In an era of precision medicine, biological markers of cancer, known as biomarkers are set to play an increasing role in management of the disease. From non-invasive tests that directly measure molecules released from tumours, for example using blood samples, to indicators of the activity of the patient’s immune system, the approach to biomarker research is varied. Increasingly, it seems that combinations of various markers may provide a better picture of the nature and staging of the disease.
In September the VCCC will host more than 60 specialists and guests in Melbourne to consider the current state of play for the use of various biomarkers in melanoma prognosis, likelihood of responsiveness to treatment and predicting which melanomas will recur.
Despite considerable promising published research, taking the next step to implement biomarkers in clinical practice is complex: for example, the field is moving rapidly with new candidate markers emerging; each approach or combination requires validation; functional predictive accuracy of tests must be assessed; and suitable commercial partners are needed to take the tests into the practical clinical setting. These are issues common to biomarker development across the board.
Dr David Gyorki, VCCC Research & Education Lead in Melanoma & Skin Cancers says, Our ability to translate basic research into new and innovative therapies is enhanced by these kinds of meetings and we are looking forward to the formal and informal information-sharing that will occur as a result of the meeting design.”
International guest speaker, Dr Alex Meves from the Mayo Clinic, USA will share his experience with translating melanoma biomarkers into clinical practice. Professor Maarten IJzerman, University of Melbourne will tackle the challenges of implementing novel biomarkers in the diagnostic setting.
Bringing together these outstanding speakers with colleagues from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, the goal of the symposium is to chart a future course for collaborative research and implementation endeavour.
The Symposium is being organised cooperatively between the VCCC and Melanoma Research Victoria. Limited places are still available for clinicians and researchers who are interested in biomarker research and clinical application. You can also join the meeting via Webinar.
