INCTR Convenes in Antwerp

At the Inaugural Meeting (from left to right): Dr Louis Denis, Dr Ian Magrath, Melissa Adde, Dr Ketayun Dinshawe, and Louis Schoofs.

The inaugural meeting of the INCTR, held in November 1999, took place at the beautiful Elzenfeld Conference Center in Antwerp. The meeting drew 80 participants from 20 countries, and included scientific sessions, largely related to work previously accomplished in collaborative programs with the National Cancer Institute, and presentations on various aspects of international oncology.

In a series of workshop sessions, participants outlined their position on cancer control activities, collaboration with other health-related organizations, including corporations, education, and training. These sessions provided vital input to the INCTR from oncologists in developing countries and representatives of the many public and private organizations with which the INCTR will work.

Corporate Liaison

Improving cancer treatment in developing countries will require increasing access to essential products for diagnosis and treatment, including drugs and a broad range of medical equipment. The INCTR is forging cooperative research partnerships with pharmaceutical and other health-related companies in order to accomplish this. By generating credible clinical trials data, the INCTR hopes to benefit cancer patients everywhere, but a firm principle of all research conducted in developing countries is that it must first benefit local populations.

There may also be scope for developing partnerships with the health and life insurance industry, which might have an interest in supporting preventive programs. INCTR activities partnered with industry will include building local infrastructure and institutional capacity, professional training, public education, and the dissemination of cost-effective treatment, in addition to scientific research.

Indian Cooperative Group

Based on the success of activities in several major centers in India, which include MCP 841 and 842 protocols for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and the new randomized clinical trial, MCP 943, now in its pilot phase, the INCTR would like to extend these trials to institutions in Pakistan and other South Asian countries. Workshop participants stressed the importance of standardizing drugs and patient criteria, sharing information through the formation of cooperative groups, and the need for reference laboratories.

Education

The INCTR, which will focus on professional training, improving access to experts, and collaborations in translational research, can help developing countries reach their potential for cancer treatment and research in many ways, including facilitating communication among centers within specific countries; assisting with data management and quality control of documentation; supporting advanced training in research laboratories; collaborating with professional societies and cooperative groups; and establishing funds for research training for fellows, nurses and data managers.

Strategy Groups

Meeting participants also discussed a multi-national protocol for the treatment of osteosarcoma, with the goal of increasing the frequency of limb salvage procedures and improving survival rates whilst avoiding difficult-to-manage and particularly expensive protocol elements. An international program in retinoblastoma that includes early detection, epidemiology and treatment was also discussed. Retinoblastoma occurs much more frequently in developing countries than in affluent countries and tends to present with much more advanced disease, sometimes even metastatic disease.