About WIN SYMPOSIUM 2022

Symposium Committee 

Expert opinion  

Members of the WIN 2022 Symposium Committee, chaired by Dr. Richard L. Schilsky and Dr. Josep Tabernero, are globally recognized experts in clinical oncology and personalized cancer medicine.

Based on participants' evaluations from previous symposia, the review of current literature, discussion with the WIN members, the symposium committee of experts defined:

OPTIMAL HEALTHCARE PRACTICE

• Understanding and using biomarkers based on DNA, RNA and protein alterations in tumors and host in order to choose better treatment for patients
• Optimize acquisition and quality of tissue biopsies to enable necessary quality of omics investigations
• Earlier diagnosis of early stage cancer based on biomarkers
• Use of blood-based non-invasive biomarker diagnostic tests to detect early stage cancer or cancer recurrence after treatment
• Increasing the number of patients enrolled in innovative clinical trials
• Use of innovative algorithms for optimal patient stratification
• Transition from organ specific approaches to genomic/transcriptomic profiling (agnostic of tumor type) for treatment selection

CURRENT HEALTHCARE PRACTICE

• Treatment based on pathological diagnosis, but often without consideration of emerging and established predictive biomarkers
• Variable and often poor quality of biopsies not suitable for omics analysis
• Limited patient access to personalized therapies
• Limited patient access to clinical trials (less than 5 % of patients can enrol in clinical trials today)
• Heavy focus on organ specific approaches rather than genomic/transcriptomic profiling (agnostic of tumor type)

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GAPS 

• Understanding and using biomarkers based on DNA, RNA and protein alterations in tumors and host in order to choose better treatment for patients
• Achieving improved biopsy and tissue processing quality standards to enable optimized use of transcriptomics in the clinic
• Improving and increasing the number of earlier diagnostic tools based on biomarkers
• Understanding the clinical utility of blood based non-invasive tests
• Enrolling more patients in innovative clinical trials
• Integrating innovative algorithms for optimal patient stratification

NEEDS ASSESSMENT - CLINICAL/SCIENTIFIC IMPORTANCE - EDUCATIONAL AIMS

Treating patients without understanding the established and emerging molecular markers for cancer can affect virtually every patient with cancer and every aspect of cancer care, since there are multiple FDA and EMA approved omic biomarkers to refine prognosis, select therapy and/or clinical trials and monitor for cancer recurrence.

There are now biomarkers for selection of hormonal therapies, targeted therapies and immunotherapy.  We would like attendees to understand the role of these biomarkers, their optimal application, and the emerging new omic tests that will inform future biomarker adoption. We will discuss in particular the inclusion of transcriptomics in the biomarker armamentarium, that will require novel algorithms and improved quality of biopsies. The symposium will also present its first international Molecular Tumor Board to exemplify with patients' concrete cases, submitted by meeting attendees, how to use biomarkers to inform therapeutic choice.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR THE ACTIVITY

1. List available biomarkers for choosing cancer therapy
2. Understand the limitations of current genomic-based biomarkers
3. Understand the objectives and design of research studies and clinical trials assessing new biomarkers for immunotherapy and targeted therapy
4. Understand the differences between prognostic and predictive biomarkers.

All these learning objectives would result in change in competence, performance and patient outcomes.

They are expected to be attained through a mix of didactic lectures, expert review (of posters) and case-based teaching (Molecular Tumor Board) to improve the learners' comprehension of current use and future directions of precision medicine in oncology.

SUPPORTING LITERATURE

Kurt, S. "ADDIE Model: Instructional Design," in Educational Technology, August 29, 2017. Retrieved from https://educationaltechnology.net/the-addie-model-instructional-design/ 

Jeremy Howick, Iain Chalmers, Paul Glasziou, Trish Greenhalgh, Carl Heneghan, Alessandro Liberati, Ivan Moschetti, Bob Phillips, and Hazel Thornton. “Explanation of the 2011 Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) Levels of Evidence (Background Document)”. Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. https://www.cebm.ox.ac.uk/resources/levels-of-evidence/explanation-of-the-2011-ocebm-levels-of-evidence/

Matthew J Selleck et al. Making Meaningful Clinical Use of Biomarkers. Biomark Insights. 12: 1-7 DOI: 1177271917715236 (2017) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5479428/

Michael F. Berger et al. The emerging clinical relevance of genomics in cancer medicine. Nature Reviews in Clinical Oncology 15(6): 353-365 (June 2018) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6658089/

Sicklick JK et al. Molecular profiling of cancer patients enables personalized combination therapy: the I-PREDICT study. Nature Medicine; 25(5):744-750. doi: 10.1038/s41591-019-0407-5. (2019 May) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31011206 

