British Gynaecological Cancer Society (BGCS) Annual Scientific Meeting

By Joanna Porter, Research Technician

With the help of funding from the IGC Technician Training Fund, I attended the British Gynaecological Cancer Society (BGCS) Annual Scientific Meeting in London this month (July). BGCS brings together academics, clinicians and surgeons to discuss key challenges in gynaecological cancer treatment and research, prioritising the improvement of patient care and outcomes.

The theme of this year’s meeting was ‘Improving precision in cancer care and prevention’, which is extremely relevant to my work in Professor Charlie Gourley’s research group, where I lead two projects investigating therapeutic opportunities across several subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer.

At the meeting, I learned more about some of the exciting research taking place in the UK and across the world, as well as novel technology and techniques currently being developed to enhance research, such as modelling the tumour microenvironment in vitro, ovarian cancer vaccine development, and identifying biomarkers of tumourigenesis.

The meeting also highlighted the increasing geopolitical impact on global health and cancer care, particularly in areas of conflict, and presentations from a patient advocate and Ovarian Cancer Action charity gave eye-opening insights into living with cancer.

Updates on ongoing clinical trials were also of particular interest, including the final overall survival results of the MIRASOL trial of antibody drug conjugate mirvetuximab soravtansine for chemotherapy-resistant high grade serous ovarian cancer patients. This trial is directly linked to my current research characterising antibody drug conjugate targets in ovarian cancer subtypes, which was selected for poster presentation at BGCS.

Many thanks to the Technician Training Fund Committee, MRC, and HGU for facilitating this opportunity.

The next deadline for applications is 11 November, with a decision made by 4 December. Out-of-cycle applications may also be considered.

For more information and to apply, visit: https://uoe.sharepoint.com/sites/collegemvm/medicalschool/igc/SitePages/Technician-Training-Fund.aspx.