Thomasians lead int’l research group for treatment protocol for nasopharyngeal cancer

International cancer specialists from Southeast Asia, East Asia, North Africa, as well as Europe and North America, collaborated to review recent studies and to share local experiences in order to develop consensus guidelines for the alternative standard of treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer. At the helm of this research initiative were Thomasian doctors and academic staff.
This important effort was conceptualized in May 2023 and was implemented for over two years. Part of the research team, taking on key roles, were Dr. Michael Benedict Mejia, who served as Task Force Co-Chair and member of the Steering Committee; Asst. Prof. Warren Bacorro who took charge of Methodology and Oversight, Project Management and Coordination, and Conflict of Interest Review and Management; and Asst. Prof. Ryan Anthony Agas who was assigned for Evidence Review. Assoc. Prof. Clevelinda Calma from the UST Hospital Benavides – Cancer Institute Section of Medical Oncology also joins Bacorro in the Conflict of Interest Review and Management committee. Other Thomasians included in the team were Dr. Abigail Milo from the UST Hospital Department of Radiology and Mrs. Maureen Bojador from the Department of Radiation Oncology.
It should be noted that nasopharyngeal cancer is endemic to the East Asian, Southeast Asian and North African regions, usually caused by an interaction between the Epstein Barr virus, environmental factors, and genetic predisposition. Thus, the need to establish a treatment protocol spearheaded by doctors in the said regions was explored.
The final guidelines were published online in the Practical Radiation Oncology, an American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) publication on March 26, 2025 and was presented during the 2025 European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology in Vienna, Austria last May 2025. Prior to the guidelines publication the project protocol was first made public in the Annals of Nasopharynx Cancer in November 2023 while the evidence review was presented by Dr. Omar Nouri (Tunisia) during the 2024 European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) Annual Congress in Glasgow, UK last May 2024. Preliminary consensus voting results were presented by Dr. Michael Benedict Mejia (Philippines) during the Joint ESTRO – Federation of Asian Radiation Oncology Organizations (FARO) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last August 2024.
The published guidelines can be accessed through this link.