NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia (NECA) CEO, Meredith Cummins attended the annual CommNETs (Commonwealth countries – Canada, Australia and New Zealand) Research Workshop held on 12th & 13th November 2023 in New Zealand.
The CommNETs conference was a whirlwind of insights, updates, and collaborative endeavours aimed at advancing Neuroendocrine Tumour (NET) care.
There were over 40 attendees which included NET multidisciplinary healthcare professionals and Patient Organisations and NECA was thrilled to be part of this meeting.
Let’s dive into the highlights:
**Welcome and Working Breakfast:**
The conference kicked off with a warm welcome, accompanied by a working breakfast. CommNETs provided updates on achievements since the last workshop and offered a global perspective on NETs.
**Update on Active Projects:**
Diving into the core of the conference, active projects took centre stage. Presentations ranged from exploring the impact of PRRT on Quality of Life by Gabrielle Cehic to the design of an optimal shared care model for NET patients in the community. Predictive and Prognostic Biomarkers Consensus Guidelines were also discussed by Jonathan Loree and David Chan.
**Clinical Trials Update**
The mid-morning session was dedicated to a comprehensive update on ongoing clinical trials. Lorraine Chantrill shared results from NABNEC, while Sten Myrehaug delved into PRRT and SABR for Heterogeneous Metastatic Well-Differentiated NETs. David Chan presented CORONET, and Matthew Burge discussed STOPNET.
**Update from Patient Advocacy Groups:**
Patient advocacy groups played a vital role in the conference, with updates from NECA by Meredith Cummins, CNETS by Tracey Sherwood, and NECNZ by Michelle Sullivan.
**Existing Landscape of NET Projects (Australia, Canada, New Zealand):**
A panoramic view of the NET projects across Australia, Canada, and New Zealand set the stage for understanding the regional context.
**New Project Presentations:**
The conference introduced innovative projects, including topics like the appropriate use and delivery of PRRT in real-world clinical settings by David Chan, equity and access in Canada by Craig Rodrigues, surveillance in patients with GEP-NETs by Gordon Taylor Moffat.
**Introduction to CommNETs Working Groups:**
The future of CommNETs was explored through working group sessions, each focusing on specific areas such as translational medicine, nutrition, and the combination of PRRT and SABR for metastatic NETs.
**Breakout Working Group Sessions:**
The conference concluded with breakout sessions, fostering collaboration and discussions in translational medicine, nutritional aspects, and the combination of PRRT and SABR.
In essence, the CommNETs conference was a melting pot of ideas, discoveries, and collaborations, charting the course for the future of NET research and care.
As the community continues to navigate the intricate paths of Neuroendocrine Tumor research, the CommNETs conference stands as a beacon of progress and unity in the global fight against NETs.
