The ESMO Congress 2024 will hold a press conference to introduce and discuss the "Eyes to the Future" Presidential Symposium 3, that will be presenting prominent approaches that have the potential to become increasingly effective and influential components of cancer treatment in the (near) future.
Monday 16 September
- Press conference: 12:30-13:15 CEST - ESMO Press Conference room, CC3 and virtually
- Presidential Symposium III, Eyes to the future: 16:30-18:15 CEST - Barcelona Auditorium - Hall 2
Organ agnostic therapy
The expanding knowledge of disease mechanisms and pathways in cancer is guiding new drug development to target specific proteins and molecular mechanisms of cancer progression. Such proteins and mechanisms are sometimes shared between cancers, leading to the concept that, in some cases, the molecular alteration, rather than the organ of origin, is the key determinant of cancer classification. This new way of classifying cancers could dramatically accelerate drug development, requiring diagnostic tests to assess molecular alterations as the key determinant of cancer types. Eyes to the Future will explore the potential of this new "organ agnostic" molecularly-driven field of oncology.
Epigenetics
Epigenetics - the effect of the environment on the expression of genes - has an influence on the types of cancer that can emerge as a result of cancer patients' lifestyle, pre-disposition, co-morbidities, and many other factors. By observing the epigenetic formation of cancers, it becomes possible to characterize and treat a previously unrecognized class of cancer types. The Eyes to the Future session will analyze a clinical study that has shown promising results in treating epigenetic cancer types.
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (ML-AI)
The power of ML-AI has many applications, in multiple sectors and industries, including drug discovery and development, and cancer diagnostics, among others. The ability to correlate billions of data points and extrapolate meaningful insights is at the heart of new ML-AI models designed to predict cancer mutations over time. The Eyes to the Future session will explore and discuss the implications of ML-AI in driving a comprehensive characterization of the tumor microenvironment, to create personalized cancer therapies.
Organ preservation
The basis of certain classes of cancer therapies makes them cytotoxic. While killing tumor cells is the primary target, unavoidable off-target toxicity results in peripheral damage to healthy tissues. The Eyes to the Future session will be discussing strategies of systemic therapies, to be administered alongside other cancer therapies, that could preserve organ integrity, and the resulting implications for patients with cancer.
Overcoming resistance to cancer therapy
While many patients respond well to cancer therapy, in some cases, over time, the tumors can develop resistance to therapy - and with certain cancer types, there may not be a further treatment option. As such, overcoming or even preventing the development of tumor resistance becomes a powerful technique to treating patients long-term. The discussion at the Eyes to the Future session will present early results from an adaptive clinical study exploring several options to overcome resistance.
Dr. Fabrice André, ESMO President-elect, who will moderate the press conference and co-chair the Presidential Symposium, notes: "The press conference and the Eyes to the Future Presidential Symposium unquestionably represent something quite unique: we will explore the potential of new technologies and medical approaches that we believe will have a significant impact on future therapies and medical practice in oncology. The panel, featuring renowned experts in the above-mentioned areas, will discuss the fundamental nature and the principles behind those approaches, with the knowledge that further research and development is required to make them mainstream and widely adopted."
Press accreditation
Only accredited press representatives working for recognized press outlets interested in obtaining information and reporting on cancer issues will be able to attend the ESMO 2024 press conference, either onsite or remotely.
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