Getting Giddy over Group Gathering

If you haven’t registered, it’s not too late: registration to attend virtually will reopen Tuesday, and you can register on-site starting Wednesday. An important reminder if you’re traveling to Seattle: don’t forget to pack proof of your COVID-19 vaccination and booster! It’s required. The world is relaxing its level of pandemic alertness, but please remember the population of patients we treat at home.

The week will be packed, with more than 70 sessions on the calendar. Here are a few special events that merit serious consideration for your short list:

• TAKE ACTION Symposium: American Indians – Ensuring Equity in Clinical Research
  Wednesday, April 6, 3-5 pm PT
  This is the third in the TAKE ACTION series. At each SWOG group meeting, this symposium focuses on a different underrepresented group, giving practical, evidence-based strategies sites can use to ensure access and equity and to build trust with specific populations of potential trial participants.
   
• Symposium: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in GU Oncology in SWOG
  Saturday, April 9, 12-2 pm PT
  Our genitourinary committee is leading the way on committee-level initiatives to make our research environment and trials more diverse and equitable. The focus is GU, but the lessons are widely applicable, and all are invited.
   
• Symposium: Radiation Oncology: Targeting Oligometastatic Disease in GU Cancers
  Friday, April 8, 9-11 am PT
  The GU committee’s second special symposium in Seattle, this one covers the use of radiosurgery for metastatic GU cancers, with 10 high-power presenters tackling a wide range of related issues under this topic.
   
• Special Symposium: Oncology Advanced Practice Providers Can Enhance Clinical Research
  Friday, April 8, 10 am – 12 pm PT
  The NCI has made several changes to policy over the last year or so that have allowed our advanced practice providers to play a greater role in our trials, and this symposium is part of an initiative to increase their involvement in SWOG research.

There are lots of other great events as well -- the Robert B. Livingston Lecture, the Oishi Symposium, updates on our Lung-MAP trial and on what SWOG CTP has in the works (in a word, much). Too many to list! Check out the meeting booklet or virtual schedule on the group meeting website for full details. 

I want to close with an event that was too late to get into the official agenda book but is a great opportunity for members – the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Meet-and-Greet, hosted by the recruitment and retention committee. Look for the DEI table (and balloons!) at Friday evening’s reception, step up to say hi, learn more about the DEI initiatives that are underway, and meet some of the folks helping drive those initiatives.

One final request: if you’ll be tweeting the meeting, don’t forget the #SWOGonc hashtag, so others have an easy way of finding meeting-related posts.

See you in Seattle for an unforgettable week!

Because of group meeting, we’ll skip next week’s Front Line. I’ll be back in your inbox April 15.