All-island cancer summit issues an urgent call to action for political leaders

Business Post

23-05-2025

A full house was in Croke Park on Wednesday, May 14 for the inaugural All-Island Cancer Summit, which marked its presence with a call to action for political leaders on the island.
The 'Harnessing the Power of Data to Transform Cancer Research, Care, and Innovation across the Island of Ireland' report was unveiled, including an 'All-Island Call to Cancer Data Action' plan, which details seven recommendations designed to fast-track digital transformation to deliver better health and wellbeing.
The day began with summit chair Audrey Carville, journalist, broadcaster, and host of RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, welcoming everyone to the room and noting how everyone in this room gives hope to those affected by cancer.
The opening address came from Prof Risteárd Ó'Laoide, director of the HSE's National Cancer Control Programme, who detailed the work and effort and his hopes for the following cancer strategy.
'We've had three cancer strategies in ten-year intervals, and it's now time for our next cancer strategy,' he said. 'We want that to be our most ambitious one yet.'
The opening keynote was given by Prof Christine Chomienne, vice-chair of Horizon Europe Cancer Mission Boards at the European Commission, who spoke about the European cancer roadmap for 2030.
Highlighting the mission approach of connecting all stakeholders to design, create, and implement changes, she stressed the importance of integrating research and health and the fact that you cannot improve what you don't understand.
This set the stage for the report's launch. First, Prof Deirdre Heenan, professor of social policy at Ulster University, provided context.
One of the key elements in the study was emphasising the difference between cooperation and collaboration, saying '[Collaboration] is about getting together across this island, agreeing on strategic aims, funding them, and owning them together.'
This was followed by Siobhan Gaynor, advocate and cancer patient; Mark Lawler, professor of digital health at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) and co-lead of the All Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI); and Prof Aedín Culhane, professor of cancer genomics and director of the Limerick Digital Cancer Research Centre, who launched the report proper.
Lawler mentioned that Northern Ireland's digital transformation took a great step forward with the recent launch of the My Care App. The service allows all Northern Ireland citizens to access their own health records on their phones for the first time.
'[It's] a Thomas Edison moment that catapults Northern Ireland into the premier division with Estonia, Europe's digital trailblazer,' he added. 'Ireland needs to urgently progress its own digital health capability, currently decidedly second division, otherwise a generation-defining moment will be lost.'
Professor Culhane guided the audience through the seven-point plan, adding that 'we need the right data so that we can make insights that will drive patient research'.
It was then time for the day's first panel discussion on delivering an all-island cancer research strategy. This included Dr Deirdre Quinn, senior manager of research and research policy at HEA; Oonagh Ward, head of research and innovation infrastructures at the Health Research Board; Orlaith Gavan, country medical director and chief medical officer at Pfizer Ireland; and William Gallagher, professor of cancer biology at the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science at UCD, and co-lead of AICRI.
When asked how the pharmaceutical industry feeds into the development of an all-island strategy, Ward mentioned innovative drug discovery which is where scientific breakthroughs begin, and mentioned how well positioned Ireland is.
The following panel discussion was on a wish list for policymakers on the island of Ireland. Lawler returned to the stage and was joined by Averil Power, chief executive of the Irish Cancer Society; David Jones, interim managing director of human health at MSD Ireland; and Mark McCormick, a cancer patient.
Jones highlighted the troubling issue of accessibility to new treatments which could be greatly improved, with only 14 of 56 new European cancer treatments licensed here.
Before the coffee break, it was time for the Northern Ireland Government Address delivered by Mike Nesbitt MLA, the health minister for Northern Ireland, who reinforced the importance of all-island collaboration to bring better treatment and care.
After the networking coffee break and exhibition viewing, the audience split into three streams. The first stream focused on research and innovation, chaired by Carville.
The first panel discussion looked at improving clinical trials in Ireland and saw Orlaith Gavan return to the stage alongside Patrick Kivlehan, chair of the patients' consultants committee at Cancer Trials Ireland; Prof Joe O'Sullivan, professor of radiation oncology at the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research in Queen's University Belfast, and Prof Seamus O'Reilly, clinical professor and consultant medical oncologist at UCC and director of Cancer Trials Ireland
The next talk saw another speaker return to the stage. This time, it was Professor Culhane, who spoke about how an all-island approach to data sharing can save lives.
