Abstract

Rare cancers collectively account for over 20% of new cancer diagnoses: more than any individual common cancer. However, while expansion in cancer clinical and translational research are establishing a robust evidence base and improving outcomes for most common cancers, many rare cancers have been left behind. In this session, we explore the challenges of rare cancer research. These include translational approaches, novel clinical trial methods to maximise information when a large sample size is not possible, initiatives for international collaboration and the potential for genomics-based precision medicine approaches in rare cancer.