In 2015 the EORTC Brain Metastases (BM) platform continues its partnership with the RTOG BM task force, the EANS (European Association of Neurosurgical Societies) tumor section board, GRPCMac (Groupe de Recherche sur la Prise en Charge des Métastases) and NCIC Clinical Trial Group (CTG) to foster international collaboration in the field.

This EORTC initiative brings the multidisciplinary approach needed to develop brain metastases projects across several tumor types and disciplines such as breast cancer, lung cancer, melanoma, imaging, pathobiology and radiation oncology. It is expected that this cross-sectional platform will stimulate innovative and insightful research in a collaborative environment and improve the standard of care and methodology of clinical research.

Highlighted topics will cover new pharmalogical approaches in BM and the emerging role of immunotherapy. Actually, cancer immunotherapy clinical trials are critical to bringing new and potentially lifesaving treatments to more patients with more types of cancer, and may represent the greatest hope especially for patients currently facing Brain Metastases.

Together, the EORTC, EANS, GRPCMac, RTOG BM task force and NCIC CTG have decided to jointly organize the “Annual Brain Metastases Research and Emerging Therapy Conference” which will be held under the auspice of the EORTC.

09.00 Basic and translational research session

Chairs: Manuel Valiente & Kim Margolin

09.00 Preclinical Insights into Brain Metastases of Breast Cancer,

Brunilde Gril

09.30 Genomics of Brain Metastases, Priscilla Brastianos

10.00 A new pharmacological approach in Brain Metastases,

Frits Thorsen & Rolf Bjerkvig

Chairs: Francesco Di Meco & Priscilla Brastianos

11.00 Keynote lecture: Molecular regulation of the critical steps to initiate Brain Metastases, Manuel Valiente

11.30 Brain Metastases phenotypic heterogeneity,

Jacek Jassem & Renata Duchnowska

Chairs: Jan Eskandari & Philippe Métellus

CyberKnife radiosurgery for single and multiple cerebral metastases - experiences of the Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center, Slawomir Blamek Experience in Brain Metastases treatment

with the CyberKnife, Alfredo Conti

13.30 Parallel academic workshop: expert driven sessions

13.30 Team A: Trial design, end points and inclusion criteria, Riccardo Soffietti & Manmeet Ahluwalia

Team B: Combined systemic and local therapies, Matthias Preusser & Caroline Chung

Team C: Preventive trials design, Frank Winkler & Minesh Mehta 14.30 Academic workshop feedback and discussion

14.30 Team A: Trial design, end points and inclusion criteria, Riccardo Soffietti & Manmeet Ahluwalia

Team B: Combined systemic and local therapies, Matthias Preusser & Caroline Chung

Team C: Preventive trials design, Frank Winkler & Minesh Mehta

16.00 Therapeutic session

Chairs: Philippe Métellus, Matthias Preusser & Manfred Westphal

16.00 Targeted therapies in Brain Metastases, Manmeet Ahluwalia 16.30 The value of 5-ALA induced fluorescence for resection

of Brain Metastases, Georg Widhalm 17.00 Preventive strategies for neurocognitive deficits

in the management of Brain Metastases, Minesh Mehta 17.30 Keynote lecture: Emerging role of immunotherapies in Brain

Metastatic Melanoma, Kim Margolin

18.00 Poster session

Guided poster walks, cheese & wine

20.00 Gala dinner