2021      The MASCC Survivorship Study Group is working on a follow-up to their article published in Supportive Care in Cancer 28(8): 3845-3488. Part 1 of this project includes a large overview of systematic reviews involving over 20 members within the Survivorship Group. Part 2 of the project will include development MASCC Guidance for the use of telemedicine in cancer survivorship. This work is particularly relevant for supportive care delivery and research in the post-COVID era.

2021     We’re excited to announce that our Survivorship Study Group is launching a new Subgroup in Exercise Oncology. Led by Prof Ray Chan and Dr Marg Fitch, the new Subgroup is already generating a lot of interest among members, with a number of intriguing research areas proposed. The group plans to initially focus on: 1) research on people with metastatic disease, 2) implementation science in exercise oncology, and 3) research on clinical outcomes through exercise for cancer survivors. Collaboration with other Study Groups will be a priority for the new Subgroup, including the Fatigue, Geriatrics, and Neurological Complications Study Groups, among others.

2021    The Survivorship and Palliative Care SGs called for expressions of interest late last year from early- to mid- career researchers to lead our new research efforts to advance survivorship care for people living with metastatic cancer. As a result of that process, two outstanding researchers - Drs Jasmine Yee and Nicolas Hart have been selected to be the inaugural recipients of the MASCC Terry Langbaum Survivorship Fellowship.

2020    Earlier this fall, the European Cancer Organisation launched the European Code of Cancer Practice (The Code), a patient-centered initiative which identifies 10 key patient rights that underpin the delivery of good clinical cancer practice. The Code was created to improve patient survival and quality of life. The rights signpost what all cancer patients should expect from their health system and addresses inequalities in access to optimal high-quality cancer treatment and care. The initiative also highlights the need for public information about cancer, survivorship support, integrated cancer research, and innovative access to optimal high-quality cancer treatment and care.

2020    MASCC’s Survivorship Study Group invites healthcare professionals involved in the care of cancer patients to share their experiences and perceptions regarding patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in a 10-minute online survey. The Study Group is investigating oncology practitioners' current strategies and experiences in applying PROs in clinical practice, performance measurement, and research. The aims are (1) to explore practitioners’ experiences and perceptions on the use of PROs in routine clinical care at the patient level and (2) to assess the value of PROs as a performance or quality-of-care indicator at the system level. This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Boards of Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Edith Cowan University, Western Australia.

2020   DEADLINE EXTENDED: MASCC’s Survivorship Study Group invites healthcare professionals involved in the care of cancer patients to share their experiences and perceptions regarding patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in a 10-minute online survey. The Study Group is investigating oncology practitioners' current strategies and experiences in applying PROs in clinical practice, performance measurement, and research. The aims are (1) to explore practitioners’ experiences and perceptions on the use of PROs in routine clinical care at the patient level and (2) to assess the value of PROs as a performance or quality-of-care indicator at the system level. This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Boards of Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Edith Cowan University, Western Australia.

If you are interested in participating, please follow this link for more information and the online survey by July 31, 2020: Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO) Data Collection in Routine Care: An International Survey of Oncology Practitioners.

2020    This month, we are sharing a recent article published by MASCC members in the MASCC journal Supportive Care in Cancer. With the rapidly changing and evolving practice in managing COVID-19, MASCC would like to share information on our members’ professional experiences amongst our community. If you are interested and able to share your professional experiences, advice and advancements during this time of international crisis, we will find a convenient time in your schedule for a brief 30-minute interview. Please contact Angela Perez today at [email protected].

2019    MASCC’s Survivorship Study Group invites healthcare professionals involved in the care of cancer patients to share their experiences and perceptions regarding patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in a 10-minute online survey. The Study Group is investigating oncology practitioners' current strategies and experiences in applying PROs in clinical practice, performance measurement, and research. The aims are (1) to explore practitioners’ experiences and perceptions on the use of PROs in routine clinical care at the patient level and (2) to assess the value of PROs as a performance or quality-of-care indicator at the system level. This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Boards of Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Edith Cowan University, Western Australia.
If you are interested in participating, please follow this link for more information and the online survey by July 31, 2020: Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO) Data Collection in Routine Care: An International Survey of Oncology Practitioners.

2017    MASCC members Paul Jacobsen (Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida) and Irma Verdonck-de Leeuw (VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) were among the many collaborators on a large-scale meta-analysis (Buffart et al., 2017) designed to evaluate the effects of exercise on quality of life and physical function in adult cancer patients.¹ The study also aimed to determine the extent to which demographic, clinical, exercise, and other intervention-related variables moderated the main effects. The analysis included 34 randomized controlled trials that involved more than 4,500 adult cancer patients and that evaluated the effects of exercise on quality of life and physical function. Exercise was found to significantly improve both quality of life and physical function. These effects were unaffected by differences in demographic, clinical, and exercise variables, such as age, sex, education level, marital status, BMI, cancer type, metastatic stage, and treatment. Also, exercise was equally effective during and following cancer treatment.

2015    It is well known that chemotherapy-induced symptoms, including peripheral neuropathy, often lead to the reduction or premature discontinuation of drug dosages in a large proportion of patients. This can mean that patients receive significantly less chemotherapy. The taxanes, paclitaxel and docetaxel, are one class of chemotherapeutic drugs with this effect.

2015    The year 2014 marked the 40th anniversary of the International Association of the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), a global organization that works to enhance the understanding of lung cancer among scientists, members of the medical community, and the public.* MASCC and IASLC frequently collaborate to address the challenges of lung cancer, its symptoms, including cough and breathlessness, and their management. The new MASCC Respiratory Study Group has identified breathlessness as its first priority for developing evidence-based guidelines.