator: Unique opportunities to advance cancer science by supporting clinical research in LMICs Developing clinical research capacity in LMICs: Lessons from CReDO Collaborations and capacity building for prevention clinical trials in LMICs: Observations from the NCI HIV/HPV-Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Networks Discussion: Q&A |
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10:10-10:50AM |
Meet the Abstract Authors: Interactive Poster Session on Gather Town Session Description: Participants will be directed to Gather Town to view posters and engage with abstract presenters in this immersive web-based platform that allows participants to move and interact freely within a virtual space. |
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10:50AM-11:55AM |
Finding a Mentor, Developing a Protocol and Conducting Clinical Research in LMICs: Perspectives from Early Career Scientists and their Mentors Interactive Exercise Using Slido: Gathering Perspectives on Training and Patient-Centered Approaches in Global Cancer Clinical Research Session Description: Speakers will share insights on how the collaboration came about, what barriers they encountered (in developing the protocol, patient recruitment, regulatory affairs), and how this question is relevant to their population. Session Moderator: Mentor and Early Career Investigator Pairs International Collaboration for Research Methods Development in Oncology (CReDO) Global Training for Research and Equity in Cancer (GlobTREC) Uganda Discussion: Q&A |
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11:55AM-12:00PM |
Conclusion and Wrap-up |
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 |
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8:00-9:00AM |
Networking & Poster Walk Session Description: Participants will join Gather Town to network with fellow participants, speakers, and organizers, and to view posters in this immersive web-based platform that allows participants to move and interact freely within a virtual space. |
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9:00-9:10AM |
Welcome Opening Remarks |
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9:10-10:10AM |
Scientific Session: Impacting the Cervical Cancer Burden in India: Collective Efforts and Strategies to Train Healthcare Providers on HPV Vaccination and Cervical Cancer Screening Session Chair: Jennifer Nkonga, MS, Senior Director, Regional Strategy & Implementation, American Cancer Society, Tampa Bay, Florida, USA Session Description: Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in India. More than 77,000 women die each year due to cervical cancer, accounting for 23% of all cervical cancer deaths globally. Without measurable action, the estimated deaths from cervical cancer in low- and middle-income countries will rise by 50% in the next two decades. The Global HPV Cancer Free program of the American Cancer Society (ACS) envisions a world free of HPV cancers, starting with cervical cancer. To increase uptake of cervical cancer prevention services in India, ACS has partnered with civil society organizations (CSOs) to prevent cancer by catalyzing engagement of trusted health care providers through implementation of two programs at the national and district level. A key component is training health care providers at multiple levels to increase knowledge, confidence, beliefs and intent around HPV vaccination and cervical screening. At the national level, the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), with support from Cancer Foundation of India (CFI) and ACS, are convening and training 20,000+ pediatricians and obstetrician-gynecologists via a train-the-trainer model to collectively advocate for cervical cancer elimination. The training refreshes physicians on HPV vaccination facts and shares evidence-based messaging and communication strategies. At the district level, Cancer Awareness, Prevention, and Early Detection (CAPED), in collaboration with selected districts across three states, is training community health workers (CHWs) and primary health center (PHC) nurses to facilitate and mobilize community uptake of cervical cancer prevention services, starting with screening. A 2022 pilot successfully trained 213 CHWs and 61 nurses covering 73 villages, who mobilized 5,653 women for cervical screenings. In addition to convening partners and co-conceptualizing trainings, ACS provides programmatic and evaluation support, funding and resources. Health care providers are the most trusted source of health information for the community. A strong recommendation can increase the demand and uptake of cervical cancer prevention services across communities in India. This scientific session will include speakers from partner organizations in India and ACS to represent and showcase their work around cervical cancer prevention. Speakers: Priya Ganesh Kumar, MD, Chairperson, Gynaecologic Oncology Committee, Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India, Thane, India Purna Kurkure, MD, Head of Department, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology & BMT, Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Mumbai, India Mridu Gupta, DBA, CEO, CAPED India, Gurgaon, India Sutapa Biswas, PG, Co-Founder, Cancer Foundation of India, Kolkata, India |
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10:10-10:50AM |
Meet the Abstract Authors: Interactive Poster Session on Gather Town Session Description: Participants will be directed to Gather Town to view posters and engage with abstract presenters in this immersive web-based platform that allows participants to move and interact freely within a virtual space. |
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10:50-11:50AM
