Tangka Parranthi “Sparking Hope” – Another successful ANZCHOG Annual Scientific Meeting
Friday 23 August 2024
More than 350 delegates came together recently to attend the ANZCHOG 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) in Adelaide (Tarntanya). The theme for this year’s meeting was “Sparking hope through cutting edge technologies and collaborative care. Tangka parranthi.”. Tangka parranthi means “sparking hope” in the native language of the Kaurna people, the traditional custodians of the Adelaide Plains of South Australia.
Before the official program got underway, hundreds of delegates attended one of the pre-conference workshops, which included a Nurses’ Workshop, Holistic Patient and Family Care Workshop, Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) Masterclass, Paediatric Oncology Fellows Day and Clinical Research Professionals Workshop. On the eve of the ASM, families of children with cancer were invited to attend an informative evening co-hosted by the Childhood Cancer Association, ANZCHOG and the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. This educational workshop, delivered both in person and online, included presentations from ANZCHOG members on topics such as survivorship (Karen Johnston), ZERO Childhood Cancer Program (A/Prof. Vanessa Tyrrell) and TGA drug approval (Dr Maria Kirby).
Day One
Kicking off Day One was a magnificent Welcome to Country by Uncle Mickey, followed by an indigenous dance performance from the Tjarutja Dance Theatre. The first international speaker of the conference, Prof. Lisa Kahalley, discussed neurocognitive sparing with proton radiotherapy in paediatric neuro-oncology, offering fascinating insights into the barriers to access proton therapy in the United States and sparking hope for what is to come in Australia when proton therapy becomes available.
A compelling presentation by Prof. Eric Bouffet on Global Health, focusing on paediatric neuro-oncology in low and middle-income countries, was next up, sparking engaging conversations during the break.
Following this, were disease-specific presentations including Leukaemia and Lymphoma presented by A/Prof Rishi Kotecha and Neuroblastoma presented by Prof. Angelika Eggert of Charite University Medicine, Berlin. Later, ANZCHOG Medical Director, Dr Maria Kirby, chaired an insightful session on ANZCHOG clinical trial updates. Concluding day one of the program was a magnificent welcome reception, sponsored by the Children’s Cancer Foundation.
Day Two
The Day Two program was bursting with engaging content for delegates, starting with a multidisciplinary breakfast symposium on paediatric thyroid cancer, presented by Bayer.
Breakfast was followed by plenary presentations from two more international speakers, Dr Luke Maese on cancer predisposition and Dr Nick Vitanza on cellular therapies in Neuro-Oncology. During morning tea, the ANZCHOG poster session was held. This has something for everyone with over 50 poster presentations. The lunch session then featured a symposium on The Changing treatment paradigm of lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LAL-D) with ERT, presented by Alexion.
The rest of the day comprised of an array of concurrent sessions, with 17 oral abstracts covering haematology, leukaemia and lymphoma, solid tumors, Indigenous health and allied health, as well as concurrent Meet the Expert sessions presented by Recordati Rare Diseases and Alexion. The Day Two program concluded with ANZCHOG 2024 ASM Best Abstract presentations.
After dark we were treated to an unforgettable evening at the annual ANZCHOG Gala Dinner, held at the historic Adelaide Town Hall. The evening started with a beautiful string quartet welcoming guests in with pre-function drinks and canapes. The night also featured abstract award presentations sponsored by Servier and the induction of four new ANZCHOG Life Members. Later in the evening guest were entertained by the renowned local talent, The Cast,and captured lasting memories at the 360 degree photobooth.
Day Three
The final day of the ASM concentrated on Indigenous health and insights from two new ANZCHOG Life Members. The morning plenary session featured Prof. Henry Ekert AM, who reflected on his journey and shared lessons learned whilst Prof. Richard Cohn AM discussed rethinking success beyond the five-year survival and the importance of learning from the past and looking forward.
Dr. Myra Ruka commenced the Indigenous health session by sharing her experiences and insights from the Aoteroa (New Zealand) Indigenous Health perspective, emphasising equity by design. The 2024 ASM concluded with a panel discussion by Dr Myra Ruka, A/ Prof Jimmy Breen, Dr Justine Clark and Dr Jessica Buck on Indigenous Health, featuring an insightful conversation about enhancing support for Indigenous paediatric oncology through a multidisciplinary approach. The session included sharing insights around innovative strategies and shared best practices, and highlighted collaborative efforts to improve health outcomes for Indigenous children facing cancer and the pivotal role of health care professionals to continue to mentor, build capacity, and advocating for systemic changes to better serve Indigenous communities.
ANZCHOG extends its warmest appreciation to all those who attended and contributed to the 2024 ASM. A special thanks to the local organising committee in Adelaide, in particular Dr Vickyanne Carruthers and Dr Sophie Jessop.
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Save the date for next year’s ASM, which will be held in Brisbane, Australia from 30 July to 2 August 2025.
