News? I started the Pharmacy fellowship (along with the MSc program) in January. The combination of research and front-line clinical work is pretty exciting.
What is the best part of your job? I love my colleagues and the patients that I work with. I also love that research and clinical practice are so entwined in my everyday work. Patient interactions result in research questions, and the findings from our research projects feed directly back into our work. This constant feedback loop is so exciting; it really allows you to work towards loftier goals for better patient care in a systematic way.
What inspired you to work in oncology pharmacy? The University of Waterloo has a co-op program that gives students opportunities to apply for and work in a variety of areas. My last co-op term was in the oncology centre at Sunnybrook, and I loved it so much that I went back for my fellowship once I graduated.
Where was the last conference you attended? May 2015, CAPhOCon in St John's Newfoundland.
Where did you go to university? I did both my BSc and BScPhm at the University of Waterloo and am working on my MScPhm from the University of Toronto.
What job did you do before working in oncology pharmacy? Before working in oncology pharmacy, I was a professional student :)
What sports and/or hobbies do you do? I love to play beach volleyball in the summer and go snowboarding in the winter. I've also taken up rock climbing and I love checking out Toronto's theatre scene.
What book are you reading right now? Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig.
Where would you want a mystery flight to take you on vacation? Nairobi, Kenya - including a side trip up Mt Kilimanjaro :)
Where were you born? Guelph, Ontario.
Soha Ahrari
Oncology Pharmacy Fellow, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
MASCC 2015 Conference Highlights
Written by Victoria Kletas
The Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) is an international multidisciplinary organization dedicated to research and education in all aspects of supportive care for people with cancer. This year the conference was held in Copenhagen, Denmark from June 25-27. It was an excellent conference attended by delegates from all over the world with a variety of backgrounds - medical oncology, radiation oncology, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, social workers, dieticians. It was truly a wonderful opportunity to network with multiple people on issues related to supportive care.
The conference started with a plenary session titled: "Supportive Care is a continuum" setting the tone that was to follow for the remainder of the meeting. The speakers focused on the lasting effects of some of the toxicities associated with anti-neoplastic agents that can prevail beyond the timeframe of therapy, thus making the role of rehabilitation an important one. The use of cannabinoids in cancer therapy was discussed especially its role as a supportive care agent for management of nausea, vomiting, pain and cachexia. It was a topic that generated plenty of discussion especially since accessibility of cannabinoids for medical use and issues around legalization differ from region to region.
An excellent Canadian speaker- Dr Pamela Goodwin professor of Medicine from the University of Toronto led the discussions on endocrine issues in cancer. She presented recent studies linking obesity and diabetes having negative impact on breast cancer outcomes. It was interesting to hear as well about thyroid dysfunction associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Hypothyroidism is a concern with the most frequently administered tyrosine kinase inhibitors (sunitinib, sorafenib, imatinib) and the effects can be lasting. In a different stream, another speaker - Dr Alexandre Chan, pharmacist from Singapore provided an excellent talk on pharmacogenomics and how genetic polymorphism can affect response rate to certain medications. The session on complementary and alternative medicine generated plenty of discussion, since evidence supporting its use was examined. The session of proffered papers on Gastrointestinal Toxicity had a strong Canadian pharmacy presence, with the work of CAPhO past-president Carlo De Angelis and his team being profiled. A review of the latest in cancer and thrombosis was presented as well providing a good summary of benefits associated with usage of low molecular weight heparins. A parallel session on chemotherapy induced neurological complications provided opportunities for discussion among experts on how to treat and manage chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy. One of the last sessions of the conference was on assessment and management of skin toxicities given by the leading experts - Dr Mario Lacouture and Dr Jennifer Choi. Targeted treatments are often associated with dermatologic toxicities that impact patients' quality of life and can result in treatment modifications that may potentially affect clinical outcomes. The speakers provided practical recommendations on how to prevent and manage these toxicities while emphasizing the role of pharmacists in these situations.
Overall, it was an excellent conference with a variation in topics and a great opportunity to hear about issues in supportive care from leading experts. I would like to sincerely thank CAPhO and the CAPhO Awards committee for the travel grant to attend this conference and urge fellow pharmacists to take advantage of the opportunity and apply for future grants.
Many thanks
Victoria Kletas
Pharmacist, BC Cancer Agency
