Major International Cancer Conference co-organised by St James’s Hospital, TCD & HSE
Posted on: 03 May 2007
‘Merging Science and Medicine to Secure Positive Patient Care’
The 5th International Cancer Conference was held in Dublin on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th May 2007 last. The conference was organised by St James’s Hospital in collaboration with the HSE Regional Oncology Programme Office and Trinity College Dublin.
The conference which was opened by Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, on Thursday the 3rd chose – ‘Merging Science and Medicine to Secure Positive Patient Care’ as its theme.
Speaking at the Conference Minister Mary Harney said: “Encouraging the interconnection between science and medicine is essential if we are to translate new knowledge and new discoveries into improved patient care and patient outcomes. Major conferences such as this provide an essential forum for knowledge exchange, challenge current approaches and help to develop improved strategies for cancer control. I wish to acknowledge the significant contribution of the All-Ireland National Cancer Institute Cancer Consortium in developing cancer control on the island.”
Professor Mark Lawler of St James’s Hospital and Trinity College added: “We are very pleased to have an opportunity to organise a conference, which will address key issues relating to cancer strategy, cancer care and cancer research. This conference with its high quality programme and renowned international leaders, including a number of speakers from the world renowned National Cancer Institute in Washington, will highlight the latest developments and challenges we face in delivering 21st century medicine to cancer patients.”
The conference drew together a range of international leaders in such areas as, cancer screening, cancer drug therapy, cancer prevention and cancer biology. Speaking at the conference, these international leaders made the following comments:
Professor Peter Sasieni, from Cancer Research Centre at Bartholomew’s, London, speaking on cancer screening said: “It’s a very exciting time for cervical cancer prevention. Over the last 25 years scientists have identified the viruses that cause cervical cancer and have now developed the first vaccines that will prevent this disease. This however is the approach of the future and should make cervical cancer extremely rare for women born since 1995. For everyone else screening provides an extremely effective way of preventing cervical cancer. Although nobody enjoys being screened regular screening can prevent over 80% of cervical cancer. I applaud the commitment to role out cervical screening nationally in Ireland and hope that the promised timetable will be adhered to. One of the best ways of reducing your risk of cancer is to participate in organised screening”.
Dr. Eva Szabo, of the National Cancer Institute, USA, speaking on cancer prevention said: “Given the great advances in our understanding of cancer biology, this is a time for real optimism that we will be able to challenge this knowledge towards preventing as well as more effectively treating this disease”.
Professor Ken Anderson of Boston, USA addressing molecular medicine and cancer said: “It is a transforming time in cancer research with bench to bedside translations of scientific advances to new treatments. Major advances in cancer genetics, coupled with a better understanding of the importance of the tumour microenvironment have allowed for development of novel target therapies on the one hand, and the selection of patients most likely to respond on the other. This new paradigm of targeting the tumour and its microenvironment has great promise to improve patient outcome not only in blood cancers but also in solid tumours as well. This conference assures Irish American collaboration so that these advances happen more rapidly and patients have better treatments as a direct result.”