UPDATES FROM SAC AND SUBCOMMITTEES SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SAC) The ANZUP Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) had hoped to meet face to face at the ASM in July. Of course that could not happen in 2020 and the July and November meetings proceeded by Zoom videoconference. The SAC is designed to be multidisciplinary, and one of its strengths (and challenges) is to bring together the expertise, experience, ideas, and creativity of its diverse membership. The SAC spends much less of its time reviewing the conduct of individual trials, and much more thinking about strategic development, scientific direction, improving processes, engagement of our members, and building productive external links. Our members are also key to ANZUP’s ability to communicate with its stakeholders and other groups with complementary interests to our own. The SAC is informed and guided by input from its subcommittees: Bladder / Urothelial / Penile (BUP), Germ Cell, Prostate, Renal, Translational, and Quality of Life and Supportive Care. Membership of these committees is open to any interested ANZUP member.
If you are not a member and wish to be, please let us know and we will add you. You can contribute at any level you like, ranging from active involvement in the committee functions and trial management / leadership, through to simple interest and receipt of the minutes. My hope is that every interested person feels that they are able and welcome to engage in these processes at whatever level you wish. These committees are the “engine room” of ANZUP and we want and need your ideas and energy. Thanks as always to the members of the SAC, its subcommittees, the Consumer Advisory Panel, and the Board for its support. IAN DAVIS Chair, Scientific Advisory Committee
IAN DAVIS
BLADDER, UROTHELIAL AND PENILE CANCER (BUP) As the year has progressed and we have adjusted to life with COVID-19, our trials have continued to recruit. Below we provide an update on developments from the past two quarters, as well as current activity and any challenges and barriers we need to work to overcome. Highlights include:
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Current Trials BCG+MM •
Recruitment is now approaching 300 patients of a planned 500. To assist with recruitment, we are aiming to open additional sites for the study,
11 | ANZUP UPdate Summer 2020
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including Nottingham University Hospital in the UK which is part way through the site initiation process and is due to start recruiting patients very soon. This will mark the addition of the first international site to the study. Despite the current worldwide shortage of BCG, there have been no supply issues reported for BCG+MM at participating sites and MSD are opening a new BCG+MM supply centre to address global demand. Therefore, it is important that all ANZUP members remind centres that the best way to conserve BCG stocks in Australia is to continue recruiting patients to this study.