Next were case studies from START Dublin and Belfast Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, featuring Prof Austin Duffy, consultant medical oncologist at the Mater Hospital, and Vicky Coyle, clinical professor at the School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Biomedical Sciences at the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research.
Dr Margaret Barton-Burke, director of nursing research at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, wrapped up by discussing the various aspects of nursing research.
Stream two focused on the next steps for early detection and improved diagnosis. It was chaired by Dr Paul Carroll, GP at Churchtown Medical and media commentator and columnist.
This began with two case studies. The first was on breakthrough research from the All-Ireland Cancer Network (AllCaN) Oesophageal Programme, delivered by Helen Coleman, lead of the Cancer Epidemiology Research Group in the Centre for Public Health at Queen's University Belfast.
The next was on The All Ireland Cancer Liquid Biopsies Consortium (CLuB) with Prof Lorraine O'Driscoll, professor and chair of pharmacology and biomedicine at Trinity College Dublin, guiding the audience through their work.
To wrap up this stream, there was a panel discussion on how to better prioritise patients and outcomes. On stage discussing this were David Galvin, MD FRCS (Urol) and associate professor at UCD; Dr Damien Bennett, director of the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry; Kim Hanly, cancer survivor and patient advocate; and Liz Yeates, chief executive of the Marie Keating Foundation.
The third stream was on treatment, access, and survivorship, chaired by Marie Chivers, PhD, MPharm, and chief executive and founder of Facilipharma Ltd. This began with a panel discussion on reducing inequalities in cancer care and access to proven-to-work treatments.
Alex Wilkes, country president for commercial operations in Ireland for AstraZeneca; Andy Bleaden, communities director of ECHAlliance; Caitriona Duggan, vice president of IPHA; Dr Michael McCarthy, consultant medical oncologist at University Hospital Galway; and Liz Morrison, public affairs manager for Northern Ireland at Cancer Research UK discussed this topic.
Next up was a case study on the Women's Health Initiative cancer survivorship clinic, delivered by Prof Josephine Hegarty, chair and professor of nursing at the Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery at University College Cork.
This was then followed by a panel discussion on putting the patient's experience at the centre of treatment and on what areas need improvement.
Finishing up this stream were Dr Ben Jacob, clinical lecturer at the Department of General Practice in RCSI; Ethna McFerran, cancer health economist at the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences; Gerard Ingoldsby, cancer survivor and PPI (Public and Patient Involvement) volunteer at the Irish Cancer Society; and Una Kearns, founder and chief executive of myPatientSpace.
After lunch, all attendees returned to the main room for the afternoon sessions, which focused on the future of cancer care.
This kicked off with a panel discussion on the role and potential of shared care community-based cancer care in Ireland, which featured Amy Nolan, director of clinical affairs at Irish Cancer Society; Dr Michael McCarthy, consultant medical oncologist at University Hospital Galway; and Lisa Guinan, oncology services manager at TCP Homecare.
Guinan highlighted how many of these pilot projects don't advance because they're reliant on funding for 12 to 18 months, adding: 'What happens to our health care teams and the acute setting when the funding runs dry because there is no sustainable pathway for accessing funding in the long term?'
The next panel discussion moved on to technological innovation, where the buzzword of the day, AI, was in full focus. This included Miriam Staunton, patient advocate; Ronan Cahill, professor of surgery at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and University College Dublin; Walter Kolch, director of Systems Biology Ireland, and Xosé M Fernández, head of digital oncology network for Europe at IQVIA.
When discussing the importance of data interoperability, Fernández mentioned that data alone will not be the solution, but stressed the importance of aiming to be the best in class rather than just good enough.
The final panel discussion of the day and wrapping up the summit was on future drug discovery, where Michelle Greene, senior research fellow at the Future Medicines Institute in Queen's University Belfast; Prof Ed Lavelle, professor of vaccine immunology at Trinity College Dublin; and William Gallagher, professor of cancer biology at the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science in UCD and co-lead at AICRI took the stage.
Asked about the insights and impacts from AICRI's All-Island Oncology Industry Report, Gallagher mentioned that, alongside the challenges, it highlights major economic potential to develop an oncology cluster.
With the first-ever All-Island Cancer Summit concluding, Carville wrapped it up by saying, 'We return to that word hope, such great hope from all of our conversations,' before concluding, 'It's exciting times, but there's lots to do.'