WELLINGTON HOSTS INTERNATIONAL BREAST CANCER CONFERENCE

Wellington, New Zealand, will host the Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group’s (ANZBCTG) 36th Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) from 16-19 July 2014.

The ASM brings together leading national and international breast cancer researchers to discuss the latest developments in breast cancer research, future directions for clinical trials and improving patient care.

The ANZBCTG conducts a breast cancer clinical trials research program for the treatment, prevention and cure of breast cancer. The research program involves multicentre clinical trials and collaboration with 87 institutions and over 700 researchers throughout Australia and New Zealand. More than 14,000 women have participated in ANZBCTG clinical trials.

There are seven New Zealand institutions involved in the research program: Wellington Hospital, Auckland City Hospital, North Shore Hospital, Christchurch Hospital, Dunedin Hospital, Palmerston North Hospital and Waikato Hospital.

The Chair of the ANZBCTG’s Board of Directors, Professor Fran Boyle AM, says the annual conference is an important meeting place for researchers involved in breast cancer clinical trials.

“This is the 36th year of the ASM and we are fortunate to have a number of esteemed international guest speakers and New Zealand and Australian researchers attending, to discuss important research findings and future clinical trials,” Professor Boyle said.

“We are looking forward to bringing the conference to Wellington, to share research and scientific knowledge which contributes to improved outcomes for women with breast cancer or for those at risk.

“Clinical trials research has contributed to a significant drop in breast cancer mortality, particularly in the last 20 years. It is vital that this research continues to explore scientific questions, which benefits the whole community.”

For further information about the ANZBCTG visit www.anzbctg.org.

Please note that the ANZBCTG’s Annual Scientific Meeting is not open to the public to attend.

Media contact: Anna Fitzgerald, ANZBCTG Communications Manager

Phone: 02 4925 5255 or 0400 304 224

Email: anna.fitzgerald@anzbctg.org