Nearly 80 people attended Cancer52’s second annual briefing at the House of Lords on Thursday 18th October.
Attendees included a mix of stakeholders in the rare and less common cancer community from industry, governmental bodies, partnership organisations from the UK and Europe and many of Cancer52's 61 charity members.
Speakers were Professor Sir Mike Richards CBE, National Clinical Director for Cancer; Cancer52 Honorary President Baroness Delyth Morgan of Drefelin, Consultant Medical Oncologist Dr James Larkin of the Royal Marsden and Cancer52 Chair Simon Davies.
Speeches covered many topics from early diagnosis to the need for drugs that could control and perhaps even cure cancers that have spread, to highlighting the continuing challenge that no national cancer initiative should exist without a rare and less common cancer perspective.
Membership of Cancer52 is increasing steadily and the organisation has recently published its vision of becoming the 'go to' organisation of choice for rare and less common cancers. With the support and expertise of its member organisations Cancer52's success in this area is growing, with only sustainable funding and infrastructure challenges likely blocks to continued progress.