NHMRC Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies Webinar 26 August 2022

The Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapies (CBTCT) brings together the largest allogeneic stem cell transplant units in Australia with a focus on identifying transplant and cell therapy strategies to reduce graft versus host disease and improve patient and disease outcomes after transplant. In this webinar series, speakers will review major topics in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy, highlighting how key advances are addressing the current challenges in stem cell transplantation. This webinar features Professor Katy Rezvani who is the Sally Cooper Murray Chair in Cancer Research, Professor of Medicine, Chief of Section for Cellular Therapy, Director of Translational Research and Director of the GMP Facility at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre. Prof Rezvani’s research laboratory focuses on the role of natural killer (NK) cells in mediating immunity against haematologic and solid organ tumours. This research has led to the approval and funding of several investigator-initiated clinical trials of NK cell immunotherapy in patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, as well as the first-in-human clinical trial of off-the-shelf CAR-transduced cord blood NK cells in patients with relapsed/refractory lymphoid malignancies. Prof Rezvani’s work is supported by multiple grants from the National Cancer Institute, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the American Cancer Society, Stand Up to Cancer and the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). In this webinar, Prof Rezvani will be outlining the emerging role of NK cell based therapeutics in cancer.

Speaker:

Professor Katy Rezvani – MD Anderson Cancer Centre

When: Friday 26 August 2022, 8am AEST

Link to webinar:

Link to CBTCT website for all webinar recordings:

https://bloodcelltherapy.org.au/

For full information click here

HSANZ is pleased to support the 2nd Sickle Cell Conference on 10 September 2022, a hybrid event with virtual facilities over zoom

Venue: 220 Pitt St Wesley Conference Centre, Wesley Theatre.

Time: 09:00 am to 6:00 pm

Follow this link to register:

Sickle Cell Warriors and Caregivers join us for free. Register via this link for free registration.

The blood cancer Optimal Care Pathways project is an initiative of the Blood Cancer Taskforce and was jointly led by the Australasian Leukaemia & Lymphoma Group (ALLG) and the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand (HSANZ), with support from the Leukaemia Foundation.

The Blood Cancer Taskforce was pleased to launch 6 new Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs) for blood cancer on 9 August

These OCPs will set national standards of care and treatment for blood cancer patients across Australia, no matter where they live, or access treatment.

This is a huge achievement in our collective work towards zero lives lost to blood cancer by 2035. Thank you to HSANZ Vice-President who was the Chair of this committee.

To view the OCPs, click on this link

HSANZ offer an award - HSANZ / ASH Abstract Achievement Award to a value of  ($2,000 US) to the highest ranking HSANZ member

Less Than a Week Left to Submit Your Abstract to the ASH Annual Meeting!

 64th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition. As a reminder, the abstract submission deadline is Tuesday, August 2, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

Review the abstract policies and submit your abstract on the ASH website.

Thousands of abstracts will be accepted for presentation. Abstracts will be published in Blood and made available to in-person meeting participants in New Orleans as well as those participating via the virtual meeting platform.

Blood 2022

Early Bird closing, 10th August!

Early Bird registration rates for Blood 2022 will only be available until Wednesday 10 August 2022.  

Register now and join us from 11th – 14 September at the Sydney International Convention & Exhibition Centre for programs containing the most recent clinical and research information for all blood related specialities.

Blood 2022 Pre-Meeting Workshops

A number of educational workshops will be taking place on Saturday 10th September at the Sydney International Convention Centre. Places are limited so make sure you register early to secure your space.

Workshops can be registered for when registering for the main Meeting or if you have already registered, please email us to add a workshop to your registration.

In 2020, the Haemovigilance Advisory Committee (HAC) proposed to host a series of online forums on current issues in Haemovigilance, with both Australian and international speakers. The National Blood Authority (NBA) established a working group, and they developed a draft program for a series of four free, open-access, 90-minute online forums. 

The Australian and New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion (ANZSBT), International Haemovigilance Network (IHN) and International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) agreed to collaborate with the NBA, and with ISBT hosting the forums via their existing webinar platform. 

 Flyer here

Registration for each webinar is now available on the ISBT website at Haemovigilance Webinars: Haemovigilance in Australia and Beyond | The International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) (isbtweb.org). The webinars are also advertised on the NBA website at Haemovigilance | National Blood Authority

Did you know there is an HSANZ Advanced Trainee Workshop as part of Blood2022 on Saturday 10th September

To attend the HSANZ Advanced Trainee Workshop, you must meet criteria; 

Support for Interstate Attendees

Attendees who meet the criteria above and are attending from outside NSW and are not receiving travel assistance from any other sources may apply for support for economy flights and/or 1 nights’ accommodation (Friday 9th September).

In order to be considered for this support, you must complete registration and indicate your need for support. Once eligibility has been confirmed, the organisers will contact you in regards to your flight and accommodation bookings.

If you are not a member,  join NOW www.hsanz.org.au and click APPLY

From Patient Blood Management National Blood Authority:

Public Consultation Open – Single Unit Transfusion Flowchart

The draft Single Unit Transfusion Flowchart has been developed by an expert working group and the National Blood Authority (NBA) as a decision support tool designed to assist clinicians with appropriate prescribing of red blood cells. The International Society for Blood Transfusion defines single unit transfusion as “in the non-bleeding patient, single-unit transfusion refers to a standard dosing scheme of one unit of red blood cells, followed by an assessment of the patient’s signs and symptoms to determine whether additional units are indicated.”

A single unit transfusion policy can ensure the safety and efficacy of red blood cell transfusion by confirming every unit transfused is a clinical decision where the expected benefit outweighs the risks.

Implementing a single unit transfusion policy will help hospitals meet the National Safety and Quality Health Service Blood Management Standard. The Single Unit Transfusion Flow Chart will be available for download from the NBA website once finalised. 

The National Blood Authority invite interested individuals, groups and organisations to comment on the Flowchart and encourage you to advise your colleagues of its availability for public comment. The Flowchart will not be mandatory but available as a tool for Australian health providers implementing a single unit transfusion policy. 

The draft Flowchart and comments template are available on the NBA’s website at: http://www.blood.gov.au/public-consultation

The closing date for submissions is 5pm Friday 5 August 2022.

HSANZ and a number of other societies have been lobbying for the reimbursement of NGS for myeloproliferative neoplasm. I’m pleased to say that this has been approved for ET/ PV (item 73398) and transplant eligible myelofibrosis (item 73399). Please contact your friendly haematopathology service for details about testing and availability. 

Best wishes
Steven Lane – on behalf HSANZ

The second Australasian COVID-19 Conference will be held in Sydney at the

Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park on 21-22 July 2022

For full information: https://www.covid-19conference.com.au/