The 2018 POGO Multi-Disciplinary Symposium on Childhood Cancer – Precision Medicine in Pediatric Oncology – examined clinical and scientific advances in precision medicine and explored how those advances are impacting the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in children.
Over 250 delegates representing a variety of disciplines attended the conference.
Speaker:
Katherine Janeway, MD, MSc Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Harvard Medical School Director Clinical Genomics,Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Senior Physician and Director Solid Tumor Service, Pediatric Oncology
Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center
Dr. Janeway is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and is the Director of Clinical Genomics and of the Pediatric Solid Tumor Program at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Her research focus is applying cancer genomics to the pediatric oncology clinic and identifying central oncogenic mechanisms, novel drug targets and new therapeutics for sarcomas, malignancies in particular need of scientific and clinical advances. As Vice Chair of the Children’s Oncology Group Bone Tumor Committee, Dr. Janeway helps set priorities for clinical investigation and guides protocol development for collaborative trials in Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma. She sits on national committees charged with bringing the power of genomic characterization to patient care, e.g., she co-chairs the target and agent prioritization committee for the National Cancer Institute Pediatric MATCH study. Dr. Janeway received her MD from Harvard Medical School in 2000 and a Master of Medical Science from Harvard Medical School in 2008. She completed her residency in pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital where she later served as chief resident. Dr. Janeway then completed her fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children’s Hospital where she was also chief fellow before joining the staff in 2007.
Presentation Description:
“Precision medicine is a paradigm shift that will produce tremendous improvements in the outcomes of patients with cancer.” This informative and entertaining debate will delve into the virtues and vices of precision medicine and examine the question of whether it really is the ‘game-changer’ many believe it to be. What side are you on?
Speakers: Ian F. Tannock, CM, MD, PhD, DSc Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Medical Biophysics Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and University of Toronto
Dr. Tannock is Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Medical Biophysics at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and University of Toronto. He obtained his PhD from the Institute of Cancer Research, London University, England, and his MD at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
His clinical expertise is in GU (Genito Urinary) and breast cancer. His research investigated methods related to cancer clinical trials, and he chaired trials for men with metastatic prostate cancer that led to licensing of drugs that are used worldwide for this disease. Dr. Tannock is an editor of the Basic Science of Oncology textbook, now in its 5th edition that is used by trainees in all branches of oncology.
Dr. Tannock was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) from 2001-2004, and chairs the ASCO working group that organizes international clinical trials workshops. He received the alumnus award from M.D. Anderson Hospital, Houston, USA (1989), the O. Harold Warwick Prize from the National Cancer Institute of Canada (2003), an honorary degree (DSc) from London University, UK (2009), and the ESMO award (2012)—the first non-European to receive this award. He has been a board member of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). Dr. Tannock was appointed to the Order of Canada in December 2013.
Uri Tabori, MD Staff Haematologist/Oncologist, Division of Haematology/Oncology The Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. Uri Tabori is a Staff Oncologist with the Division of Haematology/Oncology and a Senior Scientist within the SickKids Research Institute, holds the Garron Family Chair in Childhood Cancer Research, and is a Principal Investigator within the Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumor research Centre at The Hospital for Sick Children. He is also a Professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics, Institute of Medical Science and Paediatrics, University of Toronto.
He received his MD at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and completed his specialized training in pediatrics at the Sorasky Medical Centre in the Department of Haematology/Oncology at the Chaim Sheba Medical Centre and Paediatric Neuro-Oncology at The Hospital for Sick Children.
Dr. Tabori’s clinical practice focuses on the treatment of children with cancer, with a particular focus on brain tumours and cancer predisposition. Based on his clinical background and expertise, his research focuses on translational aspects of cancer originating from patients’ need, through basic discoveries and clinical trials to changes in how society is managing specific cancers. Specifically, Dr. Tabori focuses on the development of systems for early detection, intervention and therapeutics in individuals highly predisposed to developing brain tumours. He is also studying mechanisms underlying brain tumour immortality and recurrence in the context of predisposition to cancer.
Dr. Tabori has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Canadian Cancer Society’s Bernard and Francine Dorval Prize in 2016 and the Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Development in Innovation in 2014.
* Alexandra Zorzi and Anita Villani presentation slides not included
Presentation Description: This workshop will provide an overview of the PROFYLE (Precision Oncology for Young People) and KiCS (SickKids Cancer Sequencing) programs. Using a case-based examples, the process and associated challenges of moving patients through the precision oncology/sequencing program will be explored from the perspectives of a referring oncologist from a centre outside of Toronto, the Associate Director the KiCS program, and a Nurse Navigator who manages the practical and logistical challenges associated with care of these patients. For those with an interest in understanding how precision medicine and pediatric oncology intersect in a clinical setting, this is a must-attend session.
Speakers:
Alexandra Zorzi, MD (slides unavailable)
Pediatric Oncologist
Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre
Dr. Alexandra Zorzi is a pediatric oncologist at Children’s Hospital London Health Sciences Centre and Assistant Professor at Western University. Dr. Zorzi obtained her Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto and her medical degree from the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University. She completed her pediatric residency at the University of British Columbia, and obtained her FRCPC certification in pediatrics . Her subspecialty residency in pediatric hematology/oncology was undertaken at The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto.
