Inaugural Meeting of Irish Neuroendocrine Neoplasm Group Held in TCD
Posted on: 13 November 2012
A group of Irish and international experts in the field of neuroendocrine cancer discussed advances in this field at a meeting hosted by Trinity College Dublin. Dr Susan O’Reilly, Director of the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) opened the meeting with an introductory talk on rarer cancers in Ireland stating that: “While these tumours are relatively rare in terms of incidence, the long natural history of these diseases ensures that their prevalence is quite high.”
The themes discussed focused on many of the diagnostics and therapeutics practices that are currently available in Ireland but also elaborated on areas where Ireland is falling slightly behind especially in terms of specialised nuclear medicine diagnostic and therapy tools.
Dr Dermot O’Toole, Consultant Gastroenterologist/Pancreatologist & Associate Professor St James’s Hospital & Trinity College Dublin; Dr Derek Power, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Mercy University Hospital, Cork; Ms Barbro Eriksson, Medical Oncologist, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden; Dr Susan O’Reilly, Director of National Cancer Control Programme; Mr Dan Granberg, Lead Uppsala NET Centre of Excellence, University Hospital, Uppsala and Justin Groghegan, Consultant Hepato-Bilairy Pancreatic Surgeon and Lead in National Pancreatic Cancer Centre, St Vincent’s University Hospital.
Commenting on the meeting, organiser and co-chair of the Scientific Committee, Dr Dermot O’Toole, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, TCD said: “This meeting afforded the opportunity for a diverse range of physicians and surgeons with an interest in this disease to come together for an educational day but the meeting also formed the backbone in paving the way for developing a recognised Irish Network to provide care for patients with this disease. There is a strong kernel of real experts in this country but concentrating efforts and resources is essential in forwarding a unified and NCCP-recognised structure essential in aligning practices according to recognised international standards.” Dr Donal O’Shea, Co-Chair of the Scientific Committee, consultant endocrinologist and clinical professor in UCD added that: “Creating a recognised group will harmonise practices and improve guidelines implementation and should allow Irish patients to participate in clinical trials, the latter being a benchmark of best clinical practices.”
An open patients’ forum dedicated to neuroendocrine tumours was held in Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute to coincide with World Neuroendocrine Cancer Day on November 10th. Dr Susan O’Reilly opened the session and a question and answer session involving patients and Irish and Swedish experts with an interest in neuroendocrine tumours led to a stimulating exchange between patients and carers. A formal Irish Neuroendocrine Patients Group was created. The meeting was sponsored by Ipsen, Novartis and Pfizer.