Topic 1:

Will We Ever Cure Cancer? — The Promise and Perils of Cancer Immunotherapy

 Speaker: Dr Amit Jain

Cancer immunotherapy is now a mainstream cancer therapeutic option with several checkpoint inhibitors approved, while the whole field has experienced somewhat of a renaissance. While the demonstration of durable remissions in patients with incurable cancers has been unprecedented, the actual percentage of patients who respond both in clinical trials and real world context has been somewhat disappointingly low. Nevertheless, a new breadth and depth of pre-clinical and clinical research has uncovered a more comprehensive understanding of the interaction between the immune system and cancer. Briefly, genomic characterisation of cancer has led to the ability to define targetable neoantigens, and to interrogate for cancer specific immune cells. Therapeutic strategies now include immune checkpoint inhibitors, as well as cell therapies, peptide and nucleic acid vaccines, oncolytic viruses, as well as bispecific antibodies. Finally, the field is actively pursuing the use of combinatorial strategies where conventional anti-cancer therapies namely radiation, chemotherapy, and small molecule inhibitors are being used synergistically with immunotherapy. The speaker will summarise key concepts within the field as well as highlight these promising new emerging strategies in the field using lung cancer as a context.

Topic 2:

Clinical Cancer Genetics: Truth or Consequences

 Speaker: Dr Joanne Ngeow

From the vantage point of 2016, it is difficult to imagine a time when cancer was not widely accepted as a genetic disease, in the most basic sense of being caused by alterations in the structure and function of genes. Indeed, it was not until the second half of the 20th century that the heritable nature of common cancers started to be widely accepted. Currently, over 400 hereditary cancer susceptibility syndromes have been described, the majority of which are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Although many of these are rare syndromes, they are thought to account for at least 5–10% of all cancer, amounting to a substantial burden of morbidity and mortality in the human population. Taking breast cancer as an example, in addition to BRCA1 and BRCA 2, we now know of various other genes conferring an increased risk of female breast cancer involved in hereditary cancer syndromes include PTEN, TP53, STK11, CDH1, NF1 and many others associated with moderate risks of developing breast cancer. We will review and update on the latest developments and challenges in the management of hereditary cancers in Singapore.



Topic 3: 

Lung Cancer: From Bench to Bedside

 Speaker: Dr Daniel Tan

Lung cancer is a heterogeneous disease. In the last decade, substantial progress has been made in defining molecularly distinct patient subsets, opening new therapeutic opportunities through a deeper understanding of the unique biology of each group. As a result, there have been significant changes in diagnostic and clinical management paradigms, requiring enhanced inter-disciplinary interaction to optimise patient care. The integration of molecular profiling into clinical care has provided the backdrop for accelerated drug development and rapidly evolving treatment standards; and I will highlight how local research efforts are poised to address contemporary challenges in precision oncology.

Topic 4:

Advances in Systemic Therapy in Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer