News & Events

We are pleased to share an update on some of our current research that was shared at this year’s Haematology Association of Ireland (HAI) conference in Belfast. The meeting was also a great celebration of 25 years of the HAI itself. We are also very proud of our BCNI researchers who additionally received awards at the event. Wanshan Hu (University of Galway) presented a poster of his current research towards better understanding exhaustion of natural killer cells in multiple myeloma. Leonie Durkan (University of Galway) spoke about her work on how osteoblasts in the bone marrow affect natural killer cell function in acute myeloid leukaemia and received a President’s recognition prize. Roisin McAvera (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) presented her work on SKY92 molecular profiling in genetic risk-stratification for multiple myeloma patients and was awarded the overall President’s prize. Congratulations to all who participated in the conference and a sincere thank you to the HAI organising committee for facilitating another highly educational and interesting event that provided the opportunity to meet and hear from such an expert group of clinicians and scientists in the field of haematology. Roisin McAvera: SKY92 MOLECULAR PROFLING IN COMBINATION WITH MRD RISK PROFILING TO IDENTIFY HIGH-RISK MULTIPLE MYELOMA PATIENTS IN IRELAND (SKIP-MM)

New NCRI report highlights increased survival and decreasing death rates among people living with blood cancers in Ireland. The proportion of people surviving at 5 years following diagnosis has significantly increased and death rates from blood cancers have fallen according to a new report published by the National Cancer Registry of Ireland. Prof. Deirdre Murray, director of NCRI, and professor of epidemiology at University College Cork, noted that five-year survival for blood cancers has increased from 53% (1994-2007 cases) to 67% (2008-2021), and ongoing increases in survival are reflected in reductions in mortality. Compared to a peak in blood cancer death rates in the late 1990s mortality has since declined by over 1% annually. Blood cancers are responsible for 10% of all new cancer diagnoses and over 8% of cancer deaths every year. Approx. 2,400 people are diagnosed with blood cancer each year in Ireland, with this number set to increase to over 3,000 new cases annually by 2030 [1]. There are many different types of blood cancer, and this is the first report of its kind to provide comprehensive data across these different blood cancer types. The most commonly diagnosed blood cancers were non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukaemia, and multiple myeloma. From the mid-2000s leukaemia incidence rates declined significantly, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma rates stabilised from the mid-2010s. Prof. Deirdre Murray said: “The report sheds light on the diversity in incidence and outcomes for blood cancers providing important data to better address the burden of blood cancer in the Irish population. The significant increases in survival and reductions in mortality reflect diagnostic and therapeutic innovations. Genetic testing has been increasingly applied to improve diagnosis and better target treatments for patients with blood cancers.” “The advances in diagnosis and treatment over the last decades are reflected in the favourable blood cancer trends overall but more focus is needed for certain subtypes of blood cancer for which outcomes are less favourable such as acute myeloid leukaemia.” Cancer trends No 41- Haematological Malignancies | National Cancer Registry Ireland  

Hi Everyone, Hope you are well. We are currently accepting applications for our Patient Advocate in Cancer Research Award 2024. This funding will support anyone affected by cancer (family members, friends, carers, patients... and so on) to upskill, gain more knowledge or make connections in the cancer research area. This is a way of empowering those affected by cancer by giving them a voice. Some of our past awardees have used this funding to go to national or international cancer research conferences, patient and public involvement events, training or networking events.  We are hoping to encourage new and experienced patient advocates. This award is open to people in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Feel free to share this with whoever you think would be interested.    Please email grants@irishcancer.ie or call us on (01) 968 3723 if there are any questions or for more details. The deadline for applying is 3pm 31st October 2024.   Kind Regards, Serena  Serena Foo Ph.D. (she/her) | Translational & Clinical Coordinator – Grants Irish Cancer Society T: +353 1 968 3788E: sfoo@irishcancer.ieW: www.cancer.ie        

Dear AICRI  and BCNI Community, I am excited to share an announcement that I believe will resonate deeply with our community. A new feature documentary, Burkitt, has been made about Dr. Denis Burkitt, the man who discovered Burkitt's lymphoma. As many of you will know, Dr. Burkitt, originally from Co Fermanagh, made groundbreaking strides in the understanding and treatment of this lymphoma while working in sub-Saharan Africa during the 1950s and 60s. His work not only led to the cure of this cancer but also laid a strong emphasis on the importance of preventative medicine. The documentary, directed by Éanna Mac who had personally been diagnosed and treated for Burkitt's lymphoma in 2017, offers a unique perspective by intertwining Dr. Burkitt's archival films and photographs with the director’s own hospital recordings. This film not only sheds light on Dr. Burkitt's innovative medical approaches, but also explores the emotional journey of dealing with a cancer diagnosis, emphasising the role of creativity in overcoming such overwhelming experiences. Burkitt will be showcased at the Galway Film Fleadh on the 14th of July. This is a fantastic opportunity for cancer researchers, medical professionals, and those with lived cancer experiences to learn about the remarkable legacy of Dr. Denis Burkitt and to gain inspiration from his work and the director's personal journey. For more details on the screening, please visit: Galway Film Fleadh - Burkitt  To watch the trailer, click here: Burkitt Trailer We encourage you to attend this screening and share this information within your networks. If you need further information or have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Best regards, Chantal Halley  Research Engagement Manager All-Island Cancer Research Institute        

Blood Cancer Network Ireland is holding its annual symposium  on Friday 24th May 2024   The aim of the symposium is to provide Irish researchers and clinical staff with the opportunity to hear about the latest research and hottest topics in blood cancer research from international experts and to present their own work in this area. This symposium will bring researchers in the fields of cancer drug discovery and hematological malignancies together with industry and clinical investigators interested in translating research findings into early clinical development. The scientific focus will be 'the challenge of overcoming treatment resistance'. The focus of the symposium on cutting edge research and cancer therapeutics development will make this a highly significant and relevant meeting for all researchers interested in applying research findings for clinical development in blood cancers.   Register to attend here: Blood Cancer Network (BCNI) Symposium 2024 | University of Galway BCNI (clr.events) To submit an abstract by 1st May click here: https://universityofgalwaybcni.clr.events/event/135846     Venue: Sheraton Hotel, Athlone.            

  Experiences of and preferences for self-management among low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma survivors: A qualitative interview study Nickola D. Pallin, Mairead O'Connor, Alannah Gannon, John Browne, Mary R. Cahill, Derville O'Shea A recent study, supported by the Blood Cancer Network of Ireland (BCNI) and Irish Cancer Society, focused on individuals with low grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (LGNHL) and their caregivers, delving into their perceptions and experiences related to self-management during the post-treatment aftercare phase. This in-depth qualitative study took place within the outpatient environment, in the Haematology Department of Cork University Hospital. Through telephone interviews, the research engaged eight LGNHL survivors and two family caregivers. These interviews, structured by topics guides, were conducted over durations of 20 to 60 minutes. Within the study, participants described LGNHL as both an incurable and chronic condition. Collectively, they expressed enthusiasm for the implementation of self-management techniques, particularly to enhance their sense of control and empowerment. While all participants had engaged in self-management practices, these were not part of a formalized survivorship or self-management program. Patients outlined several areas where increased support during treatment and post-treatment phases could be beneficial. One area highlighted, was the need for more comprehensive information regarding treatment side effects and prescription medication. Post-treatment support, they expressed, should encompass strategies for self-managing stress, addressing the fear of recurrence, and dealing with the impact on sexual well-being and intimacy. Additionally, patients highlighted the importance of accessible and straightforward dietary advice, which is recognised as a key factor in self-management. An unmet need emerged for support and structured reviews related to self-management, focusing on goal setting and planning, which are typically not integrated into standard care protocols. The period immediately following treatment completion was identified as a critical juncture, during which patients sought enhanced follow-up care and additional information. This phase coincided with the prominence of treatment-related side effects, which significantly influenced patients' quality of life post-cancer treatment. In response to these findings, participants recommended the implementation of consultations, post primary treatment, with medical staff to ensure patients have appropriate support systems in place and a clear understanding of self-management techniques. The study participants expressed a positive interest in specialized programs centred around dietary guidance, healthy eating protocols, mindfulness sessions, and information on stress reduction and relaxation techniques. This study reinforces existing findings that social support via peer groups and cancer centres plays a pivotal role in offering valuable encouragement to survivors throughout their self-management journey. Participants in the study underscored the necessity of increasing awareness regarding these support groups and networks. By actively promoting patient engagement with such services, healthcare professionals could potentially alleviate the hesitancy observed among certain study participants towards participation. While self-management support programs are currently available for cancer survivors, this study specifically addresses the distinctive requirements of lymphoma patients, shedding light on the unique challenges they encounter. These insights could aid in the development of a customized program tailored to the needs of LGNHL survivors. Overall, participants displayed a positive attitude towards self-management, given the chronic nature of LGNHL.          

We supported the Innovations in Oncology campaign that launched on June 19th within the Irish Independent and online at HealthNews.ie/Oncology Innovations in Oncology looked at many of the exciting advances going on in Oncology today and featured insightful content from Irish Cancer Society, Cancer Trials Ireland, World Economic Forum and many more.    Cancer programme brings together top Irish researchers for first time – The Irish Times

Dr Eva Szegezdi of BCNI and co-workers published a research paper in the journal Biomaterials. They have reported natural killer (NK) cell-mimicking nanoparticles (NK.NPs) can actively target and kill leukaemia cells. The NK.NPs are able to target AML cells via tumour antigen-specific antibodies and make use of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) on their surface to eliminate cancer cells through death ligands.   NK cells are named so because of their natural ability to kill foreign intruders such as virus-infected cells, or cells that display early signs of cancer. However, while NK cells are very potent in recognising newly formed tumour cells, some can escape. These successful tumours can inactivate or hide from immune cells and thus escape from immune surveillance. NK cell-mimic nanoparticles use the specific targeting and cytotoxic activities of NK cells while eliminating the chance of inactivation by cancer cells.   Read more about the NK.NPs here.                                             

Blood Cancer Network Ireland is holding its annual symposium  on Friday 8th Sept 2023   The aim of the symposium is to provide Irish researchers and clinical staff with the opportunity to hear about the latest research and hottest topics in blood cancer research from international experts and to present their own work in this area. This symposium will bring researchers in the fields of cancer drug discovery and hematological malignancies together with industry and clinical investigators interested in translating research findings into early clinical development. The scientific focus will be Novel Blood Cancer Treatments- Beyond Genomics The focus of the symposium on cutting edge research and cancer therapeutics development will make this a highly significant and relevant meeting for all researchers interested in applying research findings for clinical development in blood cancers.   Register for this free event here: Blood Cancer Network (BCNI) Symposium 2023 | University of Galway BCNI (clr.events)   Venue: Hilton Kilmainham, Dublin.            

The BCNI Stand at the University of Galway Science Festival 2022 was a huge hit this year! Adults and children learned about blood and blood cancers through play, quizzes and even some (pretend) lab work. We were delighted to be back as the event had been postponed for a few years due to covid.   ‌‌ ‌      

Trail Engineering Enhances Expanded Cord Blood Anti-Leukemic Activity ASH meeting from 9-13th of December. NK cells are being investigated as a promising cellular therapy for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia. NK cells recognise stress signals on leukemia cells and can kill them by release of cytotoxic granules and expressing ligands at their cell surface (including TRAIL) for 'death inducing' receptors present on leukaemia cells. In this project we used a non-viral transposon engineering process to introduce a modified version of TRAIL into cord blood NK cells during their expansion. These TRAIL engineered NK cells express higher amounts of TRAIL at the cell surface and led to higher rates of acute myeloid leukemia cell killing, including against leukemic cells donated from AML patient donors. This is a promising result which warrants further study to understand if the effect can be used to enhance clinical NK cell therapies. The work was supported by collaborations between University of Galway (Dr. Eva Szegezdi, Prof. Michael O'Dwyer), ONK therapeutics, BioTechne, Anthony Nolan and by Irish Clinical Academic Training (ICAT) Program fellowship (Dr. Mark Gurney).  

CyBorD-Dara Study 18 patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma were treated on the BCNI CyBorD-DARA study with a combination of the anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody Daratumumab, the proteosome inhibitor bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone. Treatment was consolidation by an autologous stem cell transplant and 2 further cycles of CyBorD-DARA, followed by 12 months of maintenance Daratumumab. The treatment was safe and effective, with a progression free survival of 81% after maintenance and a 2-year overall survival of 89%. 78% of patients achieved a complete response and 38% had undetectable disease (meaning <1 cancer cell in 100,000 cells tested, called minimal residual disease) after transplant, which was sustained until the end of treatment. The full study results were published in Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukaemia Journal in 2022.                                                                           

Blood Cancer Network Ireland is holding its annual symposium  on Friday 28th May    The aim of the symposium is to provide Irish researchers and clinical staff with the opportunity to hear about the latest research and hottest topics in blood cancer research from international experts and to present their own work in this area. This symposium will bring researchers in the fields of cancer drug discovery and hematological malignancies together with industry and clinical investigators interested in translating research findings into early clinical development. The scientific focus will be in three key areas: Childhood Leukemia Diagnosis and disease monitoring Lymphoma The focus of the symposium on cutting edge research and cancer therapeutics development will make this a highly significant and relevant meeting for all researchers interested in applying research findings for clinical development in blood cancers. We are aware that some attendees are experiencing issues with access to their work emails due to the recent cyber-attack. If this has affected you then you can re-register for the event using an alternative emaill address which will allow us to send you the links to participate on Friday. Register for this free event here: https://nuigalwaybcni.clr.events/  Schedule: TIME Speaker & Topic 9:15  Prof. Jonathan Bond- Acute Leukaemia: lessons from the Haematopoietic Roadmap 9:50  Prof. Owen Smith- Child, adolescent and young adult cancers (NCCP perspective) 10:25  10:35 Short talk- Andrea Malone- Paediatric relapsed/refractory ALL- European Phase 1 study on inotuzumab. Short talk- Peter McCarthy- Searching for targetable gene fusions in childhood leukaemia. 10:45  BREAK 11:00  Dr. Richard Dillon- Molecularly guided interventions to prevent relapse in AML 11:35  Dr. Bruno Paiva- Disease monitoring in multiple myeloma 12:10  Dr. Mairead O'Connor- Using qualitative research to understand the needs of lymphoma survivors 12:50 Short talk- Dawn Swan-Update on the long-term follow up and MRD analysis of the BCNI CyBorD-DARA clinical trial 13:00  LUNCH 14:00  Prof. Elisabeth Vandenberghe- Mantle cell lymphoma; the dialogue between translational and clinical research 14:40  Prof. Paul Murray- Pre-recorded: Lymphoma, New insights into the microenvironment of diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Dr. Matt Pugh Q&A 15:20  Short talk- Dr. Daniel Angelov- Short Talk: Outcome of National Allogenic Transplantation Program in Mycosis Cutaneous T cell Lymphoma (CTCL): a 10 year experience            

The #BloodHealth campaign launches today, 25th June 2020! Follow the dicsussion on social media using the hashtag. BCNI were delighted to work with Health News on the 2019 Blood Health campaign. A printed publication was enclosed within every copy of the Irish Independent newspaper and the content is available online at https://www.healthnews.ie/campaign/haematology/. The campaign featured exclusive content from key thought leaders and industry voices about the impact of Covid-19 on haematology patients, malignancies, thrombosis and more Dr Philip Murphy, the Deputy Director and Clinical Lead of BCNI wrote a piece on improving the care of haematology patients during COVID-19. The article can be found here. Whilst Dr Siobhan Glavey, who also works with BCNI wrote an article on new treatments improving survival and quality of life for multiple myeloma patients which can also be found on the Health News website here.  

Each year BCNI organises a research symposium. This year it was due to take place on the 22nd of May in Galway, but has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We plan to reschedule it towards the end of the year (if safe to do so) with the same speakers and programme as previously advertised on the theme of “Novel molecular and metabolic mechanisms and advances in cellular therapies”. Speakers include Marco Ruella from University of Pennsylvania as the keynote speaker on resistance to CAR-T cells in lymphoma, as well as Owen Smith (NCRC, Crumlin), Jessica Okosun (Barts Cancer Institute, QMU London), Sean Lim (Southampton University), Tríona Ní Chonghaile (RCSI) and Paul Murray (UL). Look out for a new date which will be announced in due course.  Galway Bay Hotel where the syposium is planned to take place

This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, Daffodil Day took place online with the Irish Cancer Society organising Digital Daffodil Day. Members of the public were asked to mark the day at home. The Irish Cancer Society suggested people could share a virtual coffee and cake with some friends and donate €4 by texting DAFFODIL to 50300 or by following the link below to raise much needed funds https://cancer.ie/ways-to-help/fundraise/daffodil-day                   ‌

Jess Walsh, the BCNI clinical trials coordinator won "Best Reseach Support Staff" at the Irish Cancer Society Research Awards on Thursday 24th February 2020. Jessica is an outstanding nurse and her dedication and skill have been a huge support in getting BCNI clinical trials up and running efficiently. Jess always puts her patients at the centre of her efforts, and goes above and beyond the call of duty to accommodate their needs.  Patients are a fundamental part of BCNI research, and Jess’s work to ease the path of patients as well as providing them with the best of care, ensures they are willing participants in our research efforts. Jess builds great relationships with patients and they really come to trust her and rely on her knowing that she is only a phone call away. This has a hugely positive impact for our trials and on patients signing up to donate samples to the Biobank and provide their data for the registry. “My lifeline, handpicked for the job, with whom I developed a close and trusting relationship. She always provides communication of all information pertaining to my trial drug, which was honest and clear” (Patient quote from BCNI website). Jess is a skilled and experienced nurse and uses these skills to try to improve the way we work, questioning procedures if they are not in line with Good Clinical Practice/protocol. She also frequently has great suggestions/ ideas/ initiatives to improve the network and to support the other sites. For example, contributing to, and designing trial related patient facing documentation to ensure they are appropriate and easily understood by patients.  More recently she has taken on the role of clinical trial coordinator, which blends her skills with the design and implementation of new clinical trials to be offered to Irish Blood Cancer Patients. Jess is very dedicated and motivated and always willing to help out where needed. Jess regularly attends patient education events to promote the clinical activities of the BCNI, leading to further valuable interactions with multiple patient groups.  She has given excellent presentations at professional and patient events showcasing the clinical trial activity within the BCNI being invited to present BCNI hematology trials at the Baltic Conference of Hematology for nurses in Riga, Latvia, as well as the Multiple Myeloma Patient Information Day in Dublin, also regularly participating in the ICS Cancer Survivorship Events.  She also teaches Masters level students in NUIG about the importance of early phase clinical trials carried out by the BCNI, and the impact of the invaluable work that we do. Overall Jess prides herself on acting as the patient advocate, especially when the clinical trial environment can be daunting and overwhelming for patients.  She is an example of the type of staff member that everyone would wish for and she certainly is a fantastic support for the patients, the BCNI team and BCNI activities. Jess' victory was covered by Midwest Radio - you can find there article here.  To top off a great evening, John Daly (Prof. Michael O'Dwyer of BCNI's PhD student) won the award for Best PhD student. A fantastic night and the awards so very deserved! More on the event from the Irish Cancer Society here.

The BCNI team are actively involved in different public events throughout the year. This means we can talk to members of the public about blood cancers, all the great work the BCNI team are doing and the science behind blood itself! One of our favourite events of this type is the annual Galway Science and Technology Festival. This festival is Ireland’s largest event promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).  This year at the Galway Science and Technology Festival, the NUIG branch of BCNI organised a stand on “Blood”. We had lots of fun games, quizzes and learning aids and had a brilliant time hearing from members of the public about their experiences and sharing our knowledge of blood. We spoke about the important roles of the different types of blood cell and how things can go wrong.  The stand was in the main exhibition area which had approximately 20,000 visitors and we estimate we had a minimum of 2,000 people visit our stand over the course of the day.  This annual event is aimed at members of the public, especially families and BCNI had information and activities for children of all ages, as well as adults.    

Uncovering the Value of Real-World Data for Blood Cancer On 14th October, Conan Donnelly (NCRI) and Jess Walsh (BCNI Clinical Trials Coordinator), both from BCNI, participated ina round table discussion organised by Janssen in partnership with CLL Ireland, Blood Cancer NetworkIreland, Irish Cancer Society and Multiple Myeloma Ireland.  The discussion, entitled ‘Uncovering the Value of Real-World Data for Blood Cancer’ facilitated discussion on clinical data collection and patient related outcome measure in Irish health amongst stakeholders from organisations from charities, to academia, industry and policy.   Participants discussed real world data infrastructure in Irish cancer care under the topic headings: How does Ireland compare in the capture of real-world data in clinical settings? What barriers exist to building and scaling data solutions that can capture clinical outcomes in Irish healthcare? How can we develop clinical data infrastructure to make Ireland more attractive for cancer research? They also discussed patient quality of life in the areas of: How does the Irish health service compare to other countries on the integration of patient experience into clinical care? Can we improve the routine collection of PROMs in our health service? What are the barriers to the routine collection of PROMs and PREMs in clinical settings in Ireland? Finally, participants discussed the potential for innovative digital solutions in bringing value to this area under th headings of: One of the barriers that restricts the scaling of registries is the cost of manual data collection, are there ways to automate these processes? Can we implement innovative methods to improve the extraction or the structured capture of clinical data in a computable format? Are there innovative methods of data capture that do not disrupt clinical workflows? The aims of the day were to make recommendations on how to improve data infrastructure to make Ireland more attractive for clinical research, how to better integrate patient experience into clinical decision making in Ireland, and to make recommendations on innovative digital technologies and data solutions that can help scale clinical data collection and make it more useful for secondary purposes. These recommendations are to be published in a report by Janssen which will be provided to all participants.  The closing remarks were given by Donal Buggy, Head of Services and Advocacy, Irish Cancer Society. The event took place at RCSI, Dublin. Follow the groups that took part on Twitter @IrishCancerSoc @MyelomaIreland @CllIreland @JanssenIE and follow us at @BloodCancerIRL

Dr Philip Murphy of BCNI wrote an article for healthhnews.ie entitled "New, targeted therapies and innovative trials for Irish myeloma patients". Dr Murphy is a consultant haematologist at Beaumont Hospital. The article, published on 15th August 2019, can be read here.

Dr Siobhan Glavey wrote an article for healthhnews.ie entitled "Lack of awareness and the indolent nature make bone marrow cancer in Ireland more challenging to detect". Dr Glavey is a consultant haematologist at Beaumont Hospital and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The article, published on 15th August 2019, can be read here.

Blood Health IE Campaign Launches 13th September 2019 We recently worked with Mediaplanet on the 2019 Health News IE: Blood Health campaign. A printed publication is enclosed today within every copy of the Irish Independent newspaper and the content is available online at Issuu or at www.healthnews.ie.  The campaign features exclusive content from key leaders and industry voices about the importance of education and innovation surrounding blood diseases. BCNI is delighted to collaborate with Mediaplanet in order to increase public awareness and knowledge of blood diseases from cancers to non-malignant conditions alike. 

The Multiple Myeloma Ireland (MMI) Patient and Carer Information Day took place on 26th September 2019 at the Ashling Hotel, Dublin.  Jess Walsh, BCNI Clinical Trials Coordinator gave a presentation on “Clinical Trials in Multiple Myeloma”. Avideo of her talk can be seen on Youtube. MMI produced a report on the event which can be read on their website. More information and the programme can be found here or by searching the hashtag #MMI2019 on social media.

Current Thinking in Haematological Malignancies  On 5th July, BCNI participated in a conference on blood cancers. The event allowed delegates to hear and discuss both scientific and clinical papers on a number of current issues in the management of Haematological Malignancies and improve everyday management of patients and highlight the hot issues and active research interests in the field. Professor Paul Browne of BCNI was chair of this event. The event took place at RCSI, Dublin. Topics included: Workshop in Myeloma Relapsed CLL: Have the newer therapies completely replaced chemotherapy  AML, MDS Lymphoma MDT – Carousel of Cases Transplantation in lymphoid malignancy CAR T cell therapy update on the process of patient selection Update on respiratory viruses prevention and treatment

Current Thinking in Haematological Malignancies - Friday 5th July 2019Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, 6 Kildare Street, Dublin  The programme is designed to combine high calibre lectures and interactive discussions to provide an educational opportunity to update clinicians and allied professions in current issues within the management of diseases affecting haematology patients. Suitable for consultants, trainees, nurses, pharmacists and scientists working in haematology.

BCNI held  a very sucessful public lecture on  "Blood Cancers" on Friday 24th May in University College Cork The public lecture aimed to give the public, patients and their families information about blood cancers such as CLL and Myeloma Dr Derville O'Shea Consultant Hematologist at Cork University Hospital gave an excellent pesentation that focused on new understanding and therapeutics development for CLL. Dr O'Shea's talk was a great introduction to CLL for members of the audience that were less familiar with this type of blood cancer while also providing very up to date information in terms of understanding this blood cancer and reviewing treatments coming down the line for the more expert members of the audience.  Dr Jim Omel is BCNIs patient advisor and has lived with Multiple Myeloma for over 19 years. Jim lives in Nebraska USA and works as a volunteer with the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, which oversees and helps design all clinical trials. Jim also works with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as one of 160 patient representatives nationwide, three of which have myeloma. Jim gave an very moving and informative talk about his experience with Multiple Myeloma and about he now uses that experience to help other blood cancer patients. He is a great advocate for patients empowering themselves to learn al they can about their condition and ensuring they are being treated by the best doctors with the most modern treatments available and his energy and enthusiasm  were infectious and very well recieved by the audience.

BCNI held its 4th annual symposium in University College Cork on 24th May 2019 Our annual symposium is becoming ever more popular and is on its way to becoming one of the most important meetings nationally for clinical, reseach and industry personnel with an interest in translational amd clinical research in blood cancers.  The title of this year’s symposium was "Blood Cancers : Advances in therapeutic strategies and enhanced patient registration to improve outcomes" The symposium provided the opportunity to hear about the latest research and hottest topics in blood cancer research from an excellent line-up of international experts. The symposium also stimulated great interactions between Irish and international blood cancer researchers and between academics and industry researchers helping to form collaborations and come up with novel ideas for blood cancer therapeutics development. Congratulations to Alan O'Ceilleachair from the National Cancer Registry Ireland who won the best poster award for his work on looking at the trends and costs of the management of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Well done to all involved in organising such a great meeting.!! See some photos of the symposium below

Blood Cancer Network Ireland is holding its annual symposium  on Friday 24th May  in University College Cork “Blood Cancer : Advances in therapeutic strategies and enhanced patient registration to improve outcomes” The aim of the symposium is to provide Irish researchers and clinical staff with the opportunity to hear about the latest research and hottest topics in blood cancer research from international experts and to present their own work in this area. The scientific focus will be in two key areas: Immunotherapy and targeted therapies Enhanced blood cancer patient registries This symposium will bring together researchers in the fields of therapeutics development in hematological malignancies with clinical investigators and experts in patient registeries to improve treatment and patient outcomes. There will be an opprotunity for researchers to present posters in the area of immunotherapy, targeted therapies, clinical registries and PROMS .  Prizes will be awared for the best poster presentation. There will be an opportunity for young researchers to meet experts in the field at a "meet the experts" session There will be a session on "Advances in blood cancer research" directed towards patients and their families at the end of the symposium Abstracts and Posters Abstracts on research in any area of blood cancers and  in particular abstracts  in the areas of drug discovery, immunotherapy, cancer registration, PROMs measures are welcome . Abstracts should be submitted as a Word Document and should not exceed 350 Words (excluding: Abstract Title/Authors/References – Tables and graphs are not permitted). All abstracts should be emailed to Sinead Cassidy on sinead@sineadcassidy.com. All abstract submissions will receive an acknowledgment email from Sinead. If you do not receive an acknowledgment email, your email has not been received by Sinead. DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS –Now closed For more details and to register for the symposium please see http://www.uccconferencing.ie/product/blood-cancer-network-ireland-symposium-24th-may-2019/ Registration fee is €50 ‌Final Programme We look forward  to seeing you at this years symposium!    

BCNI is organsing a public lecture on "Blood Cancers" on Friday 24th May - Room WGB G05, Western Gateway Building, University College Cork Blood Cancer is an umbrella term for different kinds of cancer that affect blood cells such as leukaemia, myeloma and lymphoma. Blood cancers account for about 10% of all cancers and every year approximately 1600 Irish patients are diagnosed with blood cancer and about 700 people die from this disease. This public lecture is aimed at giving the public, patients and their families information about blood cancers such as CLL and Myeloma Dr Derville O'Shea Consultant Hematologist at Cork University Hospital and will give a talk that focuses on new understanding and therapeutics development for CLL.  Dr Jim Omel has lived with Multiple Myeloma for over 19 years. Jim lives in Nebraska USA and now works as a volunteer with the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, which oversees and helps design all clinical trials. Jim also works with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as one of 160 patient representatives nationwide, three of which have myeloma. Those patient representatives represent various diseases and are called upon to serve on the FDA advisory panel to review the research behind new drugs being considered for approval so we are delighted that Jim has agreed to give a short talk at our event. See map below for location of the Western Gateway Building. The lecture will take place in the WGB G05  Venue: Room WGB G05, Western Gateway Building, University College Cork Time and Date:  4.30 pm-5.30pm on Friday 24th May This event is open to all and there is a welcome Tea/coffee from 4pm- 4.15

Jess Walsh our BCNI Clinical Trials Network Coordinator wrote an update article for the Medical Independent on BCNI activities. The article was published on 5th April 2019 in Issue 2 Volume 5 of the Medical Independent and focused on BCNI ongoing and upcoming Clinical Trials. The article can be read here.

BCNI researchers took part in the Galway launch of Daffodil Day at the Salthill Hotel on 11th March Jess Walsh the BCNI Clinical Trials Network Coordinator gave a talk to local supporters and volunteers on the work on blood cancers being carried out by BCNI. Galway Lord Mayor Niall McNelis, Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power and Daffodil Day Centre Nurse Fionnuala Creighton also sopke to the volunteers about how important their efforts are to fund these important services and research that benefit patients and their families in so many ways.

Jess Walsh our BCNI Clinical Trials Network Coordinator wrote an update articale for the Medical Independent on BCNI actiivites The article was published on 14th February 2019 / Issue 2 Volume 5 In association with the Medical Independent and focussed on BCNI ongoing and upcoming Clinical Trials see here for the article  

Some of our fantastic female BCNI team members on International womens day!!

CLL Ireland organised a fantastic patient information event in the Clayton Hotel Silversprings in Cork on Saturday 2nd March  This afternoon event included talks by Prof. Mary Cahill, Consultant Haematologist and Clinical Professor and Emma Lane, Haematology Cancer Nurse Specialist, both from Cork University Hospital. There was an amazing turn out of over 80 people most of whom were from Cork although some people travelled from various parts of the country including Wexford, Dublin and even Monaghan. The talks by Prof Mary Cahill and Emma Lane were very well recieved and there was great feedback from the audience  who were very appreciative of the very relevant information provided by the speakers. ‌

To help patients and the public understand blood cancers we have developed, what we hope, will be the 1st in a series of animated educational videos. This video gives an overview of how blood cells are normally produced and what goes wrong with this process to cause blood cancers to develop.  We hope to follow this up with more specialized vidoes on each of the more common types of blood cancers.  See video here

Listen to Today FM interview with Prof Michael O'Dwyer on the potential of Natural Killer cells as a therapeutic strategy for Blood Cancers. On 7th Feb Prof Michael O' Dwyer was interviewed by Matt Cooper from Today FM  about the potential of Natural Klller cells as a future treatment for blood cancers. Listen back to the Matt Cooper Interview where Prof O'Dwyer outlines how current CAR-T cell therapies work and how developing a similiar NK cell therapy could overcome many of the issues assoicated with CAR-T cell therapy

BCNI took part in the Irish Cancer Society Daffodil Day Launch on 1st Feb BCNI were delighted to be invited by the Irish Cancer Society to the 2019 launch of Daffodil Day. The launch took place in Dublin and was attended by Minister for Health Simon Harris and Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power. There were a range of speakers on the day including Minister Harris, Ms Power and patients who shared their experiences of using the society’s services such as the night nurse service, volunteer drivers and the cancer nurseline. Dr Robert O’Connor, Head of Research for the society, spoke about the importance of cancer research. A patient who had taken part in a clinical trial spoke how through trials she had been given access to new treatments and what a difference that had made in her life. Cathy Cogan, a research nurse and recent recruit to BCNI had a stand in the research area and was delighted to meet patients and volunteers and to let them know of BCNI’s aim to facilitate research into blood cancer and to provide novel treatments to blood cancer patients in Ireland. Daffodil Day will take place on the 22nd March 2019.

Jessica Walsh was an invited speaker at  the  1st baltic Conference on Hematlogy for nurses  on November 23-24, 2018 in Riga, Latvia. The Conference was held in collaboration with Estonian Hematology Society and is the first of its kind with a focus on sharing, developing and improving knowledge and work methods for hematology nurses in their everyday work. The goal was to improve understanding of hematology not only among the specialist nurses in this area but also to expand and share our experience with medical workers from different departments. Jessica Walsh the BCNI clinical research nurse based in Galway was invited to the conference to present BCNI clinical trial activities. Well done to Jess!!  

BCNI had a stand on "BLOOD" at the   Galway Science and Technology Exhibition on Sunday 25th November at NUI Galway.   We had great interest from the public with hundreds of kids and their parents coming along to our stand to learn learn a little about the mysterious, life-sustaining fluid called blood - why we need blood, what it does,  how its made,  what's in it and how it clots?  BCNI was on hand to  to tell everyone some amazing facts about blood. Visitiors to the stand could see the different types of cells that make up blood under the microscope and could see how we can grow blood cancer cells in dishes to help us find new therapies for blood cancers. Our pippetting stations where kids had the opporunity to use pippettes to measure out and transfer some fake blood was very popular and our new game where white cells had to catch the grems was a huge hit.  A big thanks to all our volunteers who gave up their time on a sunny sunday to do some science communication! They did an absolutely fantastic job although I'm sure they were exhausted and hoarse by the end of their shift! Well done everybody!

 CancerResearch@UCC, with interim director Professor Mary Cahill hosted a workshop in Cork on: ‘Overcoming Obstacles in Biobanking for Translational Cancer Research‘ on Tuesday the 20th of November, 2018 in Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, UCC. The workshop was interactive and consisted of a combination of presentations and breakout sessions. The aim of this event was to bring together multidisciplinary clinicians and researchers to discuss the obstacles encountered in biobanking for translational cancer research, and to identify methods to overcome these.  There were over 60 delegates and the day was a great success with interactive audience participation and facilitated breakout sessions.  The presenters and audience were local and national experts in many area of biobanking, including GDPR. Contributors included: Professor Joe Eustace, Director of the HRB Clinical Research Facility, University College Cork Professor Eoin Gaffney, Medical Director, Biobank Ireland Trust Dr Eva Szegezdi, Director of the Blood Cancer biobank Ireland  Ms Emma Snapes, Biobank Manager, INFANT Centre, University College Cork Dr Sharon McKenna, Principal Investigator, CancerResearch@UCC, University College Cork Prof Elisabeth Vandenberghe, Consultant Haematologist, St James Hospital Mr Jason Carr, CEO Supretecbox Professor Louise Burke, Consultant Histopathologist, Cork University Hospital  

Well done to Multiple Myeloma Ireland who organised a Patient and Family Awareness Day on 8th Nov in the Sligo Park Hotel Our thanks to MMI for organisng such a great event and letting BCNI come along and talk to patients. These events are a great support for cancer patients and provide us with the opportunity to meet with patients and tell them about our research and how they can get involved. A big thanks to Jess Walsh our BCNI nurse based in Galway for manning the stand and commiserations to Programme Manager Sandra whose car broke down on the way to Sligo... ‌  

On 19 October 2018 CLL Ireland are hosting an Evening of Support in Mullingar. This event is a direct outcome from their last Information Day where attendees discussed the issues of importance to them and provided further insight through a survey completed. Attendees indicated that more Emotional Support for CLL patients and those impacted by a CLL diagnosis is needed.  Therefore CLL reland have organised this Evening of Support for CLL patients and the CLL community and it will include a talk by Louise O’Driscoll Clinical Psychologist, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin.  There is no cost to attend the event but Registration is necessary. See http://clli.ie/news-and-events/upcoming-events/  The Mullingar Park Hotel is offering a discount for anyone wanting to stay.  Just enter the code CLLI in the promo code box, with date 19 October 2018 and book direct on their website to obtain this preferential rate!  

Congratulations to Dr Harry Comber who won the lifetime achievement award at the Irish Healthcare Awards The  Irish Healthcare Awards took place on the 17 October 2018 in Dublin. They celebrate innovation, excellence and achievement in the Irish health system and recognise projects and individuals that have made a positive contribution to patient care. The  Awards have become synonymous with everything that is exceptional and progressive in the Irish health service. The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to a doctor who, in the view of colleagues or patients, has made an exceptional contribution to Irish medicine during his or her career.  Dr Harry Conber was director of the National Cancer Registry Ireland and a Principle Investigator in BCNI until his retirement in 2016.While at the Registry, his work involved promoting the use of cancer information to help improve health service planning and evaluation, and ultimately, better cancer patient outcomes. He was involved in a wide range of research projects at the Registry and contributed to many Registry reports. In addition, he represented the Registry at many important international cancer-related conferences. He co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed papers while Director,.  Dr Comber successfully led the transition from a small Registry into a nationwide organisation with over fifty employees throughout Ireland, providing an evidence-based voice to public discourse on cancer incidence, mortality and survival today. It was Dr Comber's vision to develop an enhanced blood cancer registry that could be used as a model in best practice for the registration of all other cancers.  Well Done Harry!  

Multiple Myeloma Ireland are organising a Patient and Family Awareness Day on 8th Nov in the Sligo Park Hotel BCNI will have a stand at the event so come along and meet some of our staff and find out about activities and how you can get involved. Registration is free and you can find more information about the event and registration at www.multiplemyelomaireland.org/mmi2018#reginfo   The preliminary Porgramme is  09.00 Registration & Refreshments 09.30 Welcome & Introductions Mary Kelly, Multiple Myeloma Ireland Chair 09.45 Living with Multiple Myeloma – a Patients PerspectiveTBC 10.15 Medical overview of Myeloma Dr Ruth Morrell, Consultant Haematologist, Letterkenny University Hospital, Donegal 11.15 Morning Refreshment Break 11.45 – 12.30 Exercise for quality of life Miriam Flatley, Senior Oncology Physiotherapist, Galway University Hospitals 12.30 – 13.30 Lunch 13.30 – 14. 15 Transplant Liz Higgins, Autologous Transplant, Co-Ordinator, St James Hospital, Dublin 14.15 – 14.45 Dental Care for Myeloma Patients Dr Andrew Bolas, Principal Dental Surgeon, Sligo/Leitrim, Oral Surgeon 14.45 – 15.15 Managing the side effects of treatmentand complications of Multiple Myeloma Geraldine Walpole, Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Haematology, Sligo University Hospital 15.15 – 15.45 Future strategies for Myeloma Dr Andrew Hodgson, Consultant Haematologist, Sligo University Hospital 15.45 – 16.00 Final comments Colm Brennan, Multiple Myeloma Ireland 16.00 AGM

Prof Michael O'Dwyer and Prof Peter O'Gorman worked with Mediaplanet on the 2018 Blood Health IE campaign. A printed publication was enclosed within every copy of The Irish Independent newspaper on 28th Sept 2108 and the content available online also at  https://bit.ly/2OhxdrU#BloodHealthIE Learn more about current research and development in bleeding disorders and blood cancers from key thought leaders in Ireland! Professor Michael O’Dwyer: http://www.healthnews.ie/250-cases-of-multiple-myeloma-diagnosed-annually-in-ireland Professor Peter O’Gorman: http://www.healthnews.ie/new-myeloma-treatments-are-prolonging-lives

BCNI team members attended the ICS annual cancer suvivorship conference in Galway on 15th Sept. The annual national conference  is an essential part of the Irish Cancer Society's work and aims to provide information and support to enable people to live well after a cancer diagnosis. It is aimed at cancer survivors, those who care for them, health care professionals, and staff and volunteers from community-based cancer support services. The  conference provides information and support to enable people to live well after a cancer diagnosis, and approximately 400 people attended the Galway event. There was a range of speakers who shared their experiences, stories and expert knowledge and there were two practical workshops sessions. Attendees had the option to choose from topics such as exercise, diet, mindfulness, employment and much, much more. There was also an  exhibition area showcasing a diverse selection of educational and practical exhibitors as well as representatives from local cancer support services. BCNI had a stand in the exhibition area and we were delighted to meet patients and their families and let them know about the work BCNI is doing to bring new treatments to blood cancer patients and to facilitate reseach into blood cancers.

Come along and meet our BCNI team members at the ICS Cancer Survivorship conferences in Galway and Cork This year the Irish Cancer Society are holding their annual Cancer Survivorship Conferences in both Galway and Cork to give patients and their families living in the south and west of the country a better chance to attend the event.  The event in Galway is on 15th Sept at the Clayton Hotel in Ballybrit while the Cork conference takes place on 22nd Sept at the Clayton Hotel Silver Springs. BCNI will have a stand at both events so come along and meet our local team members to learn more about  BCNI activities and also how you as a patient or caregiver could contribute to our efforts to improve outcomes for blood cancer patients We look forward to seeing you there! Cancer survivorship conference 2018 For more information and registration (free) please see  www.cancer.ie/how-we-can-help/support/living-well-with-cancer-conference#sthash.oRUrUCop.dpbs   

Prof Michael O'Dwyer recently talked to the wonderful Irish Cancer Society staff and volunteers about  blood cancer research and the activities they are supporting by providing funding for BCNI On 23rd August Prof Michael O'Dwyer gave a talk at the ICS headquarters in Dublin. ICS staff  and volunteers came to learn a little more about blood cancers, the latest advances in treatments and the activities that BCNI researchers and clinicians are carrying out to increase understanding and improve treatments for blood cancer patients. In particualar Micheal acknowledged  the great contribution that Irish patients and organisations like the ICS are making to help support research into developing new treatments and improving outcomes for blood cancer patients.

Innovation within oncology Prof Michael O'Dwyer recently worked with Mediaplanet UK on the 2018 Innovation within oncology campaign to give an overview of how immunotherapy is providing an alternative to traditional cancer treatments.  On 23rd June a printed publication was enclosed within every copy of The Irish Independent newspaper and the content is available online also at http://www.healthnews.ie/cancer/immunotherapy-proving-vital-alternative-to-traditional-cancer-treatments Read features on new innovations that are improving patient pathways from key thought leaders online at http://bit.ly/2KdgnJoBCNI has worked on the Innovation within oncology campaign with @MediaplanetUK which features exclusive content from key figures advocating greater access to medicine in Ireland

The Young Cancer Researchers Networking (YCRN) Translational Cancer Research Conference  took place on 21-22 June 2018, University College Cork, Ireland. Prof Mary Cahill was one of the organisers of this meeting and Dr Eva Szegezdi was an invited speaker. The ideal was to inspire, connect  and promote the interactions of young cancer researchers with their peers and with the cancer research community. The scientific focus of the meeting was on translational cancer research and promoting a collaborative approach between the laboratory and clinical research. The YCRN event was aimed at postgraduate research students and provided a platform for PhD and MD/PhD students to report their scientific discoveries. Postgraduate students that presented their research at the YCRN event had the opportunity to increase their exposure and obtain feedback on their research.The meeting  also created an opportunity for Junior Cancer Researchers to identify and develop their future partnerships and to promote the advance of translational cancer research. It improved their visibility and inspired them to actively engage the public with their work.  

BCNI held its 3rd annual symposium at Beaumont Hospital Dublin on 8th June 2018 Our annual symposium is becoming ever more popular and is on its way to becoming one of the most important meetings nationally for clinical, reseach and industry personnel with an interest in translational amd clinical research in blood cancers.  The title of this year’s symposium was "Blood Cancer Research: Focus on immunotherapy and the tumour microenvironment" " and approx 100 people attended the event. The symposium provided the opportunity to hear about the latest research and hottest topics in blood cancer research from an excellent line-up of international experts. The symposium also stimulated great interactions between Irish and international blood cancer researchers and between academics and industry researchers helping to form collaborations and come up with novel ideas for blood cancer therapeutics development. Congratulations to Subhashis Sarkar of NUI Galway on winning the prize for best young speaker Shirley O'Dea from Avectas Ltd who won  the best poster prize Well done to all involved in organising such a great meeting.!! See some photos of the symposium below

BCNI is organsing a public lecture on "Blood Cancers and Advances in Treatment" in Beaumont Hospital Dublin on 8th June Blood Cancer is an umbrella term for different kinds of cancer that affect blood cells such as leukaemia, myeloma and lymphoma. Blood cancers account for about 10% of all cancers and every year approximately 1600 Irish patients are diagnosed with blood cancer and about 700 people die from this disease. This public lecture is aimed at giving the public, patients and their families information about blood cancers and about recent advances in the treatment of blood cancers. We have an excellent new addition to the programme -  Dr Jim Omel has lived with Multiple Myeloma for over 18 years. Jim lives in Nebraska USA and now works as a volunteer with the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, which oversees and helps design all clinical trials. Jim also works with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as one of 160 patient representatives nationwide, three of which have myeloma. Those patient representatives represent various diseases and are called upon to serve on the FDA advisory panel to review the research behind new drugs being considered for approval so we are delighted that Jim has agreed to give a short talk at our event. For directions to Beaumont Hospital please click the link to follow Beaumont Hospital Directions The lecture will take place in the Richard Carmichael Lecture Theatre which is accessed though the main entrance to the hospital, turn to the left in the lobby area and left again for the entrance to the lecture theatre. Venue: Richard Carmichael Lecture Theatre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin  Time and Date: 4pm-5.30pm on Friday 8th June This event is open to all and there is a welcome Tea/coffee from 4pm- 4.15 ‌‌

Blood Cancer Network Ireland is holding its annual symposium  on Friday 8th June in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin “Blood Cancer Research: Focus on immunotherapy and the tumour microenvironment” The aim of the symposium is to provide Irish researchers and clinical staff with the opportunity to hear about the latest research and hottest topics in blood cancer research from international experts and to present their own work in this area. This symposium will bring researchers in the fields of cancer drug discovery and hematological malignancies together with industry and clinical investigators interested in translating research findings into early clinical development. The scientific focus will be in two key areas: Immunotherapy Tumour microenvironment The focus of the symposium on cutting edge research and cancer therapeutics development will make this a highly significant and relevant meeting for all researchers interested in applying research findings for clinical development in blood cancers. There will be an opprotunity for researchers to present posters in the area of immunotherapy, the tumour microenvironment and targeted therapies and approx 3 posters will be selected for oral presentations. Prizes will be awared for the best poster and oral presentation. There will be an opportunity for young researchers to meet experts in the field at a "meet the experts" session There will be a session on "Advances in blood cancer research" directed towards patients and their families at the end of the symposium To register for the meeting please  see Registration form 2018 For imformation on submitting abstracts please see Symposium 2018 - announcement Updated draft symposium programmeBlood Cancer Symposium - June 2018- Final programme  

Prof Michael O'Dwyer writes for RTE Brainstorm RTÉ Brainstorm is where the academic and research community contribute to public debate, reflect on what’s happening in the world around us and communicate fresh thinking on a broad range of issues. Combining opinion, analysis and features and edited by RTÉ and sitting alongside their online journalism and content, RTÉ Brainstorm provides readers with informed views and perspectives on a vast range of topics Prof Michael O'Dwyer writes about cellular immunotherapy whcih aims to make the cells of the immune system much more effective at seeking out and killing cancer cells.  see here for article 

We have a new newsletter! Read it to find out more about our activites, our progress, our staff and our upcoming events BCNI newsletter June 2018

On 15th May the 2nd Cancer Clinical Trials Educational meeting will take place at  Cork University Hospital  BCNI Investigator Prof Mary Cahill, Consultant Hematologist at CUH and BCNI Clinical Trials Network Manager Dr Grainne Gannon will give presentations at the meeting. All are welcome so come along if you want to learn more about Cancer Clinical Trials Programme 13:00 - Brendan O’Reilly – A/Operations Manager CUH-opening the meeting.  13:05 - Dr Richard Bambury presenting: “Medical Oncology Trials - improving life for patients"  13:20 - Grainne Gannon- Clinical Trial Network Manager : BCNI clinical trial overview.  13:30 – Prof. Mary Cahill presenting - Blood Cancer Trials: How we can help current and future patients.  13:45 - Dr Paul Kelly: Clinical Trials – “Route to Radiotherapy Technology”  13:55 - Closing meeting  

Why are cancer cells attracted to the bone marrow? Dr Eva Szegezdi's article for RTE brainstorm discusses how the Bone Marrow can act as a protective environment for cancer cells helping them grown and hide from chemotherapeutic drugs. Eva also discusses current research efforts to develop new drugs that (1) force cancer cells out of the bone marrow where they can be killed by chemotherapeutic drugs or (2) that stop the bone marrow producing signals that help the cancer cells to survive and grow. See her article here

The Munster Blood Club - Inaugural Summer Meeting will take place on Friday 11th May 2018 at the Strand Hotel, Ennis Road, Limerick BCNI Investigators Prof Michael O'Dwyer and Prof Mary Cahill as well as BCNI Member Dr Dervla O'Shea will give presentations at this meeting Myeloma Research Update - Prof. Michael O’ Dwyer Galway University Hospital Innovation in the HSE – Comes at a Price- Dr. Derville O’ Shea, Cork University Hospital BCNI Update – Infrastructure for Translational Haematology - Prof. Mary Cahill, Cork University Hospital For the full agenda please see Munster blood group meeting

‌BCNI CyborD-DARA trial features in the Spring 2018 edition of Cancer Trails Irelands Disease Specific Sub Group digest. Read about the CyBorD-DARA trial which featured at the American Society of Haematology (ASH) meeting. ASH is the largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatment of blood disorders. Pictured at the meeting with the CyBorD-DARA trial poster presentation (l to r) Dr Cian McEllistrim, (first author), Prof Michael O’Dwyer (Chief Investigator) and Dr Serika D Naicker (the researcher who conducts the translational research element of the trial). See CTI DSSG digest of ASH 2017

BCNI organised a coffee morning and cake sale in aid of the the Irish Cancer Society's Daffodil day - 23rd March 2018 Well done to all the BCNI team at Clinical Research Facility at Galway University Hospital and at  Biomedical Sciences at NUI Galway for a great coffee morning and cake sale on Daffodil day in aid of the IRISH CANCER SOCIETY. Team members were supported by great colleagues at both sites to  produce a fantastic range of delicious cakes. Many thanks to all those who supported our efforts and enabled us to collect over €1000 in aid of the Irish Cancer Society!

‌Two of our BCNI researchers participated in a "Women in Science" event on International womens day! Well done to BCNI research nurse Liz Linehan who gave a presentation at the "Women in Science" event  and to Prof Mary Cahill who moderated the panel discussion. The event was organised by the Cork Cancer Research Centre.

