On January 31st 2019 the Bone Cancer Research Trust and Children with Cancer UK came together to hold the first International Osteosarcoma Research Symposium. The event was held in memory of Frankie Biggs, a young boy who passed away aged 11 from the disease.
The symposium brought together researchers from across the globe to identify research progress, challenges that need to be overcome and opportunities to move osteosarcoma research forward.
Held in memory of Frankie Biggs, the first International Osteosarcoma Research Symposium marked the start of a new collaboration between the Bone Cancer Research Trust and Children with Cancer UK. The day opened with Alison, Frankie's mum, and Paul, a close family friend, sharing their emotional story.
Highlights from the day
The programme for the day was full of inspirational speakers and sessions. Speakers included; Alison Biggs, Paul Britton, Professor Stefan Bielack, Professor Adrienne Flanagan, Professor Richard Gorlick, Dr Ian Lewis, Dr Sandra Strauss, Professor Jeremy Whelan, Dr Helen Roberts, Katherine Finnegan, Mr Craig Gerrand, Dr Beatrice Seddon, Dr Robin Young, Professor Dominique Heymann, Professor Sibylle Mittnacht, Professor Agi Grigoriadis, Mr Kenny Rankin, Dr Asif Saifuddin, Dr Quentin Campbell-Hewson and Dr Zoe Davison.
Speaker videos and presentations
Adrienne Flanagan Presentation
Katherine Finegan Presentation
Quentin Campbell-Hewson Presentation
Sibylle Mittnacht Presentation
Closing workshop
The last session of the day was a workshop, facilitated by Dr Ian Lewis and Dr Sandra Strauss which aimed to prioritise future funding into osteosarcoma. A highlights video of the workshop is below.
Next steps
The symposium marked the start of a new collaboration between the Bone Cancer Research Trust and Children with Cancer UK. The two charities will be regrouping in the coming weeks to plan next steps based on priorities identified during the symposium. Updates will be shared by both charities on social media channels and websites.
Special thanks
Both charities would like to thank Frankie's family, Paul Britton and everyone who made the day such a success.