Centre for Trials Research At The Wales Cancer Research Conference 2024

In early March, several Centre for Trials Research (CTR) staff members attended the Wales Cancer Research Conference 2024 at the National Museum, Cardiff. The conference brought together cancer researchers and other stakeholders across Wales and beyond to showcase their research successes and foster new collaborations.

The conference included speaker sessions featuring CTR cancer trials. Dr. Magda Meissner discussed the QuicDNA study for lung cancer patients, while Dr. Sadie Jones addressed the PICCOS trial, investigating aerosolized chemotherapy for peritoneal cancer. Sarah Gwyne presented on radiotherapy trials, representing SCOPE1, SCOPE2, NEOSCOPE, SCALP, PATHOS, and PEARL.

Our representation also included four posters detailing the ABC-12, SCC-AFTER, VALTIVE, and AML18 trials.  Our CTR stand showcased our “Talking Trials” art project, which focused on improving public engagement and understanding of clinical trials, specifically targeting underrepresented communities. The stand also provided a focal point for networking with researchers involved in our ongoing research and potential new investigators with their own trial ideas.

The highlight of the conference was the keynote session by Dr. Eva Morris, a cancer epidemiologist at the University of Oxford. Dr. Morris explained her work in analysing routinely collected health data to understand variations in colorectal health outcomes across the NHS.  She also spoke of her ambitions for better linkage and accessibility of routine data sources in the UK to aid research into other diseases. The increased use of routine data aligns with the strategy of the cancer division and wider CTR, and the session provided valuable insights into what can be achieved through strong collaboration.

The conference proved to be a great opportunity for participating and networking, knowledge sharing and inspiring new cancer research goals.