Rolling with Sarah

So, I’ll be the first to admit I am new to conferences, but in my eyes the Canadian Cancer Research Conference did a pretty good job. It started bright and early with registration at 6:30am and the opening ceremony introducing the conference at 7:45. Then there was a short break. During this break there were wonderful Métis dancers who performed traditional dances. Overall, the conference had a very strong Indigenous presence with storytelling circles, dances, land acknowledgments and other interesting culture.

Next up was the first plenary on the Immune System and Cancer: What’s on the Horizon. Very interesting to see where the research is going. Lunch was to follow. They had a great selection of sandwiches and sides to choose from. A little something for everyone, including my vegetarian mother. When we were done eating, we had time to look at the many posters displayed in the Exhibition Hall portraying all of the different topics and seminars in detail. So much groundbreaking research!

The afternoon was the start of the concurrent series. My research team was presenting at the one entitled Pediatric Cancer: Across the Patient Journey.  Not only was I able to support my team but I also got to hear about other interesting pediatric initiatives. The next session I chose to go to was on blood cancers. Not going to lie, this one was a little over my head as it dealt with very specific molecules and proteins a little beyond my understanding.

That night the team met up for dinner at a little restaurant called Barbarella. It was an Italian restaurant about a 7-minute walk from the hotel. The food was delicious! I had these Tuscan fires that were so good! Loaded with truffle and parmesan, yum! It was nice to get to know members of the team whom I hadn’t met as well as get to know those I had on a more personal level. We talked about everything from the lab to cooking shows. By the time we wrapped up I wasn’t too long for bed as it had been a long day and I wanted to be ready for the next.

The Monday started out a little later at 8:00am. Once again it commenced with a plenary. This one was on Big Data in Cancer Research: Too Big to Fail? Very interesting on where the numbers are leading us. Once again there was a break to follow. I should mention that between every session there was always much needed coffee available. During this break there were also scrumptious muffins up for grabs. They were moist, fluffy, and tasty. Every variety you could think of.

The first breakout session for day 2 was Patient Experience. It was intriguing to see research in the eyes of patients and how everyone has a different experience. Lunch was pasta and we took advantage of the break to head back to the hotel room to recharge. I still have trouble with my stamina some days and was powering through but needed the rest to continue.

The next session we attended was called Cross-Pillar: Cancer Research Across the Lifespan. The topics ranged from debating the ethics of newborn genetic testing to later in life care, all quite fascinating. After a quick coffee break we went right into the next session From Risk Assessment, Screening and Surveillance to Survivorship. It focused on the need for more screening for those at risk to follow ups to prevent or detect relapse early.

The final session was a lightning round entitled Survivorship. Each presenter had 5 minutes to give on overview of their topic. They ranged from exercise and the correlation of survivorship to life as a cancer survivor.

And that was the conference for me! They did have a plenary the next day called Metabolic Health and Cancer, but we had an early flight home so we missed it. All and all I had a great time at the conference. I learned a lot. My key takeaway was that cancer research is headed towards more precision care. Instead of firing everything they have at you for your type of cancer, protocols will be more personalized to your specific cancer. Treatments can be more targeted to exact proteins present and you will only receive drugs that are best suited for you. Therapies will be geared towards the individual, not the diagnosis. This is very in line with the research I am involved in as a person with lived experience at Berman Labs. As we all know, treatment is not easy so eliminating anything unnecessary is an amazing step forward. Less side effects, more results and hopefully more survivors. I can’t wait for my next learning opportunity!