Dr Grainne Gannon, BCNI Clinical Trials Network Manager took part in the Irish Cancer Society's Daffodil Day Launch event on 9th Feb in Dublin. Grainne, along with collagues from IPCOR and Breast PREDICT, attended the event and were on hand to explain the activities of their Irish Cancer Society funded research networks.  The RTE broadcaster, Miriman O'Callahan who lost a sister to cancer, spoke at the launch which was attended by Minister for Health Simon Harris, Chief Executive of the Irish Cancer Society Averil Power, RTE’s Aengus Mac Grianna, representatives from Boots Ireland and hundreds of Daffodil Day volunteers Daffodil Day is Friday, 23 March 2018! This year marks Daffodil Day’s 31st anniversary! Join thousands of volunteers around Ireland selling daffodil pins and flowers on streets, in businesses, homes and shopping centres; or hosting a Daffodil Day event to raise funds for the Society’s free, nationwide care services for those with, and affected by, cancer in Ireland.  For more information on how to get involved in daffodil day events please see here

Dr Grainne Gannon, BCNI Clinical Trials Network Manager took part in the Irish Cancer Society's Daffodil Day Launch event on 9th Feb in Dublin. Grainne, along with collagues from IPCOR and Breast PREDICT, attended the event and were on hand to explain the activities of their Irish Cancer Society funded research networks.  The RTE broadcaster, Miriman O'Callahan who lost a sister to cancer, spoke at the launch which was attended by Minister for Health Simon Harris, Chief Executive of the Irish Cancer Society Averil Power, RTE’s Aengus Mac Grianna, representatives from Boots Ireland and hundreds of Daffodil Day volunteers Daffodil Day is Friday, 23 March 2018! This year marks Daffodil Day’s 31st anniversary! Join thousands of volunteers around Ireland selling daffodil pins and flowers on streets, in businesses, homes and shopping centres; or hosting a Daffodil Day event to raise funds for the Society’s free, nationwide care services for those with, and affected by, cancer in Ireland.  For more information on how to get involved in daffodil day events please see here

8th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MYELOPROLIFERATIVE NEOPLASMSSaggart, IrelandMay 15-17, 2018 The European School of Hematology is holding its 8th International Conference on Myeloproliferative Neoplasms from 15th -17th May in Dublin.  Topics include: Genetic and Cellular Pathogenesis of MPNs Novel MPN Therapy Mechanisms of Myeloid Transformation and Progression Murine Modelling of MPN Targeting the MPN stem cell Recent advances in Management To register and for more information on the conference please see www.esh.org

Young Cancer Researchers Networking (YCRN) 2018  The Young Cancer Researchers Networking (YCRN) 2018 is a conference organised by a Cancer Research at CoMH, UCC. It is scheduled for 21-22 June 2018. Its main purpose is to assemble and support interdisciplinary translational cancer research community in Ireland and promote the profile of Irish cancer research in Europe. A need to stage an event where cutting-edge translational cancer research expertise can be readily disseminated with a focus on the next generation of researchers was identified and this conference will address this need by encouraging and showcasing talent from junior researchers in the cancer space in Ireland and abroad. The principal theme of the first YCRN event is dedicated to the current advances in translational oncology. It will be delivered in a form of oral and poster presentations of pioneering results in cancer research that is aligned with three Strategic Priority Areas of Opportunity: G – Therapeutics, E – Medical Devices and F – Diagnostics, as identified by the Report of the Research Prioritisation Steering Group.  BCNI participation:  Prof Mary Cahill is a Scientific Advisory Chair of YCRN  Dr Eva Szegezdi  has kindly agreed to give a talk at the meeting  Prof Michael O'Dwyer has agreed to chair a session at the conference and/ or give a talk For more information on registration, abstracts etc  see here

Prof Mary Cahill based at Cork University Hospital gave a presentation at the Acute Leukaemia Forum (ALF) annual meeting on 12th January in Dublin. The presentation was an "Update on extended data registration for AML- National Cancer Registry Pilot Programme’ Prof Cahill is very activiely involved in developing the BCNI data registration systems for all blood cancers and works very closely with our colleagues at the National Cancer Registry to drive progress in this research activity.

Highlights from the American Society of Hematology meeting 2017 - BCNI's CyborD-DARA study The World Myeloma Forum selected BCNI's Phase 1b CyborD-DARA study as one of the highlights of the American Society of Hematology (ASH)meeting in Atlanta in December. See Prof Michael O'Dwyer talk about  how weekly CyborD-Dara is a safe and effective upfront treatment for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma and the excellent progress being achieved in this study. See video here

BCNI visit The Jes primary school in Galway Blood in our bodies is pumped by the heart through a network of arteries and veins. Blood also carries carbon dioxide and other waste materials to the lungs, kidneys, and digestive system; from there they are removed from the body. Without blood, we couldn't keep warm or cool off, we couldn't fight infections, and we couldn't get rid of our own waste products. So how exactly does blood do these things? How is it made, and what's in it? How does blood clot?  BCNI staff went along to The Jes school to tell the 6th class kids a little about the mysterious, life-sustaining fluid called blood. 

The Medical Independent recently spoke to Prof Michael O’Dwyer about exciting new Irish blood cancer research data to be presented at the upcoming 2017 American Society of Haematology (ASH) Annual Meeting. BCNI-related research to be presented at the ASH meeting will highlight the relationship of sialic acid and multiple myeloma, as well as clinical trial data on cyclophosphamide and daratumumab to treat the disease. Prof O’Dwyer said it is an exciting time for research in blood cancer in Ireland as a result of advances made by the BCNI.  To view the Medical Independent article - see here  

Dr John Quinn and Prof Michael O'Dwyer took part in this years Multiple Myeloma awareness day for patients and their families. The annual Multiple Myeloma Ireland Patient and Family Awareness day is an opportunity for patients and their families to benefit from the expertise and experience of health professionals working in the field, as well as hearing from peers about their own multiple myeloma journey. This year the event was held on 9th November at the Glenroyal Hotel in Maynooth. Danielle Barron spoke to Professor Michael O’Dwyer in advance of the Patient and Family Awareness Day who reviewed his presentation, which centres on new developments in multiple myeloma treatment- see review here  Dr Quinn gave an overview of future strategies for the treatment of Myeloma.  

BCNI at the  20th Galway Science and Technology Exhibition on Sunday 26th November at NUI Galway.  Blood in our bodies is pumped by the heart through a network of arteries and veins. But beyond those blood basics, what do you know about that red stuff beneath your skin? The body depends on a steady supply of fuel and oxygen to reach its billions of cells. Blood also carries carbon dioxide and other waste materials to the lungs, kidneys, and digestive system; from there they are removed from the body. Without blood, we couldn't keep warm or cool off, we couldn't fight infections, and we couldn't get rid of our own waste products. So how exactly does blood do these things? How is it made, and what's in it? How does blood clot? Is it time to learn a little about the mysterious, life-sustaining fluid called blood. BCNI was on hand to  to tell everyone some amazing facts about blood. Lots of kids (and their parents) in the Galway region got to know all about why we need blood, what its made of, what the different types of blood cells do and how blood cells and blood cancer cells look under the microscope! It was a hectic but very rewarding day with approximately 20,000 people attending and a huge thanks to all of the BCNI staff and students that participated!

The 4th Cancer Research Team Site Development Day was held at the Cancer Trials Ireland Head Office, Innovation House, Glasnevin, on Friday 24th November 2017. Dr Grainne Gannon, BCNI Clinical Traials Coordinator,  was there to tell attendees about her  role in managing a national phase I network. Overall all it was an interesting meeting and helped to diseminate news of our phase 1 activities to relevant personnel nationwide.

BCNI  held a  "Blood Cancer Information Evening" on Monday 6th November. This event was free and open to patients, their families and members of the public with an interest in learning more about blood cancers.   We had a great turn out for the event which included patients, their families as well as medical and research staff and students and the venue was full to capacity! Prof Michael O'Dwyer started off the evening with an overview of the different types of blood cancers and current treatments and then he described the exciting developments taking place in immunotherapy for blood cancers. In particular he explained about CAR-T therapy which involves engineering patients own immune cells to treat their blood cancer. This is a rapidly emerging immunotherapy approach and dramatic progress has been seen lately pushing the boundaries of what many people thought was possible and it holds great promise for the future. Mary Coyne, a patient with Multiple Myeloma then described her experience of having a blood cancer and the effect it had on her and her family. Mary is currently a participant in a BCNI Phase 1 clinical trial and she shared her experience of being on a clinical trial with the audience. Mary's positive attitude and willingness to tell her story was greatly appreciated and we wish her and her family all the best.  Dr Grainne Gannon the BCNI Clinical Trials Coordinator spoke about the importance of clinical trials and this was followed up by Research Nurse Jessica Walsh who explained what it means to be a participant on a clinical trial and the pros and cons for patients. Finally Dr Sandra Healy finished up the evening by explaining what a blood cancer biobank and registry are and why we need them. Tea/coffee,  a tour of the Clinical Research Facility and a chance to speak to the BCNI staff and were on offer after the talks  and all-in-all it was a very successful information evening.        

A MDS Patient and Family Forum organised by the  MDS UK Patient Support Group & MDS Support Group for Ireland & Northern Ireland will be held on 17th Nov in Dublin. Where: MDS CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE, TALLAGHT HOSPITAL, DUBLIN 24 When: 17th Nov 2017 Who: MDS patients and their guests For more information see MDS patient forum

 Prof Michael O'Dwyer, Director of BCNI, talked to Keith Finnegan on Galway Bay FM about Blood Cancers on Friday 27th Oct 2017 Download the audio file of the interview  here Galway Bay FM radio interview to learn more about Blood cancers such as Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma  BCNI's research and clinical activities that aim to increase understanding of blood cancers and to improve treatments for blood cancer patients

BCNI investigators and staff attended the  annual Hematology Association of Ireland meeting on 13th-14th Oct in Belfast and were available to answer questions from clinicians and nursing staff about BCNI activities and how to get involved in our clinicla trial, biobanking and registry activities. 

‌Hundreds of cancer survivors, their families, friends and carers travelled from all over Ireland to attend the Irish Cancer Society’s annual conference on cancer survivorship which was held in the Aviva Stadium on 29th and 30th  September. The aim of the conference was to provide information and support to enable people to live well after a cancer diagnosis. BCNI cliniclal research nurse Jessica Walsh and clinical trials coordinator Grainne Gannon were on hand to tell patients and their families about BCNI and our efforts to increase understanding and improve treatments for blood cancer patients. The conference was opened by the Minister for Health Simon Harris and  Grainne and Jessica spoke about our network and about BCNI clinical trails  that are allowing patients to access treatments that would otherwise not be available to them.  Patients also heard from a range of speakers  including cancer patients, seeking to understand and address not just the cancer itself but the huge range of needs that accompany a diagnosis.

