Day 1: June 19, 2025 
Policy & Advocacy to Support the Implementation of Comprehensive Genomic Profiling for Patients with Metastatic Cancer in Canada 

9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

Conference Day 1 Opening

CCRAN is a national, patient-focused advocacy group, dedicated to improving the longevity and quality of life for all cancer patients in Canada through their persistent efforts in support, education, and advocacy through equal and timely access to effective therapies that improve patient outcomes.

Our third annual pan-tumour Biomarkers Conference will build on the outcomes of past conferences. Over the course of two days, we will once again engage clinicians, pathologists, researchers, policy professionals, patients and caregivers from within and outside Canada, across multiple tumour types, to further explore and probe deeper into the access, benefits, and barriers to advanced biomarker testing in Canada to better understand how we can overcome challenges and embrace opportunities for a path forward.  
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Conference Moderator: ‍
Cassandra Macaulay, B.Sc., MHS, RTNM, Chief Research Officer, CCRAN   

9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Welcome from CCRAN’s President & CEO

A warm welcome to all experts and participants, including:

Filomena Servidio-Italiano, Hon B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A., President & CEO, CCRAN   

Patient:
Dr. Lisa Dickson, Stage IV Colon Cancer Patient; Health Care Provider  

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Collective Advocacy Efforts for Equitable & Timely Access to Advanced Biomarker Testing & Results for Metastatic Cancer Patients in Canada

CCRAN is on a mission to meet with healthcare and government leaders to call upon them to ensure that patients with metastatic cancer have timely access to advanced biomarker testing, results and precision medicines. This session will provide an update on CCRAN’s National Biomarker Awareness & Advocacy Campaign, wherein CCRAN, on behalf of 11 national patient organizations, connects with Ministries of Health and key decision makers to emphasize the critical need for timely and equitable access to advanced biomarker testing and results for patients diagnosed with metastatic disease in Canada.

Presentation:
Cassandra Macaulay, B.Sc., MHS, RTNM, Chief Research Officer, CCRAN 

10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Key Learnings from CCRAN’s 2024 Biomarkers Conference: “Toward Timely and Equitable Advanced Biomarker Testing for Patients with Metastatic Cancer in Canada”

The objectives and outcomes of CCRAN’s 2024 Biomarkers Conference have been captured and summarized in a publication in Current Oncology. It highlights the importance of standardization of biomarker testing in Canada while prioritizing access to advanced molecular testing to optimize cancer care. Dr. Sharlene Gill, co-author of the publication, will present the key learnings, themes and calls to action as highlighted in the paper.

Presentation:
‍Dr. Sharlene Gill, MD, MPH, MBA, FASCO, Professor of Medicine, UBC;  Medical Oncologist, BC Cancer; President, Canadian Association of Medical Oncologists 

11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Health Break

12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Generating a Cost-Benefit Analysis to Support Access to Comprehensive Genomic Profiling (CGP) for Five Metastatic Cancers in Canada: Helping to Ensure CGP Becomes a Standard of Care in Canada! 

The economic impact of cancer is overwhelming our communities as cancer remains the leading cause of mortality in Canada. While a genome-first approach to cancer diagnosis may initially increase cancer management costs, it ultimately plays a central role in identifying optimal precision therapies, improving patient outcomes, enabling cancer patients and their families to contribute to society, thereby, strengthening the economy and reducing the overall burden and cost to the healthcare system.  

CCRAN partnered with the Conference Board of Canada to develop a cost-benefit analysis to better understand and contextualize the value of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to inform metastatic cancer care in Canada. The project lead will speak to the following:

Keynote Presentation :
Eddy Nason, MPhil, B.Sc., Director, Health, Conference Board of Canada

1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Reacting to the Findings of CCRAN’s Cost-Benefit Analysis Report: The Value of Accessing Comprehensive Genomic Profiling for Cancer Patients in Canada

In this era of personalized medicine, sophisticated approaches enabled by powerful technologies can map numerous genomic biomarker alterations driving one’s cancer. These advances in improved cancer diagnostics not only bestow hope and faith in patients and their families, but also hold immense benefits with respect to identifying potential therapeutics options and improving quality of life.  

