News > 2019 MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting Themes

Tele-Oncology and Digital Health ● Let’s Talk About Sex, Sexual Health and Oncofertility, ● Life after Cancer - Cancer Survivorship, Technology for Care ● Treatment Toxicities – What Patients Report

The MASCC/ISOO Annual Meeting is the pre-eminent multidisciplinary conference on supportive care in cancer. It covers the range of problems experienced by cancer patients as a result of the disease and its treatments. Topics address all stages of cancer from diagnosis, through treatment, rehabilitation, survivorship, and palliative care. The 2019 meeting is taking place in San Francisco, close to Silicon Valley, the US center of high technology.

Tele-Oncology and Digital Health

This year’s Annual Meeting’s proximity to Silicon Valley’s technological expertise inspired this focus on the intersection of digital technology and supportive care, from devices and artificial intelligence to tele-oncology.

A plenary session titled “Digital Health: Science Fact, Not Science Fiction” will address applications of digital health technology in the field of oncology. The session will also feature overviews of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and wearable devices that can help meet the challenges of people with cancer.

A parallel session, “Digital Health in Action,” will include presentations on tele-oncology and the ways in which technology can be applied in symptom assessment of cancer patients.

Plenary Session: Digital Health: Science Fact, Not Science Fiction – Friday, June 21

• Digital Health and Oncology: Towards Connected Cancer Care
• Overview of Artificial Intelligence
• Overview of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Wearables

Parallel Session: Digital Health in Action – Friday, June 21

• Tele-oncology
• Symptom Assessment of Cancer Patients

Sexual Health and Oncofertility, Let’s Talk About Sex

This topic will be addressed in several sessions over the course of the meeting. A plenary session on “Sexual Health Treatment Strategies” will include presentations on sexual problems in both men and women, as well as a presentation on oncofertility.

The meeting will also feature three parallel sessions devoted to topics in sexual health. The first, “Sexual Health in Head and Neck Cancer,” will address sexuality in the era of HPV, featuring common patient questions and answers. Other topics in the same session include body image and sexuality research, interventions and management strategies for sexual dysfunction, as well as suicide rates and risk factors — all with respect to head and neck cancer patients and survivors. A second parallel session, “Let’s Talk About Sex,” will focus on sexual and reproductive health, as well as sexual dysfunction of adolescent and young adult cancer patients, and sexual health and preparedness in survivors of childhood cancer making the child-to-adult transition. A third parallel session, “Sexual Health: A Multidisciplinary Problem,” will address the complex nature of sexual health and problems among cancer patients and their partners.

Parallel Session 1: Sexual Health in Head and Neck Cancer – Friday, June 21

• Head and Neck Cancer and Sexuality in the Era of HPV: Common Patient Questions and Answers
• Body Image and Sexuality Research in Head and Neck Cancer
• Approaches to Interventions and Management Strategies for Sexual Dysfunction in Head and Neck Cancer
• Understanding Suicide Rate, Risk Factors, and Trends Among Head and Neck Cancer Survivors

Parallel Session 2: Let’s Talk About Sex – Friday, June 21

• Sexual and Reproductive Health of Adolescent and Young Adult Patients
• Sexual Health and Preparedness in Survivors of Childhood Cancer: The Child-to-Adult Transition
• Sexual Dysfunction in Adolescent and Young Adult Patients and Survivors

Parallel Session 3: Sexual Health: A Multidisciplinary Problem – Sunday, June 23

• Sexual Problems in Cancer Patients: An Introduction
• Overcoming the Barriers
• Sexual Issues in Partners of Cancer Patients

Treatment Toxicities and What Patients Report – Communication with Providers

Advances in pharmacological and cellular treatments, as well as radiotherapy, have resulted in dramatic benefits for cancer patients, but also in new toxicities. The Annual Meeting will include three sessions devoted to understanding the basic mechanisms and the variety of complications arising from new cancer treatments. A plenary session, “New Treatments, New Toxicities,” will include presentations on patient-reported outcomes, CAR T-cell therapy toxicity, and new radiotherapy modalities. A parallel session (“Complications of Immunotherapy I”) as well as a workshop (“Complications of Immunotherapy II) will explore basic mechanisms, immune-related adverse events, and emergencies. These sessions will include some presentations on specific toxicities: rheumatological, renal, skin, and colitis. The workshop will also feature a discussion of effective patient-provider communication about toxicities.

Plenary Session: New Treatments, New Toxicities – Saturday, June 22

• Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO-CTCAE)
• CAR T-Cell Therapy Toxicity
• New Radiotherapy Modalities

Parallel Session: Complications of Immunotherapy, I – Saturday, June 22

• Basic Mechanisms
• Overview of Recommendations on Immune-Related Adverse Events
• Emergencies
• Rheumatological Toxicities
• Renal Toxicities

Workshop: Complications of Immunotherapy, II – Saturday, June 22

• Pulmonary, Rare, and Multiple Toxicities
• Skin Toxicities
• Effective Patient-Healthcare Provider Communication
• Case 1: Multiple Immune-Related Adverse Events
• Case 2: Colitis Refractory to Infliximab

Survivorship – Life After Cancer, Technology for Care

The subject of cancer survivorship will be addressed in several sessions over the course of the meeting. A workshop, “Technological Advances and Emerging Strategies for Treatment-Related Symptoms During Survivorship,” will include such topics as enhancing self-management through the use of mobile health technology, technologies for optimizing symptom management and toxicity assessment, and discussions of future research and partnerships. A parallel session, “Cancer Survivorship across the Life Cycle,” will consider cancer survivorship among children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. “Cancer Survivorship among Adolescents and Young Adults” is the title of a joint session of MASCC and JASCC, the Japanese Association of Supportive Care in Cancer. Speakers will provide an overview of the issues, data on the follow-up of adolescent and young adult survivors, and ongoing trials in Asia. Another parallel session will feature a debate titled “Every Cancer Survivor Must Have a Written Survivorship Care Plan,” featuring speakers from Australia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

JASCC/MASCC Joint Session: Cancer Survivorship in Adolescents and Young Adults – Saturday, June 22

• Overview of the Issues
• Getting Back to ‘’Normal”
• Follow-up of AYA Cancer Survivors
• Ongoing Trials – AYA Cancer Survivors in Asia

Parallel Session: Cancer Survivorship Across the Life Cycle – Saturday, June 22

• Pediatric and AYA Cancer Survivors
• Adult Cancer Survivors
• Geriatric Cancer Survivors

Debate: Every Cancer Survivor Must Have a Written Survivorship Care Plan – Saturday, June 22

Workshop: Technological Advances and Emerging Strategies for Treatment-Related Symptoms During Cancer Survivorship – Sunday, June 23

• Enhancing Self-Management Through the Use of Mobile Health
• Innovative Technologies to Optimize Symptom Management and Toxicity Assessment
• Case Panel Discussion, Interactive Discussion, and a Strategic Plan Discussion on Future Research and Partnerships.