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Rapid Fire Abstract Session: Global Cancer Research Session Chair: María Teresa Bourlon, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor, Hematology and Oncology Department, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico; Representative, Academic Global Oncology Task Force, American Society of Clinical Oncology Session Description: This session will be a series of rapid-fire presentations from the top-scoring accepted scientific abstracts for the 12th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research. Each presentation will be a 5-minute oral PowerPoint presentation (5 slides) by the lead author providing a high-level overview of the research study. Transcriptomic features associated to neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in four molecular breast cancer subtypes., Hedda Michelle Guevara-Nieto, MSc, Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia, Colombia Unique glycosylation pattern governs metastatic organotropism of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, Venkatesh Varadharaj, MS, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA Deciphering the Nuclear Role of Heme Oxygenase-1 in Prostate Cancer: Transcriptional Reprogramming and Neuroendocrine Differentiation, Rocio Seniuk, BSc, IQUIBICEN-CONICET, Argentina Genomic and immunophenotypic characteristics of conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma in a sub-Saharan African cohort suggest a role for immune checkpoint inhibitors in locally advanced or metastatic patients, Bita Esmaeli, MD, MA, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, USA; Mekelle University, Ethiopia Breast cancer pharmacogenetics in Botswana, Keneuoe Cecilia Nthontho, BS, University of Botswana, Botswana “If I have the courage…I prefer to see a doctor”: A qualitative exploration of Ethiopian women’s hesitancy to screen for cervical cancer using HPV self-sampling, Nimra Rahman, BA, City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, USA Racial disparities in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: An NCDB analysis, Anjali Mishra, BS, Creighton University, USA Patient Financial Well-Being and Access to Cancer Treatment during Wartime, Taras Ivanykovych, MS-4, Danylo Halytsky, Lviv National Medical University, Lviv, Ukraine |
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11:50AM-1200PM |
Closing Remarks María Teresa Bourlon, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor, Hematology and Oncology Department, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico; Representative, Academic Global Oncology Task Force, American Society of Clinical Oncology |
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 |
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8:00-9:00AM |
Networking & Poster Walk Session Description: Participants will join Gather Town to network with fellow participants, speakers, and organizers, and to view posters in this immersive web-based platform that allows participants to move and interact freely within a virtual space. |
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9:00-9:10AM |
Welcome Opening Remarks |
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9:10-10:10AM |
Rapid Fire Abstract Session: Global Cancer Control Session Chair: Rahma Mkuu, PhD, MPH, CPH, Chair, Global Cancer Research Special Interest Group, American Society of Preventive Oncology; Assistant Research Scientist, Institute for Child Health Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA Session Description: This session will be a series of rapid-fire presentations from the top-scoring accepted scientific abstracts for the 12th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research. Each presentation will be a 5-minute oral PowerPoint presentation (5 slides) by the lead author providing a high-level overview of the cancer control program. Examining Vaccine Attitudes: A Comparative Study of Parents of Healthcare Workers and the General Population in Japan, Hasan Jamil, MD, Graduate School of Public Health, St. Luke International University, Japan Piloting a model for cervical cancer screening through community outreach and government capacity building in India, Shaylen Foley, MPH, American Cancer Society, USA From self-collected HPV sampling to self-administered treatment cervical pre-invasive lesions: A dream to reality, Alia Rahman, BASc, Acting CEO, Amplex’d Therapeutics, Inc. Global landscape of phase III interventional clinical trials in colorectal cancer, Oluwatayo Adeoye, MD, St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, USA Successful establishment of a national cancer control Program (NCCP) and cancer registry in Eswatini: Lessons to inform NCCPs in low- and mid-income countries, Xolisile Dlamini, MPH, Ministry of Health, Eswatini Health System Strengthening Strategies for Improved Cancer Control in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case of the International Cancer Institute's Blueprint for Innovative Healthcare Access Program in Western Uganda, Gloria Kitur, BSc, MA, FHPM, International Cancer Institute, Kenya Collaborative Action for Public Health: The Esophageal Cancer Consortium's Approach to Policy Influence and Capturing Policy Makers' Attention In Ethiopia, Biniyam Tefera Deressa, MD, Adama Hospital Medical College, Ethiopia Cancer data systems in Africa: a scoping review, Benson Nyambega, PhD, MSc, BSc, Western Kenya Cancer Care and Research Center, Kenya Closing Remarks: Dr. Mkuu |
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10:10-10:50AM |
Meet the Abstract Authors: Interactive Poster Session on Gather Town Session Description: Participants will be directed to Gather Town to view posters and engage with abstract presenters in this immersive web-based platform that allows participants to move and interact freely within a virtual space. |
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10:50-11:50AM |
Scientific Session: The Impact of Cross-Cultural Collaboration on Clinical Trials Successes in the US-Latin American-Caribbean HIV/HPV-Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Network (ULACNet) Session Chair: Emma Brofsky, MSPH, Scientific Program Analyst, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA Session Description: The US-Latin American-Caribbean HIV/HPV-Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Network (ULACNet) brings together a variety of collaborators from institutions in the US, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Peru, Brazil, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. United in the goal of conducting high quality cancer prevention clinical trials for people living with HIV, these collaborations have been cultivated and challenged over the first 4.5 years of this network. There are four open trials focused on optimizing dosing and evaluating new indications for HPV prophylactic vaccines