Technological and Data-Driven Innovations in Cancer Care

The worldwide incidence of cancer is gradually increasing, meanwhile the overall death rates from cancer continue to decline.  These global trends have resulted in more people than ever living with or beyond cancer. As such, there is a greater necessity to improve and optimise cancer care services, throughout diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and end-of-life care.  Modern technologies, often enabled by the availability of big data and advanced analytics, have demonstrated potential to enhance the current quality of cancer care, for example by improving information access, informing clinical decision making and facilitating communications.

Pioneering research is now being conducted in the field of technology for cancer care, resulting in the development of novel solutions to a diverse spectrum of problems in this area.  However, the process of evaluation of these innovations, and how they operate within a ‘real-world’ context is at a less advanced stage. The clinical assessment of technology possesses many challenges and is influenced by numerous variables.  As a result, there is an emphasis on the early evaluation of technology by including key stakeholders throughout its’ design and development.

Evidently, as researchers involved in the creation of novel technologies for cancer care, we must consider and share both the innovative concepts being developed, and also how they are being assessed and accepted in real-world or clinical situations.  This track aims to address both these themes through two sessions, as follows:

SESSION ONE: DEVELOPING THE TECHNOLOGY

Aim: To highlight the latest developments in the field of technology for cancer care.
Presentations will focus on data collection and analysis for systems development, design processes, novel concepts, and research methodologies, and also includes any technologies or systems which may include issues around data registration, standards, taxonomies, and security

In this context, novel digital medical systems are emerging to detect the clinical needs, particularly in the oncology domain. These systems either integrate and display the information, or provide treatment options for a given patient. However, their maturity level is still not clear and further research is required.

SESSION TWO: EVALUATING THE TECHNOLOGY

Aim: To demonstrate how these technologies are being evaluated and implemented in practice and promote discussion on how successful strategies could be applied to as-yet unevaluated technologies, such as those in session one.
Presentations will include the evaluation of technologies and systems in real-world situations, such as with clinical populations, in healthcare systems and with any other relevant real-world stakeholders.  They may also include other disciplines essential to the delivery of cancer care services, such as the ownership and coordination of records, information, educational tools, physical activity promotion and the social and economic impacts of new systems on all aspects of service delivery.

This track is a combined effort from 4 EU funded projects: CATCH ITN,  DESIREE, The eSMART and BOUNCE.

The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Patient technologies for managing specific symptoms, impairments or conditions

• Mobile self-management for people with cancer

• Mobile technologies and social media

• Biofeedback and rehabilitation technologies

• Physical activity and lifestyle-change promotion using connected health

• Privacy and security of digital personal health information

• The use of social media by people with cancer

• Multidisciplinary models and implementation researc

• Prospective authors are invited to submit papers in any of the topics listed above.
• Instructions for preparing the manuscript (in Word and Latex formats) are available at: Paper Templates
• Please also check the Guidelines.
• Papers must be submitted electronically via the web-based submission system using the appropriated button on this page.

• Gabriel Signorelli (Oncoavanze, Spain)
• Louise Brennan (Beacon Hospital, Ireland)
• Francisco Guerra (Salumedia Tecnologías, Spain)
• Brian Caulfield (Insight Centre for Data Analytics, University College of Dublin, Ireland)
• Nekane Larburu (Vicomtech, Spain)
• Luis Fernández Luque (Qatar Computing Research Institute, Qatar)
• Roma Maguire (University of Strathclyde, UK)

• Ivan Macia (Vicomtech, Spain)
• Naiara Muro Amuchastegui (Vicomtech, Spain)
• Paula Poikonen-Saksela (Helsinki University, Finland)
• Dr. Haridimos Kondylakis (M) (FORTH-ICS, Greece)
• Dimitrios Katehakis (FORTH-ICS, Greece)
• Dr Liane Lewis (University of Strathclyde, UK)
• Dr Lisa McCann (University of Strathclyde, UK)