Dr. Zorzi is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree at Western University in the Division of Physiology and Pharmacology, where she is focusing on the pharmacogenomics of chemotherapeutic agents. Her research areas of interest are chemotherapy related toxicity and developmental therapeutics.
Anita Villani, MD, MSc, FRCPC (slides unavailable) Associate Staff Oncologist, Division of Haematology/Oncology The Hospital for Sick Children
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of Toronto
Dr. Anita Villani is an Associate Staff Oncologist in the Division of Haematology/Oncology at The Hospital for Sick Children and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto. She has a clinical and research interest in cancer genetics and predisposition, including the creation and evaluation of surveillance strategies for cancer-prone children, using both traditional and novel approaches. She has led and co-authored a number of primary research studies and guidelines on surveillance for children with cancer predisposition syndromes. Her work also aims to elucidate the unique aspects of cancer management in this patient population.
Dr. Villani is also the Associate Director of the SickKids Cancer Sequencing Program (KiCS) and focuses on the translational implementation of genomic technologies into clinical oncology care. She is interested in exploring the clinical utility of genomic findings, describing novel germline susceptibility genes and pathways, and exploring the ethics and the stakeholder experience of precision oncology research.
Dr. Villani received her medical degree from the University of Ottawa. She completed both her pediatrics residency training and hematology/oncology fellowship at The Hospital for Sick Children. She went on to obtain her Master of Science degree in Genetics and Genome Biology through the Clinician Investigator Program and Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto.
Andrea Cote, RN, BScN Nurse Coordinator, New Agents and Innovative Therapies (NATI) The Hospital for Sick Children
Andrea completed her Bachelor of Science in nursing degree at McMaster University in 2008. Upon graduation, she worked as an inpatient nurse in the Haematology/ Oncology Program at The Hospital for Sick Children. Simultaneously, she also worked as the nurse coordinator for Camp Oochigeas. She then transitioned into the nurse coordinator role for the leukemia/lymphoma team at The Hospital for Sick Children.
Most recently, Andrea developed the role of nurse coordinator within the New Agents and Innovative Therapies team at The Hospital for Sick Children. In this role Andrea coordinates patient care for children and their families from across Canada enrolled in an early phase clinical trial.
Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. David Hodgson as Medical Director of POGO and next incumbent of the POGO Chair in Childhood Cancer Control at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Hodgson’s stellar accomplishments, expertise and experience in the care of children with malignant disease and pediatric cancer control will strengthen POGO’s many efforts to champion childhood cancer control and POGO’s mandate to advance pediatric cancer care and control in Ontario and internationally. Dr. Hodgson assumed his new roles November 1, 2016.
Dr. Hodgson is an internationally recognized pediatric radiation oncologist who has made significant clinical and research contributions through his role at SickKids and his work at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre where he is the Site Group Lead for Pediatrics in the Department of Radiation Oncology and the Director of POGO’s Adult Pediatric AfterCare Clinic. He is a Professor in the Departments of Radiation Oncology, and Health Policy Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. He serves as Vice-chair of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Hodgkin Lymphoma Steering Committee and as a member of the Childhood Cancer Survivorship (CCSS) External Advisory Board. He has a stellar and long-standing track record in health services research and is cross-appointed to the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), having previously served as Associate Director of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (HPME). Dr. Hodgson comes to the POGO leadership position with a major clinical interest in lymphoma, in particular Hodgkin lymphoma, and in the late effects of cancer and the treatment of pediatric cancer survivors.
POGO created the linked position of POGO Chair in Childhood Cancer Control and Medical Director in 2000 so that Ontario would always have dedicated, seasoned, visionary leadership to ensure a well-integrated, evidence-based cancer delivery system for children with malignant disease. The organization works collaboratively with all stakeholders to implement this vision, generating successive long-range Provincial Pediatric Oncology Plans (PPOPs) that have, over many years, greatly enhanced Ontario’s childhood cancer care system.
“Dr. David Hodgson is a skilled researcher and physician,” says Dr. Trevor Young, Dean of Medicine, University of Toronto and Vice Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions. “Thanks to his extensive experience and determined leadership, he will help POGO advance childhood cancer care through strong collaborations in research and education. This work will benefit the almost 4,000 families in Ontario who have a child receiving cancer treatment or follow-up care. On behalf of the University of Toronto, I congratulate Dr. Hodgson on his new role and I am pleased with his continued association with the Faculty of Medicine.”
POGO believes the Chair and Medical Director must lead with extraordinary wisdom and charisma to achieve informed and whole-hearted consensus among providers, hospitals and other key stakeholders. Dr. Hodgson brings to POGO tables not only an academic outlook, clinical acumen and a unique grasp of research, education and health care delivery savvy, but also the rare ability to ignite a passion to work on behalf of the population and to inspire collaboration. Dr. Hodgson will hold the central role in POGO’s medical directorate—responsible for maintaining the keen interest and participation of the professional pediatric oncology community in endeavours that ensure a continuing state-of-the-art system.
