Chairman’s Report

At a glance

Chairman’s Report

I am honoured once again to provide this report on behalf of the ANZUP Board, and to share with you the progress made by ANZUP over the last year .

ANZUP was established in 2008 to bring together clinicians and researchers of all disciplines involved in clinical care and research for all types of genitourinary cancers; together with community representatives affected by these cancers, or caring for those affected by them . Our vision is simple in concept: we want to minimise the effects of these cancers on the community and to improve the survival and the quality of life for the people these cancers impact . This vision is straightforward to state, but it is aspirational and complex to achieve . We will do so through ANZUP’s mission: to conduct and promote cooperative clinical trials and psychosocial research in these cancers .

Our work requires a deep understanding of these cancers and the effects they and their treatments have; constant learning and surveillance, to understand the science and new treatments and technologies becoming available; performing clinical trials that are carefully and rationally designed to be impactful and to influence health care practice and policy; and to engage various professional disciplines as we do so . We also need to build systems and processes to support our work; ensure that the importance of research continues to be emphasised in the minds of clinicians and those for whom they care; grow opportunities for research, involving new institutions, regions, populations, and researchers; ensure that our trials provide maximum value, but designing translational, psychosocial, and other research questions linked to them; and train those who will continue ANZUP’s work into the future .

ANZUP is designed to ensure it is representative, and to maximise opportunities. The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) is comprised of representatives from clinical and scientific disciplines relevant to our work, and its composition ensures that all voices can be heard . Its subcommittees (Prostate; Bladder Urothelial Penile; Renal; Germ Cell) allow in-depth thinking about the specific diseases within our remit, and our non-disease-specific subcommittees (Quality of Life and Supportive Care; Translational Research) ensure that other key questions are considered and included in research design . The SAC was expanded this year to include nuclear medicine representation, and is in the process of establishing an imaging working group .

The ANZUP Consumer Advisory Panel is involved at all levels of the organisation . CAP members have all been affected by genitourinary cancers in some ways, and freely and cheerfully donate their wealth of experience and personal expertise to ANZUP . CAP members attend committee meetings, workshops, our scientific meetings, and provide input and guidance to the SAC and to the Board . CAP members are frequently investigators on grant applications, and key members of trial management committees . The CAP is also integrally involved in decision-making regarding funding allocations for the Below the Belt Research Fund; the importance of their input in these processes is reflected in the fact that their opinion weights the scores given by other reviewers, rather than being one vote amongst several . This ensures that our research priorities align with the input from our community representatives .

ANZUP is overseen by a Board comprising directors elected from the ANZUP membership, and appointed directors who bring specific areas of expertise to enable the company to run effectively . The Board is served by a Governance subcommittee, a Finance and Audit subcommittee, and a Fundraising and Partnerships subcommittee .

The Board undertook an external review during 2021, which identified that overall the Board was performing very well but there were some points where our documentation and processes could be improved . The Board devoted several meetings to review these findings and to set up systems to implement the recommendations . The Board has also recognised that it is timely to review and refresh the ANZUP Constitution for this year’s Annual General Meeting .

I am deeply grateful to my fellow Board directors, all of whom are extraordinarily generous with the time and expertise that they donate to ANZUP . We are very fortunate to have such a capable and well-functioning Board . I would particularly like to express my gratitude to two former directors . Linda Martin was appointed to the Board in late 2010 and stepped down

at the end of 2021 . We are very grateful to Linda for her many outstanding contributions over so many years . The Board is currently reviewing its needs with a view to identifying a new appointed director during 2022 . Professor Pam Russell AM was one of ANZUP’s inaugural directors and was instrumental in making ANZUP what it is today . Pam stepped down as Board director in early 2010 but remained a staunch supporter of ANZUP and an active member of the Scientific Advisory Committee . Pam died in early 2022 and the debt of gratitude owed to her by ANZUP and by the community of prostate cancer researchers can never be paid . We miss her wit and wisdom, and we are deeply thankful that we were able to have her in our lives .

