2021     Dr Snežana Bošnjak, president of the Serbian Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (SASCC), recently published an informative article on supportive cancer care in Serbia as part of the Cancer in My Community blog series on Cancer.Net. Dr Bošnjak writes:

2021    The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to postpone the MASCC/ISOO 2020 Annual Meeting, and it has forced us to convert the 2021 Annual Meeting into a totally virtual event. The dates of the Annual meeting are unchanged (June 24-26, 2021), and each day will have a “live” program timed to specific time zones (i.e., Day 1 – British Summer Time; Day 2 – Eastern Daylight Time; Day 3 – Australian Central Standard Time). In addition, there will also be many more pre-recorded sessions (e.g., “parallel sessions”, “meet the expert sessions”), and all of the live / pre-recorded sessions will be accessible during and after the Annual Meeting. The e-poster sessions will now be e-video sessions (see below). Obviously, the social events will now be virtual, but we hope just as entertaining as in previous years!

2021    The recent first annual OncoAlert Colloquium featured the biggest findings and changes in clinical practice in 2020. Video presentations from the 5-day event are now available online and include the following sessions:

2020    The Russian Society of Supportive Care in Oncology (RASSC) recently held the Best of MASCC on October 9.  The conference, based in Moscow, was held online, and welcomed more than 500 attendees.  The international virtual event focused on issues in supportive cancer care including anemia, cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nutritional support, psychological and psychiatric care, preservation of fertility in young patients, and concomitant therapy in the era of COVID-19.

2020    On October 3 - 4, the Indian Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (IASCC) presented its 2nd Annual Meeting.  You can still view videos of speakers and meeting highlights (you will need to register for access to all materials – registration is FREE).  Abstract and video presentations are available.

2020    The World Health Organization designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. In honor of this celebration, MASCC members are invited to join a virtual event, “The Global Power of Oncology Nursing (GPON)” on Tuesday November 17. The conference will showcase the positive impact nurses are making on the growing burden of cancer in low- and middle-income countries. To register, click here.

2020    For the first time in Russia, the Russian Society of Supportive Care in Oncology (RASSC) and MASCC will hold the annual Best of MASCC International Conference on October 9 in Moscow (via online broadcast). 

2020    The annual 2020 Sloan Kettering Management of Treatment-Related Adverse Events Symposium will be held from Friday, October 23 - Saturday, October 24. The course will be a virtual event this year instead of being held at its past location, Rockefeller Research Laboratories, New York, NY.

2020    The second Annual Meeting of the Indian Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (IASCC), an affiliate of MASCC, will be held virtually on October 3 – 4.

2020    MASCC proudly participated in the Japanese Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (JASCC) 5th Annual Meeting held in August.  Originally planned for Kyoto, the meeting was held virtually due to COVID-19.  The meeting included a novel hybrid of both pre-recorded and live sessions. The theme of the meeting was “Diversity, Dialogue and Altruism,” and included the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Japan Psycho-Oncology Society (JPOS) and the 25th Congress of the Japanese Society for Palliative Medicine (JSPM).

2020    MASCC will take part in the 2020 Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the European Nursing Society (EONS), which is being held virtually this year . Don't miss this joint session on 10/17: Established and new treatments, old and new toxicities (in collaboration with MASCC), with chairs, Karin Jordan, MD, of Heidelberg, Germany, and Florian Scotté, MD, PhD, of Villejuif, France. The ESMO session (with MASCC member speakers) will include:

2020    RESERVE YOUR PLACE  -  MASCC is offering a FREE webinar, “Supportive care in cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.” A panel of MASCC experts will lead a virtual discussion on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacts cancer patients and how healthcare professionals can support them during the pandemic. Topics will include next steps after the crisis is resolved; precautions to take in the months ahead with a potential second wave; and impacts on oncology research including ongoing and planned clinical trials.

2020    During the time of COVID-19 and worldwide quarantines, both patients and healthcare professionals are actively searching out online webinars and workshops more than ever before.  CancerCare provides free educational programs to help patients and their loved ones understand their diagnosis, treatment options, quality-of-life concerns, and other important topics. The Connect Education Workshops (TEWs) are free one-hour conference calls presented by cancer experts from around the country. TEWs are an easy way to learn about cancer-related issues from the convenience of home.  Participants can listen in to live workshops by phone or via live streaming on the CancerCare website. Participation is free, and no phone charges apply. Pre-registration is required. Every year, CancerCare produces more than 50 workshops that reach more than 45,000 people.  To register or learn more about upcoming workshops, click here.

