ANZSA Newsletter - July 2024

Message from the CEO of ANZSA

It’s hard to believe we are already halfway through the year! Already, we have seen many outstanding achievements in advancing sarcoma research and awareness in the greater community.

We had a huge breakthrough with the SARC032 clinical trial results being featured at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Chicago. Congratulations to all involved in the study – what an achievement!

Registrations are now open for our 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting in Brisbane. I hope to see many of you there in person. We’re also hosting our first Sarcoma Community Connection forum. Led by our Consumer Advisory Panel, it promises to be a rewarding day for any patients, carers and survivors affected by sarcoma.

Thank you for your ongoing support of ANZSA in 2024 as our team focuses on delivering high-quality sarcoma research and clinical trials by working closely with our clinicians, researchers, and consumers.

Sarcoma Awareness Month

Join us this July as we raise awareness for one of Australia's rarest cancers!

This July, ANZSA is spotlighting the importance of ongoing research, funding, and clinical trials to advance patient outcomes in the fight against sarcoma.

Research fuels the discovery of treatments, funding provides the necessary resources to carry out this critical research, and clinical trials offer the platform to evaluate and refine these treatments in real-world settings.

Following on from the success of last year’s campaign, we have once again partnered with Brisbane-based agency MediaCast to put together a media portfolio for the month. Already, we have featured in televised interviews, radio interviews and traditional print articles. Keep an eye out for any ANZSA features in the media for the rest of July!

Sarcoma Awareness Month Webinars

ANZSA has partnered with the VCCC Alliance to provide two informative lunch-time webinars focusing on sarcoma treatment and research. 

These webinars are open to all who wish to attend, with more details about each webinar and registration links found below. 

Webinar 1: The Role of Genetics in Sarcoma

In this webinar, leading experts in sarcoma, pathology and familial genetics provide an overview of the role of genetics in sarcoma. Join us to gain valuable insight on the utility of genetic testing in sarcoma management.

Thank you to all of those who attended the first webinar we had over 100 people join. And for those who couldn't make and don't want to miss out the VCCC will release the recording of the webinar shortly.

Webinar 2: A Deep Dive into Desmoid Tumours

Join us as we hear from sarcoma experts and explore the complexities surrounding management of Desmoid Tumours – a noncancerous growth occurring in connective tissues. Gain a deep understanding of the multidisciplinary approaches to management of desmoid tumours.

When: Thursday July 25th, 1pm - 2pm AEST

Speakers:

• A/Prof. Jeremy Lewin (Chair, Medical Oncologist)
• Dr. Susie Bae (Medical Oncologist)
• Dr. Julie Chu (Radiation Oncologist)
• A/Prof. David Gyorki (Surgical Oncologist)

Register here

Sarcoma Awareness Month update

Seen Sarcoma in the news a lot recently? That’s because July is Sarcoma Awareness Month.

We’re just over half way through and have already seen some great coverage in media across Australia and New Zealand as part of our promotional push.

Thanks to our fantastic spokespersons and great network of researchers and medical professionals, we’ve landed top tier print and digital coverage on 9Honey, Stuff NZ, Daily Mail, 7 News Channel 7 Melbourne, Channel 9 Brisbane and ABC News.

We'd like to extend a huge thank you to all people with a sarcoma story and spokespeople for generously donating their time to be a part of making this project as successful as possible.

At ANZSA every month is Sarcoma Awareness month. We need your help to keep the momentum going.

Do you have a sarcoma story to tell? Email contact@sarcoma.org.au and a member of our Team will be in touch.

Annual Scientific Meeting 2024 Open

Registrations are now open for the 2024 ANZSA Annual Scientific Meeting!

This years' meeting will feature both in-person and online attendance for all who wish to attend. Our 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting will run alongside the 22nd International Society of Limb Salvage General Meeting 2024, which will be held on the 8th - 11th October 2024. This year, we are excited to have paediatric oncologist Dr. Nathalie Gaspar joining us from France.

Event Details:

When: Thursday 10th - Friday 11th of October 2024

Venue: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Merivale St, South Brisbane QLD 4101

This is a chance to hear from researchers and sarcoma specialists - from Australia and New Zealand as well as from around the world - about the most up-to-date multidisciplinary research in the sarcoma field.

Register now to secure your spot today!

REGISTER HERE FOR THE 2024 ANZSA ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING

Abstract Submissions

Submissions for abstracts and posters for the ANZSA 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting have now opened!

Abstract/Poster submissions must be received electronically via the online form by midnight (AEST) on Monday the 29th July 2024 and must include a declaration of interest.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT

Sarcoma Community Connection

Join us at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre this year for the first ever ANZSA Sarcoma Community Connection - connecting patients, carers and survivors affected by sarcoma from across Australia and New Zealand.

Led by the ANZSA Consumer Advisory Panel, the event will feature insights from esteemed sarcoma professionals on the latest advancements in treatment and research. Additionally, patient experience talks and workshops will provide practical tools and support for navigating the sarcoma journey.  

We invite you to join us for this event, providing an opportunity to connect with others and forge meaningful relationships within the community.

Event Details:

When: Thursday, October 10th 9am - 12pm

Where: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Merivale St, South Brisbane QLD 4101

In-person attendance only

A small registration fee is required to attend the event. Proceeds from ticket purchases go directly towards sarcoma research. Registration fee is included in ticket price for anyone who is also attending the 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting.

If you wish to attend both our Annual Scientific Meeting and our Community Connection Forum, please contact us at contact@sarcoma.org.au so we can register your attendance for both events.

A program will be made available shortly. We look forward to seeing you in Brisbane at our first forum!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO REGISTER

Country Footy day for Sarcoma Research

Run by ANZSA Ambassador Kyle Gemmill from the KBLegacy Foundation , the local football game was hosted to raise awareness for sarcoma and the work that we do to support sarcoma patients.

A big thank you to Kyle for organising the day and inviting us to raise awareness for sarcoma, our organisation, and our current work! We are looking forward to working with Kyle again soon.

Research Grants

Congratulations to our two outstanding Sarcoma Research Grant recipients. These grants are for direct research costs to improve early detection and therapy for sarcoma, supporting the best-emerging sarcoma research in Australia and New Zealand. Congratulations to the following:

Dr Rosemary Habib (Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre and Westmead Institute for Medical Research)
The antigenic profiling of Liposarcoma and Leiomyosarcoma for the development of CAR-T cell therapies.

Dr Joseph Yunis (University of Queensland)
Evaluating vaccine efficacy in a preclinical humanised mouse model for paediatric sarcoma

Professor Gelareh Farshid (SA Pathology, Royal Adelaide Hospital)
A Prospective Cohort Study of Percutaneous Needle Biopsy, Morphologic and Molecular Evaluation of Uterine Tumours with Imaging Features of Concern for Sarcoma. (GYNSarc)

Thank you to our donors

ANZSA would like to thank all of our generous donors for their significant contributions and donations towards sarcoma research this year. We rely heavily on these donations to continue our work and we cannot be more grateful for the support we have received so far. Every dollar helps and is invested in high-quality sarcoma research to find a cure and improve outcomes.

Should you have any questions in regards to the content of this newsletter, please reach out to us at contact@sarcoma.org.au.