‌Hundreds of cancer survivors, their families, friends and carers travelled from all over Ireland to attend the Irish Cancer Society’s annual conference on cancer survivorship which was held in the Aviva Stadium on 29th and 30th  September. The aim of the conference was to provide information and support to enable people to live well after a cancer diagnosis. BCNI cliniclal research nurse Jessica Walsh and clinical trials coordinator Grainne Gannon were on hand to tell patients and their families about BCNI and our efforts to increase understanding and improve treatments for blood cancer patients. The conference was opened by the Minister for Health Simon Harris and  Grainne and Jessica spoke about our network and about BCNI clinical trails  that are allowing patients to access treatments that would otherwise not be available to them.  Patients also heard from a range of speakers  including cancer patients, seeking to understand and address not just the cancer itself but the huge range of needs that accompany a diagnosis.

On wednesday 27th Sept Dr Grainne Gannon, the BCNI Clinical trials coordinator participated in an information event for people living with blood cancer in the Davenport Hotel on Merrion Street Lower, Dublin 2. The event was part of the overall" Make Blood Cancer Visible" campaign. The patient event was open to all people, along with their family and friends, who are living with blood cancer. Speakers included Donal Buggy, Head of Services and Advocacy, Irish Cancer Society, Dr Paul D’Alton, Head of Psycho-Oncology Department, St Vincent’s Hospital, Eric Low, former CEO of Myeloma UK and two haematology nurse specialists.  Cancer Trials Ireland also attended the event to promote their "Just Ask" campaign encouraging patients to access clinical trials. BCNI had a stand with information leaflets and Grainne was available to chat to Patients and their families about BCNI clinical trials.

September is blood cancer awareness month.   Prof Michael O'Dwyer, Director of BCNI has been taking part in a media awareness campagin to highlight the signs and sympotoms of Blood Cancers and explain the research we are doing to develop new treatments for patients.  There are over 140 different types of blood cancers, which can be classified into three main groups – leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Together, they comprise nearly 10% of all cancers and are the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths in Ireland. Despite this, many people are unaware of the symptoms associated with blood cancer, or often put them down to something else.  The Make Blood Cancer Visible campaign aims to change this by raising awareness about the disease. It was launched by former professional boxer Barry McGuigan, whose father Pat died from Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – a rare type of blood cancer – in 1987. Pat died within 10 weeks of his diagnosis. He was just 52 years old at the time. To learn more please see  Make Blood Cancer Visible campaign TV3 Ireland AM http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/809/131627/1/Ireland%20AM Independent.ie - http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/barry-mcguigan-my-dad-was-diagnosed-with-a-rare-blood-cancer-he-died-nine-weeks-later-36100818.html Journal.ie http://www.thejournal.ie/blood-cancer-barry-mcguigan-3580768-Sep2017/  Or listen in to Sean O'Rourke program on RTE1 interviewing Prof O'Dwyer and Barry McGuigan Sean O'Rourke RTE1 interview

Prof Michael O'Dwyer, Director of Blood Cancer Network Ireland recently talked to Myeloma Crowd Radio about how sugar molecules can act as a smokescreen for myeloma cells. He explained how normal sugars found on the surface of cells can be altered in cancer cells helping them to hide from the immune system. His research is trying to find new ways to detect these altered sugars to improve diagnostic tests and to use our understanding of this aberant process in cancer cells to develop new treatments for myeloma. You can listen to a recording of this show on www.blogtalkradio.com/myelomacrowdradio/2017/08/25/myeloma-crowd-radio-michael-odwyer-md-national-university-of-ireland        

‌ Blood Cancer Network Ireland recently held its annual symposium on 9th June in St James Hospital Dublin. The title of this year’s symposium was "Advances in translational and early clinical research in blood cancers" and over 80 researchers and clinical staff attended the event. The symposium provided the opportunity to hear about the latest research and hottest topics in blood cancer research from an excellent line-up of international experts. The symposium also stimulated great interactions between Irish and international blood cancer researchers helping to form collaborations and come up with novel ideas for blood cancer therapeutics development. Among the highlights of the symposium were: Dr Alessandra Larocca, Citta' della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, highlighted key results from the European Multiple Myeloma network trials. Dr Armand Keating, Cell Therapy Program, Ontario Cancer Institute, Canada, presented findings from a phase 1 study which showed the potential of irradiated NK92 cells for the treatment of blood cancers. Professor Daniela Krause, Institute for Tumour Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt, discussed the role of the bone marrow microenvironment in blood cancer development and treatment. Professor Hermann Einsele, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, discussed multiple approaches for the immunotherapeutic treatment of Multiple Myeloma. An interesting talk from Dr Tony McElligott, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, St James Hospital, Dublin, on the role of STAT3 in micro-environmental interactions in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Dr Karen Keeshan, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, highlighted differences in cancer stem cells in adult and paediatric Acute Myeloid Leukeamia (AML) and how it could affect treatment for paediatric AML. Dr Serika Naicker, Biomedical Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, showed how daratumumab could be more potent in combination with low dose chemotherapy via macrophage mediated ADCP. Professor Tuna Mutis, Dept. of Hematology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, presented his work on understanding immune escape in the Multiple Myeloma microenvironment and strategies to overcome it. Congratulations to Alessandra Di Grande of RCSI on winning the best poster prize and Dr Serika Naicker, NUI Galway, on winning the prize for best young presenter at the blood cancer symposium, and well done to all involved in organising a great event.  ‌

BCNI researchers based in Galway and their collaborators have published significant new findings in the journal "Leukemia". The researchers have shown that Myeloma cells that express high levels of the E-selectin ligand give rise to a more aggressive  disease and were more resistant to chemotherapy. They also found that relapsed patients had higher levels of E-selectin expressing cells.Significantly they went on to demonstrate that by using an E-selectin antogonist (GM1271) they could prevent the cells becoming resistant to chemotherapy. This work work is important because it provides a rational for targeting E-selectin receptor/ligand interactions to overcome metastasis and chemoresistance in Multiple Myeloma. Leukemia paper accepted article

The Information and Advocacy group for CLL Patients and Carers are organising a meeting on Sat 29th of April in the Ashling Hotel in Dublin. This is a great opportunity for patients and their families to come together to share information,   become involved and become informed. The meeting is open to all and you can find a link to the program and the meeting flyer below. CLL meeting porgram

Irish cancer patients with multiple myeloma are the first in the world to be treated with a new potentially life-saving drug combination 27th Feb 2017: Irish patients with the blood cancer ‘multiple myeloma’ are the first patients worldwide to take part in a new drug trial to develop more effective treatment for the cancer. This innovative Phase 1 clinical trial being led by researchers at NUI Galway will investigate for the first time, whether the addition of a new multiple myeloma treatment, Daratumumab (DARA), to a standard care chemotherapy containing the drugs Cyclophosphamide and Bortezomib (CyBorD), is beneficial for treating newly diagnosed patients. DARA by itself is a very promising new therapy for this particular cancer and has recently been approved for treating relapsed patients. This new trial is the first study worldwide to combine DARA with Cyclophosphamide and will determine whether this combination results in a more effective treatment. Blood Cancer Network Ireland (BCNI) has already recruited the first six patients at University Hospital Galway and Cork University Hospital and the study will soon be extended to BCNI centres in Dublin, thereby giving multiple myeloma patients nationwide access to the trial. BCNI is a €2.7 million cancer research and clinical trials initiative funded by the Irish Cancer Society and Science Foundation Ireland which brings together clinicians, scientists, and population health experts across Galway, Cork and Dublin with a shared interest in blood cancer research. Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer arising from a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. Plasma cells normally produce antibodies which help fight infection. In multiple myeloma the plasma cells become cancerous and are called myeloma cells. These can produce an excess of a single antibody which is harmful and stops the blood from working properly. Each year in Ireland approximately 250 people are diagnosed with the cancer and 170 succumb to the disease. Notably this clinical trial is the first homegrown (investigator initiated) trial to be conducted by BCNI. It is the culmination of collaborative research efforts between BCNI scientists and Janssen pharmaceuticals which show that Cyclophosphamide treatment can potentially make DARA more effective. It represents a bench-to-bedside approach where scientific insights from the laboratory are applied to developing new and improved ways to treat patients. This is the first cancer clinical trial to be sponsored by NUI Galway on behalf of BCNI and it demonstrates the University’s commitment to supporting clinical cancer research. Irish patients on this trial will receive additional benefits, including state of the art monitoring and access to this new treatment free of charge. Commenting on the new trial, Professor Michael O’Dwyer, BCNI Director, lead investigator and Consultant Haematologist at NUI Galway said: “It is an exciting time for blood cancer research in Ireland. This new trial, a first for BCNI, is another step forward in developing new treatment options for patients living with multiple myeloma. The study is the result of collaborations across a broad range of partners including NUI Galway, Cancer Trials Ireland, the Irish Cancer Society, Science Foundation Ireland, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the Health Research Board and BCNI investigators and staff. The successful launch of the study is a testament to our shared commitment to finding better treatment options for patients through clinical trials.” Head of Research at the Irish Cancer Society, Dr Robert O’Connor, welcomed this new Phase 1 clinical trial and praised the work of researchers linked to Blood Cancer Network Ireland: “ This latest clinical trial highlights the importance of investing in world class innovative and potentially life-changing Irish cancer research and we hope that the patients taking part will help identify even more improvements in care and outcomes for this disease. The Irish Cancer Society is proud to be partnering with Science Foundation Ireland on the funding of BCNI, ensuring that Irish blood cancer patients benefit from the latest advances in cancer care and treatment. Ireland has many world class cancer researchers but it’s only through the public’s generous donations that we can continue to invest in such vital cancer research. For that, we thank the public, and hope that they can continue to support us this Daffodil Day, March 24th.” The past two decades have seen major advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma with approval of several new treatments resulting in a doubling in survival over this period.  Carefully conducted clinical trials based on bench to bedside research have been critical for these developments. This trial exemplifies this approach and is an important contribution by Irish researchers and patients to the global fight against multiple myeloma. For more information on the study please visit www.bloodcancers.ie or www.clinicaltrials.gov (search: NCT02955810). If you would like to refer a patient or have any queries please contact Amanda Bray, the National Research Coordinator for BCNI by email amanda.bray@nuigalway.ie or contact BCNI@nuigalway.ie

BCNI are currently recruiting for:  Research Assistant (part-time) - Cancer Niche Group. Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a part-time, fixed term contract as a research assistant for the Cancer Niche Group of Blood Cancer Network Ireland (BCNI) and Apoptosis Research Centre based in the Biomedical Sciences Building at NUI Galway. The position is available from April 2017 to March 2019 subject to an initial one year probationary period. This position is funded by Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Cancer Society.

