1st Annual Biliary Tract-Gallbladder Cancer Research Symposium to be held at ASCO in Alexandria

CanLiv: The Hepatobiliary Cancers Foundation in partnership with The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation will host the 1^st Annual Biliary Tract-Gallbladder Cancer Research Symposium on Friday, May 7, 2010 at the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.

“Treatment for all cancers requires a multi-disciplinary team”

The Symposium will engage scientists, clinical researchers, government partners and the patient advocacy community from across the globe in developing a strategic plan to accelerate clinical and translational research to advance treatment of gallbladder and biliary tract cancers. With a stated objective to work collaboratively, the Symposium will assemble stakeholders in hepatobiliary cancer medicine to harness wisdom, passion and ideas for designing a roadmap to accelerate research and treatment of bile duct and gallbladder cancers. Registration is open, please visit, www.canliv.org/invite.asp.

“Treatment for all cancers requires a multi-disciplinary team,” stated Dr. Melanie B. Thomas, Associate Director of Clinical Investigations, Hollings Cancer Center; Associate Professor, Grace E. DeWolff Chair in Medical Oncology, Medical University of South Carolina and Symposium Chair. “Although rare in the United States, biliary and gallbladder cancers tumors affect many thousands of individuals worldwide. These 'orphan' tumors have few effective treatments as there is limited research funding and public attention focused on them. To accelerate research in hepatobiliary cancers, this Symposium will create an inclusive community that will identify strategies to overcome traditional medical research silos. My goal is that together, the Symposium assembly will work collaboratively to design a roadmap to improve the treatment options for patients with gallbladder and bile duct cancers.”

The one-day Symposium will pre-assign multi-disciplinary “Research Teams” to address four important areas: Key Knowledge Gaps in Pre-Clinical Science; Building Effective Advocacy for Biliary Tract and Gallbladder Cancer; Clinical Research - Promise and Possibilities; The Way Forward - Designing the Roadmap to Accelerate Hepatobiliary Cancer Treatment.

The Symposium agenda includes expert panel discussions, interactive exchanges to facilitate cross-discipline learning and Research Team group work. (Please see attached preliminary agenda)

CanLiv will award its inaugural 2010 Translational Research Grants at the conclusion of the Symposium. The Symposium is offered with no registration fee and registrants are encouraged to make a donation to the CanLiv Foundation in lieu of a registration fee. Donations will be used to fund the 2010 Translational Research Grants.