IBTA News

[30 November 2014]   The Society for Neuro-Oncology 2014 Annual Meeting (SNO 2014) was held in Miami, Florida on 13-16 November 2014. Over 1,900 delegates from 43 countries attended the conference, confirming it as the largest and most important neuro-oncology-specific event of the year.

A major highlight of the conference was the presentation by Dr Roger Stupp of the interim results from Novocure’s phase III clinical trial in newly diagnosed GBM (EF-14). The overall survival (OS) data was very positive and has resulted in early termination of the trial due to success. Other highlights included presentations on: Celldex Therapeutics’ immunotherapy treatment, rindopepimut; the use of bevacizumab (Avastin) and lomustine in recurrent GBM; the addition of PCV (procarbazine, CCNU and vincristine) to radiotherapy for the treatment of low grade gliomas; and the genomic characterisation of diffuse low grade gliomas. All of these studies may eventually lead to changes in clinical practice.

The IBTA was recognised with a SNO Public Service Award presented in absentia to the former chair, Denis Strangman (Australia). Our full report from the conference can be downloaded here.

Nearly one thousand healthcare and allied professionals, including numerous key researchers and policy leaders from around the world, attended the biennial European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) meeting this month. Held in the Lingotto Conference Centre in Turin, Italy, from 9th to 12th October 2014, the conference theme was: “Analysing the Past to do Better in the Future”.

Read our full conference report here.

We are delighted to announce that Jan Geissler of the CML Advocates Network and the IBTA’s Kathy Oliver have been appointed as the two patient advocates on the recently formed European Commission Expert Group on Cancer Control as representatives for Rare Diseases Europe (EURORDIS).

The expert group will assist with drawing up legal instruments, policy documents, guidelines, and recommendations on cancer control. It will also help prepare guidelines on cancer data including epidemiology, cancer screening, quality assurance and information on cancer prevention, clinical cancer research, as well as for cross-cutting themes related to cancer.

The first meeting of the group was held on 23-24 September in Milan, Italy. The second meeting will be held in March 2015.