This roundtable discussion will engage leads from patient groups representing various tumour types in a conversation wherein they will reflect and react to the findings presented in our previous session on the cost-benefit of implementing comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) as a standard of care for metastatic cancers in Canada. Patient advocacy experts will be tasked with the following considerations:

‍Moderator:
‍Filomena Servidio-Italiano, Hon B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A., President & CEO, CCRAN 

Patient Advocacy Group Roundtable:
Dr. Abby Collier, B.Sc., Ph.D.,  Executive Director, Prostate Cancer Foundation Canada
Jenn Gordon,  Lead Strategic Operations and Engagement, Rethink Breast Cancer 
Maureen Elliott, Senior Manager, Programs and Support, Pancreatic Cancer Canada 
Bukun Adegbembo, M.Sc., Director of Operations, Canadian Breast Cancer Network 
Stefanie Condon-Oldreive, Founder and Director, Craig’s Cause Pancreatic Cancer Society 
Winky Yau, Manager, Medical Affairs, Lung Cancer Canada 

2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Health Break:
FEATURE VIDEO: Patients Testimonials - How CGP was Accessed in Canada 

2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

What Can We Learn from Early Adopters of Comprehensive Genomic Profiling?
An International Discussion

With limited access to genomic profiling, Canadian patients are unable to harness the potential benefits of precision medicines. Health system transformation requires learning from various experiences and models of care from around the globe, which has been nicely captured in this session. Each health system will highlight strengths and limitations, despite economic and cultural differences. The goal of this session will be to feature the unique strengths of promising and successful international methods of adopting comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) as a standard of care for patients with metastatic cancer, so that these learnings may be adopted, adapted and applied to the Canadian health system.

This policy discussion will bring together international genomic experts from Europe, United States, Israel, and Australia who will share their experiences as early adopters of CGP and their expert perspectives on the utility of genomic technologies in the management of cancer in their respective region. Experts will address:

Moderator:
Laura Greer, Patient Expert; Senior Vice President and National Practice Lead, Health & Wellness, Burson Canada ; Breast Cancer Advocate

International Panelists:
Prof. David Thomas, Ph.D., FRACP, Director, UNSW Centre for Molecular Oncology; CSSO, Omico  
Dr. Gilad W. Vainer, MD, Ph.D., Onco-Proteomics Lab, Pathology Department Head, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel 
Dr. Razelle Kurzrock, MD, FACP, Professor of Medicine, Associate Director, Clinical Research, Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Chair, Precision Oncology, MCW Cancer Center

3:45 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

The State of Readiness Progress Report 2.0

Session Under Development

Presentation:
Don Husereau, B.Sc. Pharm, M.Sc., Adjunct Professor of Medicine, University of Ottawa

4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

What Will it Take to Implement Comprehensive Genomic Profiling as a Standard of Care in Canada for the Management of Metastatic Disease in Cancer Patients? 

Advances in cancer diagnostic technologies are driving an accelerated shift in the Canadian healthcare landscape, yet system-level change requires an intentional and multi-faceted approach.  

This session will bring together experts from various disciplines and perspectives in economics, policy, health technology assessment and value-based healthcare to engage in a broad discussion on how best to execute the implementation of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) as a standard of care for patients diagnosed with metastatic disease in Canada. Experts will speak to the predecessors for health systems transformation, including:

Moderator:
Cassandra Macaulay, B.Sc., MHS, RTNM, Chief Research Officer, CCRAN

Patient: 
‍Allen Chankowsky, Best-Selling & Multi-Award-Winning Author; Patient Advocate & Mentor; AllenChankowsky.com; Stage-4 AR+ Salivary Duct Carcinoma 

Panelists:  
Dr. Laura Weeks, Ph.D. , Director, Health Technology Assessment, CADTH   
Don Husereau, B.Sc. Pharm, M.Sc., Adjunct Professor of Medicine, University of Ottawa 
Dr. Monika Slovinec D’Angelo, Ph.D., Health System and Policy Consultant, Adjunct Professor, University of Ottawa 
Dr. David Stewart, MD, FRCP(C), Medical Oncologist, The Ottawa Hospital - Cancer Centre; Professor of Medicine, University of Ottawa 
Dr. David Cescon, MD, Ph.D., Medical Oncologist & Clinician Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
Dr. Robert Bell, MDCM, M.Sc., FRCSC, FACS, FRCSE (Hon)Former Ontario Deputy Minister of Health (2014-2018); Professor Emeritus, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto

5:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Glance at Day 2. Closing Remarks from CCRAN’s President & CEO

Filomena Servidio-Italiano, Hon B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A., President & CEO, CCRAN
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