2020 has been a successful year for ANZGOG’s clinical research, despite the challenges it has brought. Associate Professor Philip Beale, ANZGOG Chair, reflects on some of the highlights.
ANZGOG celebrated 20 years of research in 2020 with the largest number of open trials and members in Australia and New Zealand and a strong focus on further new research development and collaborations, both locally and globally.
This year, ANZGOG opened three new trials to recruitment– IGNITE, AtTEnd and STICs and STONEs, and celebrated SOLACE2 and IGNITE studies achieving their 50% recruitment milestones.
ANZGOG was excited by the news that three ANZGOG-led studies were awarded grants totalling $4.3m by the Medical Research Future Fund – HyNOVA, ADELE and PARAGON II. In addition, a pre-clinical study led by Assoc Prof Pamela Pollock was awarded Perpetual grant funding, and the ECHO study was awarded $2m by Cancer Council Queensland’s Accelerating Collaborative Research Program.
During September, ANZGOG held a stimulating Endometrial Cancer Research Workshop to identify its research goals for endometrial cancer. Researchers attended from across Australia and New Zealand, representing surgical, radiation oncology, physicians, quality of life and pre-clinical and translational researchers, as well as consumers. In 2021, a Steering Committee will be developing the EDEN initiative.
ANZGOG launched its translational research initiative TR-ANZGOG in October, which will accelerate world-class translational research in gynaecological cancers. The initiative was officially launched by Professor Anna DeFazio at ANZGOG’s first virtual Annual General Meeting on 22 October.
“Despite the difficulties this year presented, ANZGOG and its members have plenty to look forward to in 2021 with promising new trials in the pipeline, an exciting endometrial cancer initiative and our Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting.”
I wish to thank all of the members, patients and staff who have contributed to another successful year for clinical research in Australia and New Zealand, and who continue to support ANZGOG’s mission to improve life for women with gynaecological cancers.