‌‌‌ BCNI had a stand at the  19th Galway Science and Technology Exhibition on Sunday 27 November at NUI Galway.  Companies, schools, colleges (including NUI Galway and GMIT), and research institutes exhibited over 80 interactive STEM demonstrations and projects for all ages to enjoy. BCNI was on hand to  to tell everyone some amazing facts about blood. Now lots of kids (and their parents) in the Galway region know all about why we need blood, what its made of, what the different types of blood cells do and they got to see what  blood cells and blood cancer cells look like under the microscope! Great fun was had by all our team and the many visitors to the stand!

The Galway team of Blood Cancer Network Ireland are organising an information event on blood cancers and clinical trials. If you or a loved one has blood cancer, or if you just want to learn more  about blood cancers or the clinical trials that the network is running, please come along to our free event. Venue: Room 305, Clinical Sciences Institute, University Hospital Galway. See map to CSI Date: Thursday 20th October from 7-9pm Blood Cancer information evening flyer: Professor Michael O’Dwyer, Consultant Haematologist, Galway University Hospital:  “Overview of blood cancers and recent advances in treatment” Christopher McEvilly, Blood Cancer Patient: “My experience with blood cancer” Amanda Bray, Clinical Trials Coordinator, Clinical Research Facility, GUH :“What it means to be a clinical trial participant” Dr Sandra Healy, Blood Cancer Network Ireland programme manager :"What is a blood cancer biobank and registry and why we need  them?" TEA/COFFEE and tour of the Clinical Research Facility at GUH If possible please register by dropping us an email at BCNI@nuigalway.ie For more information and directions please see www.bloodcancers.ie

Tuesday 27 September 2016: An Irish patient with the blood cancer ‘multiple myeloma’ has become the first in the world to take part in a new drug trial for patients with the disease who respond poorly to standard treatment. The clinical trial, looking at a new medicine called GMI-1271, is being run by Blood Cancer Network Ireland and has recently recruited its first patient in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, under the supervision of Dr John Quinn, Consultant Haematologist and Associate Investigator with Blood Cancer Network Ireland. Blood Cancer Network Ireland is a €2.7 million cancer research and clinical trials initiative funded by the Irish Cancer Society and Science Foundation Ireland which brings together clinicians, scientists, and population health experts across Galway, Cork and Dublin with a shared interest in blood cancer research. The drug was first tested in Ireland, the US and Australia in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia and early results are very promising for treating patients with this form of blood cancer. Blood Cancer Network Ireland will now lead the way in evaluating whether the therapy is also effective in patients with multiple myeloma. Blood cancer is an umbrella term for cancers that affect the blood, bone marrow, and lymphatic system. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the blood arising from a type of white blood cell which is called a plasma cell. Plasma cells normally produce antibodies which help fight infection. In myeloma the plasma cells become cancerous and are called myeloma cells. These can produce an excess of a single antibody which is harmful and stops the blood from working properly. In both acute myeloid leukaemia and multiple myeloma, some of the cancer cells can hide out in the bone marrow, where they stick to blood vessels, rendering chemotherapy less effective. This means that, even after chemotherapy has killed the majority of cancer cells, the cells in these ‘sanctuary sites’ survive and then go on to grow and multiply once again, causing the patient to relapse. If successful, GMI-1271 will prevent or delay this relapse. By testing the drug in tandem with standard chemotherapy, it is hoped that cancer cells will be unable to anchor themselves to the bone marrow, allowing chemotherapy treatment to kill all cancer cells in the patient. The opportunity to open the trial in Ireland is due to the research carried out by members of Blood Cancer Network Ireland and their strong collaboration with Glycomimetics, the biotechnology company which produced the drug. The GMI-1271 trial for multiple myeloma patients will also open in University Hospital Galway where Professor Michael O’Dwyer (Director of Blood Cancer Network Ireland) is leading the study. Commenting on the new trial, Professor O’Dwyer said: “This new clinical trial highlights the huge strides in cancer research and clinical trials which Blood Cancer Network Ireland has been a part of since our establishment in November 2015. “There are approximately 1,500 people in Ireland living with blood cancer. Blood cancers account for about 10% of cancer deaths and it is the relapsed drug resistant cancer that is the cause of most deaths. The fact that this new trial provides hope for multiple myeloma patients is an exciting development that puts Blood Cancer Network Ireland at the forefront of blood cancer research on a global scale.” Consultant haematologist at Beaumont Hospital, Dr John Quinn, joined Blood Cancer Network Ireland in February of this year after the Irish Cancer Society committed to an increased investment of €450,000 over the next five years to support the expansion of the network into Mater and Beaumont Hospitals. Speaking on his entry into the network, Dr Quinn said at the time: “We have been developing our clinical trial practice in haematology at Beaumont over the past five years, however, this major investment by the Irish Cancer Society will open up even greater access to blood cancer clinical trials and the latest treatments for our patients, and also strengthen the network as whole”. Head of Research at the Irish Cancer Society, Dr Robert O’Connor, welcomed this new Phase 1 clinical trial and praised the work of researchers linked to Blood Cancer Network Ireland: “The work being carried out by this country-wide network of clinicians, scientists, and population health experts highlights the importance of investing in such innovative and potentially life-changing cancer research. The Irish Cancer Society is proud to be partnering with Science Foundation Ireland on the funding of Blood Cancer Network Ireland, ensuring that Irish blood cancer patients benefit from the latest advances in cancer care and treatment.” Each year in Ireland approximately 250 people are diagnosed with multiple myeloma and 170 succumb to their disease.  In the past a multiple myeloma diagnosis meant that a patient could only expect to survive for three to five years, with chemotherapy the only treatment available. Today, that average survival time has increased very significantly, and the introduction of new medicines in the coming years will likely see patient outcomes improve even further.

We were very saddened to learn of the death of Paul Daly who passed away after a long and courageous battle with Leukemia.  Paul recognised the importance of research in continuing the fight against cancer and he gave willingly of his time and support to promote blood cancer research in Ireland. We are very grateful to Paul for his contribution as a patient to our Blood Cancer Network and our sympathies are with his family in this difficult time. ‌‌

On Friday 27th May BCNI held a “Blood Cancer” Symposium for researchers and healthcare professionals with an interest in translational and clinical blood cancer research. This event had an excellent line-up of international speakers. Speakers Prof Donald Harvey,   Director, Phase 1 Clinical Trials, Winship Cancer Institute Emory University, Atlanta, USA  "The recent evolution of phase 1 trials in drug development"- See presentation Dr Jim Omel,  Patient Advocate, USA "Myeloma....still much to be done" - See presentation Prof Alan Burnett,  Emeritus Prof  and Head of Haematology Department of Medical Genetics, Cardiff, Wales , "Can we do trials better?"-See presentation Prof Henk Lokhorst, Prof of Hematology, VU Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, "Evolving immunotherapeutic strategies in myeloma" -See presentation Dr Caroline Heckman, Institute for Molecular Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland, "From biobanks and big data to precision medicine strategies in hematology" -See presentation Margaret Doyle, Global Medical Affairs Director, Hematology, Janssen, "BCNI- an industry perspective"     - See presentation     Presentations on the vision and activities of Blood Cancer Network Ireland were given by Prof Michael O'Dwyer, BCNI Director "Development of early phase clinical trials in Ireland" - See presentation Dr Eva Szegezdi, BCNI Biobank leader "Introducing Blood Cancer Biobank Ireland" - See presentation Dr Harry Comber, BCNI Cancer Registry "Establishing an enhanced blood cancer registry for Ireland" - See Presentation ‌ Approximately 100 people attended the symposium coming from Universities (TCD, UCC, NUIG, QUB, GMIT, RCSI, UCD, UL, DCU) Hospitals and Clinical Research Facilities (Mater, Beaumont, Cork University Hospital, University Hospital Galway, MRH Tullamore, St James, Clinical Trials Ireland) Funding agencies (Science Foundation Ireland, Irish Cancer Society and Enterprise Ireland) Industry (Amgen, Novartis, Janssen, AbbVie, BMS, SuprTec Box). Overall it was an excellent symposium that generated a lot of excitement about the latest developments in Blood Cancer research at both national and international levels. ‌

BCNI in the news - March 2016.

Blood Cancer Network Ireland - Launch 25th Nov 2015 Blood Cancer Network Ireland was launched by Mr Damien English, T.D. Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation on Wednesday 25th Nov at the Lambe Institute at NUIG/University Hospital Galway. The Irish Cancer Society and Science Foundation Ireland have partnered together to fund this new collaborative cancer network that will offer early stage clinical trials to blood cancer patients in Ireland. Michael O'Dwyer, Professor of Hematology and Director of Blood Cancer Network Ireland, Paul Daly and Minister of State for Skills, Research, and Innovation Damien English.   ‌ BCNI team based at NUI Galway: Michael O'Dwyer, Professor of Hematology and Director of Blood Cancer Network Ireland, Dr Eva Szegezdi, Blood Cancer Biobank leader, Dr Sandra Healy BCNI Program Manager and Professor Lokesh Joshi, VP of Research at NUI Galway with Minister of State for Skills, Research, and Innovation Damien English   ‌ BCNI principal Investigator team : Paul Browne (Professor of Hematology -Trinity College Dublin), Michael O'Dwyer (Professor of Hematology - NUI Galway), Mary Cahill  (Professor of Hematology - University College Cork), Eva Szegezdi (Lecturer - NUI Galway) with Minister of State for Skills, Research, and Innovation Damien English(middle)   ‌ Dr Mark Ferguson (Science Foundation Ireland), Damien English (Minister of State for Skills, Research, and Innovation), Professor Michael O'Dwyer  (Director of Blood Cancer Network Ireland) and Dr Robert O'Connor (Irish Cancer Society)