News
Open meeting about the EAPC RN / PRC in Glasgow
The EAPC Research Network and European Palliative Care Research Centre (PRC) were on the agenda for an open meeting on the first day of the 6th Research Congress of the EAPC in Glasgow. 200 persons were presented with status on ongoing and future research projects, chaired by Dr Franco de Conno and Professor Geoffrey Hanks.
By Lotte Rogg and Patrick Reurink
Professor Stein Kaasa, chair of the EAPC RN and director of the PRC opened the meeting with an insight into the current strategy of EAPC RN, a research network for all palliative care research, and the PRC which mainly has a biomedical focus on cancer palliative care.
Professor Pål Klepstad briefed about the EPOS – study (European Pharmacogenetic Opioid Study) and presented his 10 commandments for clinical trials. A catchy general study idea, keeping it simple, a good organisation around the study with professional sample handling, good collaborators, funding, the possibility to have add-on studies, using the “right” instruments and bringing in the experts when needed are the most important lessons learned. In addition, everyone should get some kind of benefit from participating.
Professor Dagny F. Haugen presented the status on 6th EU Framework funded project, EPCRC, which is to be finalised at the end of 2010. In addition, Dr Augusto Caraceni presented status on the EAPC opioid guidelines.
Other projects presented:
- The European Palliative Care Symptom Study, presented by Dr Augusto Caraceni
- Multimodal Exercise/Nutrition/Anti-inflammatory treatment for Cachexia, presented by Professor Kenneth Fearon
- A research programme on Nasal Fentanyl vs. opioids around the clock, presented by Professor Stein Kaasa
- A study challenging the WHO ladder, Step II vs. Step III, presented by Professor Marie Fallon
- A randomised controlled study investigating the efficacy of intrathecal local anaesthetics and opioids, presented by Professors Per Sjøgren and Pål Klepstad
- RCT comparing the analgesic efficacy of 4 therapeutic strategies based on 4 different major opioids in cancer patients with moderate / severe pain, presented by Dr Oscar Corly
- The UK – Netherlands – Belgium – International Sedation Study, presented by Jane Seymour
For more information on the different studies, visit the websites of EAPC RN and PRC .
The 6th Research Congress of the EAPCxx
The 6th Research Congress of the EAPC was held in Glasgow and broke several records for the highest number of submitted abstracts (663) and the highest number of participants (1406) from 39 countries. In all it was a great success and this congress secured the EAPC Research Congress as the premier international research meeting for palliative care.
We were delighted to welcome so many international speakers for the plenary sessions and the many themed sessions which spanned all research areas including symptom control, family carers and end of life care trajectories. As is normal for the research congress, the majority of the programme consisted of oral presentations of submitted abstract which is a great strength of the meeting and a big incentive for researchers to submit their work. We awarded 5 prizes for the best oral abstracts and Drs Klepstad, Teno, Kurita, Simon and Abernethy were indeed worthy winners. We also presented the prestigious Junior Investigator Award to Dr Joachim Cohen for his exceptional work on using epidemiological data to research place of death.
The programme reflected the broad range of research in palliative care and also focused attention on a number of large European research initiatives including several multicentre studies and the recently formed Palliative Care Research Centre (PRC) in Trondheim, Norway. The PRC is now the centre-piece of the EAPC Research Network and it will further stimulate ambitious clinical research projects across Europe over the next years. The 7th EAPC Research Congress is scheduled for May 2012 in Trondheim, Norway.
Mike Bennett,
Organising Committee
For more information, visit the congress’ official webpage.
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The UNBIASED study on palliative sedation in Europe is about to start
Several research teams in UK, Belgium and the Netherlands participate in an in depth study of the use of therapeutic sedation at the bedside in these three countries. Please read more here.
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The European Palliative Care Research Centre (PRC)
The European Palliative Care Research Centre (PRC) was officially launched in October 2009. PRC’s overall aim is to improve palliative patient care, including end of life care, through research of highest quality in an international setting.
PRC is based at the Faculty of Medicine, NTNU and Trondheim University Hospital, and was established with recommendations and support from the EAPC. the Norwegian Cancer Society has awarded a major grant to help establish the new centre. Additional support has been awarded by the Open Society Institute (USA), the Floriani Foundation (Italy) and by an unrestricted grant from Nycomed.
The centre will coordinate groups and individual researchers across Europe along with researchers in the USA, Canada and Australia.
For more information about the centre, please visit the PRC’s official webpage.
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Hvitt