The Board has refreshed the ANZUP Strategic Plan, with the aid of an external facilitator and in consultation with key stakeholders including the Consumer Advisory Panel, others in ANZUP leadership positions, and with input from early career researchers and international advisors . Our strategy now revolves around the following strategic goals:

1 . Conduct high quality, multidisciplinary, practice-changing clinical trials in urogenital cancers . This will require an ongoing pipeline of ideas, best practice trial design and trial management systems, active engagement of various disciplines, and outcomes designed to influence clinical practice .

2 . Maintain a portfolio of trials relevant to and accessible by all people with urogenital trials in Australia and New Zealand .

This implies that we will aim to have trials for all of the diseases within our remit; actively engage and find new ways to support New Zealand participation; and ensure that our systems maximise the opportunities for all communities to be involved, particularly under-resourced and under-served populations .

3 . Strengthen ANZUP’s capacity for practice-changing clinical trials . This goal will be challenging, as it will involve building capability and capacity amongst our membership to design and lead trials; and to build internal capacity and productive external collaborations to allow us to perform the trials . The goal of research that positively influences outcomes and clinical practice will be paramount as we consider and prioritise research questions .

4 . Forward plan to maintain a vibrant and active urogenital cancer trials community . This goal encompasses training, mentorship, provision of resources, engagement of new sites, and facilitation of community input, with effective communication to all stakeholders . It will also require long term planning to cover the necessary financial and other resource requirements .

5 . Provide leadership in collaborative cancer clinical trials . This reflects ANZUP’s growing national and international influence in the genitourinary clinical research community; and continuing to develop and grow productive links with other groups performing complementary work . ANZUP is now a teenager but already shows maturity and accomplishments far beyond its years . Our robust governance, management, and financial systems have enabled us to survive and thrive despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic . We have grown our trial portfolio across disease types . We have continued our fundraising efforts to support ANZUP’s Below the Belt Research Fund, and I am pleased and proud to report that the Board has continued its commitment to reinvest all funds raised into research initiatives . In addition, the Board has provided additional substantial discretionary funding to several projects, allowing trials to begin that otherwise would not have been able to proceed . The Board has been able to make these commitments due to its careful financial management and investment strategy, including ethical investments through Perpetual .

This year has also seen several other highlights . Our TheraP trial was featured as an oral presentation at the ASCO Genitourinary Cancers symposium in February 2022, and was nominated for the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance Trial of the Year and other awards . The ENZAMET study reached its planned 470 event milestone and a further analysis will be presented at ASCO in June with an oral presentation . The RAMPART study finally opened in Australia after more than 10 years of planning, and immediately began recruiting well . Our virtual Annual Scientific Meeting was very well attended and led to a favourable financial result, which will enable still more initiatives. Planning for the 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting in Adelaide is well advanced . Concept Development Workshops were planned for the first part of 2022 for all subcommittees. We are fortunate and grateful that our sponsors and corporate supporters have for the most part continued or even grown their support for ANZUP .

ANZUP continues to be served brilliantly by our CEO Margaret McJannett and her team . They have continued to work hard and very effectively even during these challenging times, and provide seamless support for the very many activities that ANZUP undertakes . I cannot adequately express my thanks and gratitude to Marg and to all the ANZUP staff . Similarly, ANZUP can only do what it does because its members continue to donate their time and expertise . Our success is a testament to the selflessness and extraordinary generosity of so many people . I can only say thank you, which seems nowhere near enough .

Once again ANZUP completes its financial year having thrived, grown, and meeting more of its goals . Every day we come closer to achieving our vision although we know that there will always be more work to do . We have come a long way as we enter our teenage years; we know the best is yet to come .

I commend to you this 2021-2022 Annual Report of ANZUP Cancer Trials Group .

Ian Davis Director and Chair of the ANZUP Board