J. Rodon et al. Genomic and transcriptomic profiling expands precision cancer medicine: the WINTHER trial. Nature Medicine. 25(5):751-758. (2019 May) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31011205

Subha Madhavan, et al. Art and Challenges of Precision Medicine: Interpreting and Integrating Genomic Data Into Clinical Practice. ASCO Educational Book. Volume 38. (Feb 2020) https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/EDBK_200759

Mialong Lu et al. The crucial role of multiomic approach in cancer research and clinically relevant outcomes. EPMA Journal 9(1): 77–102. (2018 Mar) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5833337/

Bin Zhu et al. Integrating Clinical and Multiple Omics Data for Prognostic Assessment across Human Cancers. Scientific Reports. 7 Article number: 16954 (2017)  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-17031-8

NCCN guidelines

EVALUATION

In order to understand the level of knowledge of participants, an online pre-test will be collected prior to the symposium.

The symposium will then be delivered over a 2-day period with plenary sessions exclusively, followed by discussion panels and Q&A. In particular, the symposium will feature a case-based learning opportunity with a Molecular Tumor Board discussing patients' cases with experts from the WIN consortium followed by a discussion panel and Q&A.

Post-symposium testing will be performed online to measure resulting knowledge, competence and change in practice.

The Moores outcome level expected is Level 4. Outcomes will be assessed as follows:

Participation

A symposium online survey will be distributed for completion by the participants. Delegates can only receive their certificate of attendance for CME credits corresponding to their actual attendance subject to completion of the online survey. The questionnaires 2022 have been improved to allow collection of data aimed at collecting demographic information and participation.

Satisfaction

The above mentioned online survey distributed for completion by the participants will also include participants evaluation questions relating to design, lecturer, presentation, content, value of each session, possible bias and degree to which the educational aims of the live activity have been met. 

Learning: Declarative Knowledge (knows) and Procedural Knowledge (know how)

Pre- and post-symposium online surveys will be distributed for completion by the participants.

Through a case-based questionnaire, participants will be tested based on the learning objectives prior to the symposium. Clinical cases with molecular findings will be submitted and several questions regarding interpretation of findings for each case will be asked. Participant's scores pre -and post-symposium on these questions will be issued to assess knowledge acquisition.

Learning: Competence (shows how)

A similar case-based approach as above but with new cases in the post-test to see how well participants score on applying their new knowledge.

The post symposium follow-up questionnaire will aim to keep the delegate engaged and to be able to measure what changes have actually occurred in practice.

All these learning objectives would result in change in competence, performance and patient outcomes.

 

Learning objectives assessment

At least two questionnaires will be obtained from the audience in order to assess how the identified healthcare gaps were addressed:

• A pre-symposium test: will include case studies, multiple choice questions and yes/no questions
• A post-symposium test: will include the case studies testing similar concepts than the pre-symposium test and  multiple choice questions and yes/no questions. In addition, new case studies will be added.  

Reasons for Joining Us

• Listen to 30 Precision Oncology leaders from academia, industry and research organizations.
• View over 30 thought provoking abstracts from like-minded professionals
• Showcase your work
• Engage in the open discussions and network with other professionals in oncology

Previous Years

To view the past WIN Symposia, including the meeting report and speaker presentations, please click here.

About WIN Consortium

The Worldwide Innovative Network (WIN) Association in personalized cancer medicine - WIN Consortium is a non-profit organization based in France incorporated in 2010 under the leadership of Dr. John Mendelsohn, past chairman of WIN Consortium, past president of University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA.

The WIN Consortium was created to significantly improve survival and quality of life of cancer patients across the world.

Its strategy is to perform proof of concept trials designed to explore novel strategies and tools to:

• increase efficacy of Precision Oncology for advanced cancers and access to patients worldwide
• improve early diagnosis

WINning Together

WIN was formed on the premise that we can accomplish more together than each organization can achieve working alone. WIN aims to improve cancer patients’ survival and quality of life with innovative early diagnostic and personalized cancer therapies clinical trials.

WIN Consortium is a network of 31 renowned member institutions - academic cancer centers, technology and pharmaceutical industries, cancer research non-profits and patient advocates in 17 countries. 

 

For further information on WIN's history and unique attributes, please click here.

WIN Consortium leadership

Clinical Trials and Projects

WIN members collaboratively design and carry out global studies designed to achieve breakthroughs for patients worldwide. Our distinguished Scientific Advisory Board oversees WIN studies. For further information on our current trials, please click here.

WIN Annual Symposium

Part of WIN’s mission is also sharing information about state-of-the-art research across the world, WIN members work, WIN trials and more generally promoting the adoption of personalized cancer medicine globally through an annual symposium.

WIN Consortium contact:

WIN Consortium
Catherine Bresson
catherine.bresson@winconsortium.org
www.winconsortium.org