28-30 JUNE • VIENNA, AUSTRIA • #MASCC18
The 2018 MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting in Vienna, Austria included an exciting program of presentations, workshops, and discussions on treatments and techniques for minimizing the symptoms and side effects of cancer and its treatments. As always, the meeting also included a diverse array of presentations on the psychological, social, economic, and spiritual dimensions of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Program Chair Rachel Gibson welcomed 1,254 delegates, representing 61 countries, and this number includes 122 new MASCC members.
The meeting featured three plenary sessions and 26 parallel sessions. Other events included five pre-conference Study Group Workshops with 219 participants, E-poster presentations, a New Members Reception, an Awards Ceremony, and the Presidential Dinner and MASCCuerade Ball — affording numerous opportunities to meet colleagues from around the world.
Award & Scholarship Recipients
MASCC Distinguished Service Award: Charles Loprinzi, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, New York, USA
Charles L. Loprinzi, MD, is the recipient of MASCC’s 2018 Distinguished Service Award. The DSA, MASCC’s highest honor, is made in recognition of meritorious achievement and outstanding contributions to the society. Candidates are nominated by their peers in recognition of exemplary leadership and accomplishments in support of MASCC’s mission and goals. Charles is a Professor of Oncology in the Department of Medical Oncology and the Regis Professor of Breast Cancer Research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. He is also an Emeritus Chair of the Division of Medical Oncology, Emeritus Vice-Chair of the Department of Oncology, and a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Steven M. Grunberg Memorial Award – Carryn Anderson, USA
Carryn Anderson, MD, was awarded the Steven M. Grunberg Memorial Award for her research on reducing chemoradiotherapy-induced severe oral mucositis in patients with oral cavity or oropharyngeal carcinoma. The Steven M. Grunberg Memorial Award is reserved for the author of the highest-ranking abstract submitted to the Annual Meeting and rewards demonstrated excellence in supportive care in cancer. Anderson’s winning abstract is titled “GC4419, Small Molecule Superoxide Dismutase Mimetic: Randomized Trial to Reduce Chemoradiotherapy-Induced Mucositis in Oral Cavity/Oropharyngeal Carcinoma Patients.” read more
Young Investigator Awards
Outstanding Young Investigator — Chia Jie Tan, Singapore
Chia Jie Tan has been recognized as this year’s Outstanding Young Investigator for his research on the association between a brain-derived neurotrophic factor single nucleotide polymorphism and cognitive function following chemotherapy. Tan’s award-winning abstract is titled “Protective Effect of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Genetic Polymorphism (RS6265) Against Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Decline in Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients: A Validation Study.”
Young Investigators Award Winners
Salome Adam (Switzerland), Lawson Eng (Canada), Daisuke Makiura (Japan), Vladimir Poroch (Romania), Venkatraman Radhakrishnan (India), Jolien Robijns (Belgium), Alexandra Rzepecki (USA), Yi Long Toh (Singapore), Canhua Xiao (USA).
Travel Scholarship Award Winners
Travel scholarships are awarded to applicants from developing countries to help cover travel expenses to attend the MASCC Annual Meeting. This year’s recipients were Jerickson Abbie Flores (Philippines), Maria Fidelis Manalo (Philippines), Seema Mishra (India), and Tatiana Nikitina (Russia).
Cynthia N. Rittenberg Travel Scholarship Winner
From among the Travel Scholarship applicants, the highest-ranking nurse applicant is awarded the Cynthia N. Rittenberg Travel Scholarship. This year, the award went to Paulina Ackley Akpan-IdioK, PhD, of Nigeria, for her abstract titled “Influence of Supportive Intervention on Caregiving Burden among Cancer Caregivers in Two Selected Primary Health Centres in Odukpani, Cross River State, Nigeria.”
Fatigue Study Group Outstanding Trainee Research Award and Outstanding Junior Faculty Research Award
Each year, the Fatigue Study Group selects two outstanding young investigators from among the fatigue-related research abstracts submitted to the meeting. This year, Julia Inglis, PhD, of the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York, was awarded the Fatigue Study Group’s Outstanding Trainee Research Award for her abstract titled “A Longitudinal Assessment to Evaluate the Impact of Higher Body Mass Index on Cancer-Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.” Carlos Fernandez, MD, of the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania, USA received the Fatigue Study Groups Outstanding Junior Faculty Research Award for his abstract titled “Cancer-Related Fatigue: Perception of Effort or Task Failure?”
Fatigue Study Group Distinguished Scientific Laureate
This year, the Fatigue Study Group honored Karin Olson, PhD, of the University of Alberta, with the award of Distinguished Scientific Laureate for her research career in supportive care and her contributions to MASCC and to the Fatigue Study Group.
Rehabilitation, Survivorship, and Quality of Life Study Group Awards
This year, the Rehabilitation, Survivorship, and Quality of Life Study Group conferred three awards for outstanding research. The Best Abstract Award 2018 (Junior Faculty Member) was presented to two Study Group members: Jacqui Frowen, PhD, of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia for her abstract titled “Prevalence of Patient-Reported Dysphagia and Oral Complications in Cancer Patients: An Australian Study” and Micah Peters, PhD, of the University of South Australia, Adelaide, for his abstract titled “Cancer Care Experiences and Unmet Needs of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual People with Cancer: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Evidence.” The Study Group also recognized Xiaotao Zhang, MD, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, USA with the Best Abstract Award 2018 (Trainee) for his abstract titled “Malnutrition and Overall Survival in Older Patients with Cancer.”
