S3023
Invited Speaker
ESTRO 2026
outreach through Macmillan (such as Open House events and barbershop-based engagement). This talk will demonstrate how informal platforms, targeted campaigns, and trusted local spaces can expand the reach and impact of research. A particular focus will be placed on working with communities of colour, highlighting the importance of co-creation, cultural competence, and long-term relationship building to address inequities in awareness and access. The session will offer actionable tools for researchers to move from one- way dissemination to genuine dialogue, ensuring that research is not only understood, but also trusted and used. 5387 Science you can touch: Engaging patients and children through hands-on lab experiences Ayham Moustafa 1,2 , Nina Struve 1,2 , Sandra Classen 1,2 , Avin Hell 3 , Kai Rothkamm 1,3 1 Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Laboratory of Radiobiology & Experimental Radiation Oncology, Hamburg, Germany. 2 Mildred Scheel Nachwuchszentrum, MSNZ Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany. 3 University Cancer Center Hamburg (UCC Hamburg), UCC Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany Objective: Cancer research is often perceived as aloof and inaccessible by the patients and families who stand to benefit most from it. Public communication of science often relies on storytelling, social media, or visually condensed formats, which rarely capture the realities of daily laboratory work, including methodological challenges and experimental failure. This also applies to children and adolescents, who rarely have direct access to translational research environments. The objective of this work is to present a hands-on engagement model designed to improve public understanding of cancer research, strengthen patient involvement, and inspire early scientific curiosity by providing direct access to the laboratory setting. Material/Methods: Patients were invited into the laboratory and introduced to selected wet-lab activities relevant to cancer research, including experimental workflows related to biomarker discovery and treatment response assessment. Participants were given the opportunity to observe and actively contribute to defined experimental steps. Their involvement and achievements were subsequently communicated to acknowledge their contribution and reinforce their role as research ambassadors. Furthermore, the lab hosted pupils ranging from primary to high school age within the framework of Boys’ and Girls’ Days. Age- adapted sessions were designed to explain the
men with intermediate/high risk prostate cancer having 20 fractions of radiotherapy to the prostate+/- pelvic nodes, to see if the dietary fibre inulin (compared to maltodextrin placebo), can help reduce the side effects that many men experience with radiotherapy. We will have a translational component to the trial with faecal samples for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and SCFA analysis, with diet diaries informing us of other fibre intake. If this trial is successful, we would then wish to undertake a much larger national trial, with tumour control as one of the endpoints. 5384 Acute oncology without borders: Lessons from low- middle income country services Sola Adeleke Dept of Oncology, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom This project outlines a global assessment of Acute Oncology Services (AOS) in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) to develop strategies for improving emergency oncology care. - The study aims to evaluate the current state of AOS in LMICs, identify barriers, assess existing strategies, and develop evidence-based recommendations for sustainable AOS delivery. - Phase 1 involves a global, multi-country survey target of 250 participants. - Phase 2 will conduct a Delphi consensus process using survey findings to define core components of a minimum viable acute oncology service for resource- constrained settings, focusing on task-sharing and tele-oncology. - Phase 3 will synthesise Delphi outputs into context- sensitive recommendations for developing AOS in
LMICs, including care pathways, workforce considerations, and service organisation.
5386 Telling your research story: Tools for reaching non- specialist audiences Naman Julka-Anderson Late Effects of Head and Neck Radiotherapy, NHS Foundation Trust, Essex, United Kingdom Communicating research beyond academic audiences requires more than simplification, it demands relevance, trust, and meaningful engagement within communities you serve. This talk explores practical approaches to translating complex health research into accessible, community-centred narratives. Drawing on initiatives including Rad Chat, Radiation Reveal, Anal Cancer Awareness Day, and community
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online