Registration

Chair Opening Address

50% of people over the age of 50 will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. The choices we make, as healthcare professionals, individual citizens, and as a society will determine whether that % will increase or decrease over time - for our friends, family and colleagues.

Oncology services are fragile. Oncology services and the model must be defined and developed, and be at the core of any national strategy to improve cancer outcomes for current and future patients.

Liz Bishop will describe local progress on implementation of the NHSE long term plan for cancer in the region of Cheshire & Merseyside, which covers a population of 2.7 million people.  Liz will describe the local approach to tackling health inequalities both in cancer and diagnostics in the context of increasing demand. 

The Cheshire & Merseyside diagnostic programme was established in 2021 and is a single coordinated programme which includes all aspects of diagnostics including imaging, pathology, endoscopy, screening programmes, primary care and physiological measurements. 

The benefits to patients of having a single coordinated diagnostic programme will be described and how this aligns with the cancer programme, with the ultimate aim of improving outcomes for patients across a wide geography

Who the introduction of the role of rapid diagnostic nurses can support in the reduction of the time from referral to diagnosis of cancer. Provide a holistic approach to alleviate the psychological impact waiting for an ‘all clear’ currently often not in a timely manner. For those receiving a cancer diagnosis, they have already had nursing support.

Rapid diagnostic nurses play a key part in the referral to treatment in the 62-day pathway, helping to improve waiting times and improving the faster diagnosis pathway.

The role is essential in achieving the NHS long term ambitions for earlier diagnosis at stage 1 and 2 alongside the national screening programmes but also improving patient outcomes; increasing the 5-year survival but also for those living with and beyond cancer

Main Sponsor - The Merck Group

Q&A Panel

Morning Break

Chair Morning Reflection

There is an inherent link between enhanced digital maturity and improved cancer care. Though reviewing examples including digital front doors and the role of AI we explore how to achieve better outcomes and patient experience.

How personalized testing is transforming the management of cancer: highly sensitive and personalized molecular residual disease assay (MRD) using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), custom designed for each patient to help identify relapse earlier than standard of care tools for

• Colorectal cancer (CRC), muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), stage IIb and higher breast cancer
• Monitoring of response to immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy for patients with any solid tumor

A discussion on the effect inefficiencies in blood testing in Oncology at Bedford Hospital, the effects this had on patient care and how this was further exacerbated by the pandemic. I will also talk on how this was solved by the implementation of a new innovative POCT device, the Sight OLO FBC analyser and the benefits this brought to the Trust.

Q&A Panel

Networking

Chair Afternoon Address

From the biggest challenge faced by humanity, has emerged the greatest opportunity for humankind. Vaccines can be developed, tested and made available faster than ever. Trials are now launching for the next biggest challenge: to develop vaccines to treat cancer.

In January, the United Kingdom became the first country in the world to announce a partnership with a leading cancer vaccine manufacturer to kickstart a national advance to develop the cancer vaccine.

In this talk, you will get the behind the scenes update, have the opportunity to share your experiences and finally build bridges to deliver the silver lining of the pandemic, the cancer vaccine.

When AMMF was founded in 2002, it was world’s first charity dedicated solely to cholangiocarcinoma (also known as bile duct cancer), and today, 21 years later, it remains the UK’s only cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) charity, now working nationally, across Europe and collaborating globally.  AMMF’s work is totally CCA focused, and improving the future for those with this most challenging of cancers is always at the heart of all the charity does.

Cholangiocarcinoma is a primary liver cancer, and is one of the biliary tract cancers - the others being gallbladder cancer and ampullary cancer.  CCA occurs in the bile ducts and there are 3 types, each of which occurs in distinct parts of the biliary tract – intrahepatic CCA, perihilar CCA, and distal (extrahepatic) CCA.

The work of the charity has always been based on three objectives: 1) raising awareness of CCA, this little known and poorly understood cancer; 2) providing information to those who need it through a variety of channels, including our UK and European websites, social media and our growing number of resources, many of which are in a variety of languages; and 3) in encouraging and supporting research. 

Long held perceptions that CCA is a cancer with a low incidence and is one which affects only the elderly, has meant that the growing numbers of those diagnosed with this cancer, many of whom are younger adults, have difficulty in accessing knowledgeable specialists, treatments and clinical trials in a timely manner – a scenario AMMF is working to address.

Available data did not support the CCA situation AMMF was and is seeing on a daily basis, so in 2018 the charity commissioned its own CCA data project, initially partnering with Public Health England (PHE) and latterly with Health Data Insight CIC (HDI).  This project has recently completed, resulting in 3 papers, one published, two accepted for publication, and confirms what AMMF has been seeing - that incidence is rising year on year, mortality parallels incidence, considerable number of younger adults are being diagnosed, and that over 50% of all diagnosed in England with CCA receive no cancer specific treatment at all.     

This work has led AMMF to launch the Rethink Liver Cancer campaign this month, October 2023, Liver Cancer Awareness Month, to disseminate the findings and to encourage better awareness of this challenging cancer and a fairer future for those diagnosed with it. 

Brief overview of the ACCEND programme and national importance.

Focus on the – Supportive & Assistive Workforce

• Career and education pathway.
• Education and training for the supportive and assistive workforce matched to ACCEND framework.
• Next steps and priority areas. 

Q&A Panel

Drinks Reception, Networking and End of Day