and improving accuracy of cervical and anogenital cancer screening/triage. This session features a panel of Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) and US based network members working to operationalize these clinical trials. The conversation will dive headfirst into the challenges and lessons learned in creating and maintaining cross-cultural partnerships focused on carrying out clinical trials on HPV-related cancer prevention and screening. From operating in limited resource settings and interacting with vulnerable populations, to confronting language barriers and considering local contexts for recruitment, ULACNet colleagues have worked together to successfully accrue participants in clinical trials and are building a sustainable infrastructure for conducting future trials in the region. Speakers Frances Vazquez Sanchez, MSC, Research Scientist/Study Coordinator, Comprehensive Cancer Center Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico Vanessa Rouzier, MD, Research Site Leader, GHESKIO, Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
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11:50AM-12:00PM |
Closing Remarks Rose Ihuoma Anorlu MBChB, FMCOG, FRCOG, FWACS, MPH, Immediate Past President, African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer; Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria |
Thursday, May 9, 2024 |
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8:00-9:00AM |
Networking & Poster Walk Session Description: Participants will join Gather Town to network with fellow participants, speakers, and organizers, and to view posters in this immersive web-based platform that allows participants to move and interact freely within a virtual space. |
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9:00-9:10AM |
Welcome Opening Remarks |
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9:10-10:10AM |
Scientific Session: Building Cancer Genetics Infrastructure in Resource Limited Settings: Multinational Experiences and Perspectives Session Chair: Gerneiva Parkinson, MD, MHS, Resident PGY3, Department of Internal Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Executive Director, Caribbean Alliance to Control and Prevent Cancer, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago Session Description: While the clinical importance of cancer genetics testing is well established, there are severe disparities with respect to access to global cancer genetic testing. This translates to a lack of diversity within the cancer genomics field. Despite a plethora of genetic testing options and improvements in affordability, many low-resource countries continue to face major challenges in implementing hereditary cancer genetic testing. Challenges include limited regional infrastructure, lack of clinical expertise on managing the results, and socio-cultural barriers. Therefore, we propose a session to discuss innovative approaches to address these challenges. We will use the experience of our panelists to display two adaptations of the US standard of care, which have been used in Rwanda and Trinidad & Tobago. Through this session, we hope to demonstrate how access to cancer genetic testing can be increased in resource-limited sessions in a practical and sustainable manner. We hope that our session will allow participants to use the experiences shared from the project models in Rwanda and Trinidad & Tobago, to help create their own international projects surrounding cancer genetic testing. This would include how to establish and foster international collaboration between academic institutions, low-resource clinical settings and cancer genetic testing industry partners. We hope to impart tools that would assist innovative approaches to building a local workforce within low-resource settings to improve access to cancer genetic testing. We also hope to share real-world experiences that would serve as models for integrating clinical cancer genetic testing and research within clinical environments in an optimal way that is beneficial to patients and does not disrupt local provider workflow or work burden. Speakers: Temidayo Fadelu, MD, MPH, Medical Oncologist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Brittany Bychkovsky, MD, MSc, Medical Oncologist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Achille Van Christ Manirakiza, MD, MedicalOncologist, King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda Kellie Alleyne-Mike, MD, PG Dip Pal Med, MMed Rad Onc, FC Rad Onc, Clinical Oncologist and Medical Director, Cancer Center of Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago |
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10:10-10:50AM |
Meet the Abstract Authors: Interactive Poster Session on Gather Town Session Description: Participants will be directed to Gather Town to view posters and engage with abstract presenters in this immersive web-based platform that allows participants to move and interact freely within a virtual space. |
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10:50-11:50AM |
Pearline Award Presentation & Keynote Address Session Chair: Franklin Huang, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, California, USA Pearline Awardee: Benda Kithaka, Founder and Executive Director, KILELE Health, Nairobi, Kenya Session Description: The Rachel Pearline Award honors Rachel Pearline, MD, MPH. Dr. Pearline was a revered oncology fellow committed to global cancer control, who received the award named in her memory in 2016 following her death at the age of 38, in November 2015, from gastric cancer. In honor of Dr. Rachel Pearline, each year the Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research Steering Committee recognizes one outstanding professional who embodies virtue and eminence in cancer research, practice, and/or training in a low- and middle-income country setting. The 2024 Rachel Pearline Awardee is Benda Kithaka, Founder and Executive Director of KILELE Health, a Kenyan non-profit organization that promotes cancer prevention and control using the power of storytelling to harness lived experiences as tools for advocacy. |
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11:50AM-12:00PM |
Closing Remarks Satish Gopal, MD, MPH, Director, Center for Global Health, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA |