POGO Education
POGO is committed to providing frequent opportunities for education that allow health care professionals to remain up-to-date in the rapidly advancing field of pediatric oncology, and to ensure that the care delivered to Ontario's children is focused on caring for the whole child.POGO's educational events are dynamic, multidisciplinary learning opportunities at which experts assemble to identify and examine challenging issues of caring for children with cancer from multiple perspectives. They provide valuable opportunities for consultation and collaboration, and excite discussion that advances policy, program and practice innovation.
If you have suggestions for future education events, please forward an email to Clara Jordan at cjordan@pogo.ca.
2011 Multi-Disciplinary Symposium on Childhood Cancer
Unraveling the Mysteries of Transplantation
Location: Intercontinental Toronto Centre Hotel, 225 Front Street West, Toronto, ON
The 2011 Symposium will weave together clinical and scientific advances in transplantation with ethical considerations/implications and the impacts of this extraordinary intervention on the daily lives of the patient and family before, during and after treatment.
Topics to be addressed include:
• The current status of transplantation for ALL and for AML
• Cord blood banking evolution
• Psychosocial impacts of transplant
• Implications of organizing stem cell drives
• Decision-making and ethics in the pediatric transplant context
Click here for more details
2011 POGO Survivor Conference -Life After Childhood Cancer
Date: May 21 & 22, 2011
Location: Kingbridge Conference Centre & Institute, 12750 Jane Street, King City, ON
Life after Childhood Cancer is a dynamic weekend conference for adult survivors aged 18 and up
- Learn about the late effects of your disease and treatment
- Get the answers you need to thrive in life
This two day residential conference aims to:
- Bring together survivors and experts
- Focus on the best state of health and quality of life for survivors of childhood cancer
- Respond to questions and issues raised by survivors about issues that most concern them
- Combine learning and questioning with social activity and networking
- Offer different learning formats
- Create a resource for those unable to attend and for subsequent use in learning environments that may be private or communal
All this will take place in a fun and relaxing atmosphere and an environment that offers many leisure opportunities and facilities.
POGO 2010 Multi-Disciplinary Symposium on Childhood Cancer
PEDIATRIC SARCOMAS - BIOLOGY TO IMPACTDate: November 19 & 20, 2010
Location: Hilton Toronto Hotel, 145 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON
The 2010 Symposium focused on pediatric sarcomas, particularly rhabdomyosarcoma and osteosarcoma. In the tradition of the POGO interdisciplinary conferences, this symposium will weave together the advances in diagnosis, biology and therapy with the impacts of sarcomas and their treatments on the daily lives of the patient and family both during and after treatment. Directed toward all participants in the management of these patients, the symposium will explore advances in all fields from biologic mechanisms through treatment and rehabilitation, and address issues of sexuality, cultural and developmental impacts on decision making and other key issues.
The 2010 Symposium would like to recognize the Outstanding Abstract Awards for Fellows/Trainees. The winning abstracts by category are:
Basic Medicine: Sushil Kumar
Clinical: Erica Burry
Behavioural Sciences: Darlene Walker
Nursing: Argerie Tsimicals
Pre-Symposium Seminar
CANCER & GENETICS: IMPACTS ON FAMILY AND HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS
The 2010 POGO pre-symposium seminar on cancer genetics and its impacts, examined a range of topics arising from new knowledge about familial genetic cancer risk determination as this relates to patients, parents, siblings, relatives and health care professionals; clinical and management implications; and emotional, social, relational and ethical aspects.
Experts provided plenaries on:
- determination of genetic cancer risk, communication and utilization of this information to guide surveillance with a view to reducing mortality and morbidity (Dr. D. Malkin);
- psychological and social implications of genetic testing (Dr. A. Patenaude) and their implications for communication with relatives and cultural and religious issues;
- ethical controversies arising from care decisions encompassing the genetics of cancer risk (Dr. M. Mullen) -- the importance of balancing a patient’s autonomy, a professional’s duty to those we place in harm’s way, social justice, and our responsibility to protect the vulnerable;
- parent perspectives - two mothers reflected on their challenges arising from the option of genetic testing.
Workshops created an opportunity to reflect on practical lessons for:
- models of practice for the pediatric cancer team -- who should, and how to work with families and other professional disciplines;
- the burden of knowing – interacting with parents about testing for familial hereditary cancers and interacting understanding the burden of their decision making;
- deliberating “to test or not to test’ – giving due consideration to duty of care and levels of risk – physical, individual, relational, cultural and religious.
The seminar was planned and delivered by the Psychosocial Services Committee of POGO. To view the recorded sessions, please contact Clara Jordan of the Education Department at POGO.
2010 Satellite Shared Care Education Day
POGO hosted a Pediatric Oncology Shared Care Education Day that has been initiated by The Hospital for Sick Children. This education day is targeted toward paediatricians and nurses who partner with The Hospital for Sick Children as part of POGO’s Provincial Pediatric Oncology Satellite Program.
The day provided opportunities for tertiary and satellite centre staff to network, to discuss common clinical issues and challenges and to contribute to the identification of future educational opportunities and priorities.
Topics addressed included: Clinical management of fever and neutropenia, parenteral nutrition support, pain management, and ALL (acute lymphocytic leukemia) protocols and dose adjustment during the maintenance phase of therapy for ALL.
POGO 2009 Symposium, November 13 – 14, 2009
Brain tumors in childhood present major challenges in treatment, and in the impact of the disease and its treatment on the quality of life of the patient and the family. There has been substantial focus on understanding the mechanisms of disease, and on refining treatment, and increasing awareness of the morbidity and social and developmental impacts of these tumors on the child and family. This symposium considered aspects of causation, from a molecular and genetic perspective, surgical, radiation and chemotherapeutic advances, new concepts in rehabilitation and mitigation of neurocognitive impact, particularities of psychosocial care for both patient and caregivers, the impacts on the developmental trajectory, and palliative care. In short, it offered a 360 degree view of childhood CNS tumors in 2009 – the whole patient and the context in which the brain tumor journey is undertaken.The 2009 Symposium would like to recognize the Outstanding Abstract Awards for Fellows/Trainees. The winning abstracts by category are:
Clinical Medicine: Adam Fleming
Basic / Medical Science: Xin Kevin Wang and Rosetta Yuen
Behavioural Sciences: Sonia Gulati
Nursing: No submission
Thank you to the 2009 Symposium Planning Committee for their contribution to making the conference a huge success.
POGO 2008 Symposium November 21 – 22, 2008
This POGO Multi-disciplinary symposium was made possible by funding from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian Cancer Society. The symposium examined major advances in all disciplines relevant to pediatric oncology over the past 25 years with the intent of translating the key advances over those years into a map for the next years. The integration of new understanding of biologic mechanisms of disease, treatment impact and behaviour led to in-depth examination of determinants of outcomes, from the fact of survival to quality of that survival, and to plans for research and collaboration across institutions and disciplines.Encompassed topics included targeted therapy, newer insights into and therapeutic implications for, neurocognitive toxicities, cancer stem cells, pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic management of nausea and vomiting, behavioural and biologic aspects of cancer fatigue, and many others, presented by renowned experts. The format was a combination of plenary talks, work shops and panels. To view the recorded sessions, please contact Clara Jordan of the Education Department (cjordan@pogo.ca )
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