The Oncology Nursing Society has offered MASCC two complimentary registrations to its 2020 Annual Congress, to be held April 29-May 3 in San Antonio, Texas. First come, first served. Please email Melissa Chin at [email protected] by March 20 if you are interested.

2020    A Report on the 21st Brazilian Congress of Clinical Oncology

The Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology (Sociedade Brasileira de Oncologia Clínica, SBOC) hosted the 21st Brazilian Congress of Clinical Oncology (Congresso Brasileiro de Oncologia Clinica) on October 23-26, 2019 in Rio de Janeiro in partnership with the Brazilian Society of Oncological Surgery and the Brazilian Society of Radiotherapy. The Congress, directed by Sérgio Simon, MD, PhD, President of SBOC, and Rachel Riechelmann, MD, President of the Scientific Committee, also incorporated the 20th Congress of the Brazilian Society of Oncology Nursing and the 6th International Symposium on Psycho-Oncology, Pre-Congress Courses on Oncogenetics and Immunotherapy, and several other courses (e.g., on legal issues, oncological dentistry, and ocular oncology, among others). The focus of the 2019 Congress was multidisciplinarity, a key element in the success of any cancer treatment and one that increases favorable patient outcomes — in terms of both health and quality of life. The event included dozens of speakers representing numerous specialties. Presentations addressed major advances in the systemic treatment of each tumor type, with modules led by renowned experts.

2020    The 3rd International Symposium on Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (MRONJ) was held on November 14-15, 2019 in Copenhagen, Denmark and was attended primarily by dentists and oral surgeons with an interest in MRONJ.

Chaired by Morten Schiødt, DDS, Dr.Odont (Denmark), the Symposium featured a faculty of 13 widely recognized European experts in MRONJ, who provided updates on recent research in the areas of classification, clinical manifestations, imaging, treatment, and prevention. The speakers included MASCC and ISOO members Bente Brokstad Herlofson, DDS, PhD (Norway) and Ourania Nicolatou-Galitis, DDS, MSc, DrDent (Greece).

2020    The National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) hosted the inaugural Best of MASCC Singapore meeting on November 30, 2019, with the theme of “Supporting Cancer Patients and Survivors.” MASCC Board member Alex Chan, PharmD, MPH, FCCP, BCPS, BCOP, played a key role in organizing this event, the goal of which was to increase awareness of supportive and survivorship care and to advance supportive care practices in Singapore. Raymond Chan, PhD, MAppSc, BNurs, RN, MCNSA, Chair of MASCC’s Survivorship Study Group, delivered the Keynote Address on "Survivorship Issues across the Age Continuum.” Dr. Chan is Chair of Cancer Nursing, Queensland University of Technology and Princess Alexandra Hospital.

2020    The Sapporo Conference for Palliative and Supportive Care in Cancer will be held on August 21-22, 2020 in Sapporo, Japan. The meeting will feature a symposium on opioids and cancer pain, as well as sessions focusing on the integration of oncology and palliative care, spiritual issues in palliative care, and psycho-oncology. Among the featured speakers are MASCC members Eduardo Bruera, MD, FAAHPM, Marvin Delgado-Guay, MD, Betty Ferrell, RN, PhD, MA, FAAN, FPCN, Thomas W. LeBlanc, MD, MA, MHS, FAAHPM, and Takao Takahashi, MD, PhD. The deadline for abstract submission is January 23, 2020. For more information, see Sapporo Conference for Palliative and Supportive Care in Cancer.

2019    2019 Annual Meeting of the Japanese Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (JASCC), September 2019, Aomori, Japan
The 4th Annual Meeting of JASCC was held on September 6th and 7th in Aomori, Japan, and was attended by more than 1,000 delegates, including medical and surgical oncologists, radiologists, dentists, pharmacists, physical therapists, nurses, patients, and industry representatives. The meeting was preceded by a presentation for Board members and Councillors on the Medical Information Network Distribution System (MINDS), a method of guideline development.

The second Best of MASCC India meeting, hosted by the Indian Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (IASCC), was held September 14-15 at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai and included more than 130 attendees. IASCC, a subdivision of Nag Foundation, a public charitable trust in Pune, Maharashtra, India, became a MASCC affiliate in May 2019. The meeting was organized by IASCC President Dinesh C. Doval, MD, DM, and Vice-Presidents Sudeep Gupta, MD, DM, and Shona Nag, MD, along with organizing secretaries Vikas Ostwal, MD, DM, Anant Ramaswamy, MD, DM, and Anant Gokam, MD, DM.