Sunday, 12th November Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2017

Join us for this one-day workshop which is for the full Cancer Care team - medical oncologists, nurses, general practitioners and other health professionals. Learn the best evidence based supportive care strategies for helping your patients through treatment and beyond. Understand what probiotics might be safe and optimise the gut for treatment, assist in treating chemotherapy induced diarrhoea, and optimising gut bacteria for enhanced response to immunotherapy (1); gain familiarity with what symptoms might be supported by non-pharmacological strategies such as acupuncture, oncology massage and mind-body practices; learn when and how to prescribe and administer medicinal cannabis; consider the practicalities and steps required to make enhanced supportive care part of your own clinical practice.

This full day workshop is a masterclass in nutrition and cancer for nurses working with people affected by cancer. Participants will come away with an understanding of the pathophysiology of malnutrition, it's consequences and practical implications; the impact of a cancer diagnosis on dietary intake and recommendations for practical management in the everyday clinical setting; knowledge of the current challenges in the nutritional management of cancer including the impact of celebrity nutrition messages via social media; and examples of successful, evidence-based multidisciplinary models of nutrition care. There will be opportunities to participate in case studies and discussions on topical issues. Participants can expect to finish the day feeling confident and well equipped with the knowledge to help facilitate optimal nutritional care in their clinical practice.

Discover and extend your knowledge of the clinical trials research process. Together we will demystify statistical concepts in clinical trial design and reporting; review tools and techniques to improve the informed consent process for patients; and explore the key differences between RECIST v1.1, the conventional criteria for tumour measurement, and irRC, more recent criteria developed to assess tumour response to immunotherapeutic agents.

Statistical principles underpin critical appraisal of research; this session will concentrate on explaining concepts rather than formulae or calculation techniques. An overview of the National PICF Framework launched in 2016 and adopted in research active healthcare services and organisations will follow. Expanding upon this critical topic and led by a principal investigator/ facilitator, an interactive session on the clinical trial consent process will illustrate that informed consent is not a signature on a form but a communication process to achieve informed choice.

Join us for an effective learning experience to enhance understanding of the research process, improve communication skills and strengthen professional development.

The COSA Adolescent and Young Adult Group welcome you to a clinical professional education day (CPD) on the 12th of November before the ASM. It is recognised that AYA cancer patients have specific developmental, educational and psychosocial needs. Cancer is the commonest cause of death due to disease in this group. While the overall survival for these patients is excellent, there are still poor outcomes for certain types of cancer such as brain tumours and sarcomas. These conditions have had very little or no improvement in survival in Australia for over 30 years. This lack of progress is exacerbated by the fact that the cancers in AYA patients are rare, the patients widely dispersed geographically and across paediatric and adult cancer centres and low accrual to, and scarcity of, available clinical trials for this age group.

The COSA AYA 2017 CPD will present some of the challenging issues contributing to the care of these young cancer patients. Topics will include where progress is being made for brain tumours, gynaecological cancers and international collaborative efforts in the field of germ cell tumours. New approaches to immunotherapy and survivorship will be explored through case studies. The complex nature of this young population will also be demonstrated in sessions on hereditable cancer risks and drug addiction issues.

Professionals from all disciplines are encouraged to attend to participate in what will certainly be an exciting and stimulating day of discussion and learning.