The first SOHO UK meeting launches in London with a strong emphasis on understanding the pace of change across haematologic oncology and supporting the next generation of clinicians.
The inaugural SOHO UK meeting opens 3 March at the Royal College of Physicians in London, bringing together clinicians and trainees for two days of discussion focused on advances in haematologic oncology and the development of future leaders in the field. While the meeting follows the traditional SOHO format, the UK program strongly highlights trainee education and leadership development, alongside opportunities for close interaction with faculty through roundtable discussions and case-based sessions.
SOHO UK meeting co-chair Prof. Charles Craddock, CBE, described the meeting as a response to the pace of change in haematologic oncology and the widening gap between discovery and delivery. In his view, traditional meeting models are increasingly ill-equipped to bridge that gap.
“What we can see is a requirement for distinctive educational propositions at a time of breaking therapeutics and diagnostics,” Prof. Craddock said. He pointed to the SOHO conference model as one that has gained broad support by focusing on education across haematologic oncology specialities.
“People have been very impressed with the SOHO proposition, which has an emphasis on bringing the haemato-oncology community up to speed with breaking advances in each of the specialities,” he said, adding that the goal is for these advances to reach patients as soon as possible.
“The SOHO proposition is uniquely effective to ensure that patients promptly access these new therapeutic opportunities,” he said.
Prof. Craddock said the meeting is also intended to strengthen collaboration between UK cooperative groups and major US trial centres and to provide a forum for discussion at a time of rapid therapeutic development and evolving clinical trial infrastructure.
He described the London meeting as an opportunity to connect UK investigators more closely with international trial networks and to ensure that UK patients benefit from advances emerging across the field.
Genesis of SOHO UK
The idea for a UK-based SOHO meeting originated with SOHO UK meeting co-chair Prof. Anthony Goldstone, CBE, a long-standing member of the SOHO Board of Directors.
Prof. Goldstone has worked for many years to connect UK clinicians with international research networks and clinical trial collaborations.
Prof. Goldstone was the first non-US clinician to join the SOHO Board of Directors at the invitation of Hagop Kantarjian, MD, who serves as SOHO’s secretary and leads the society’s Ambassador Program. Prof. Goldstone credits Prof. Kantarjian with helping elevate UK haematologic malignancy research on a larger international stage.
During his time on the SOHO board, Prof. Goldstone advocated for increased UK engagement and for a London-based SOHO meeting, which never seemed to materialise until now.
“I touted the value of SOHO as a meeting in the UK for some years, not very successfully,” he said.
As luck would have it, Prof. Goldstone connected with Prof. Craddock through work related to registries and clinical research.
“We were absolutely delighted when Prof. Kantarjian and colleagues invited the UK to develop its iteration of a SOHO meeting,” Prof. Craddock said. “We’ve had unbelievable interest and support from the UK haemato-oncology community, and working with Tony Goldstone and many of my colleagues, I think we’ve now got a compelling program, which is not only going to cover the length and breadth of haemato-oncology, but it’s going to explore really important new areas such as the role of registries and translational medicine.”
“We want the meeting to be a party to celebrate the excellence of UK haemato-oncology, and to celebrate our partnership with MD Anderson and other major centres across the world working together to beat cancer to patient benefit,” he added.
Both Profs. Goldstone and Craddock said SOHO UK will be comparable in format and scientific scope to the SOHO Annual Meeting held in Houston but will incorporate the unique aspects of the UK medical system and add elements that highlight UK training structures and service pressures.
“We want SOHO UK to stand alongside the Houston meeting, but also to offer something different that speaks to the next generation,” Prof. Goldstone said.
Mentoring taking a central role
Alongside disease-focused scientific sessions mirroring the Houston meeting, SOHO UK includes a strong focus on mentorship of trainees, with the goal of providing trainees structured opportunities to participate actively, according to Prof. Craddock.
“Mentoring has become something of a theme of this meeting,” agreed Prof. Goldstone.
“The trainees are important for the future of haematologic oncology in connecting patients with the breaking wave of new therapies,” Prof. Craddock said. “We are keen to encourage trainees to advance their own ideas about key areas in haematology.”
The emphasis on mentorship reflects broader changes in training structures in the UK, where rotations, service pressures and evolving team structures have altered how trainees interact with senior clinicians. The meeting is intended to provide opportunities for trainees to engage more directly with faculty, discuss research ideas, and consider career development in a supportive environment.
The programme includes the SOHO UK scholarship presentations, with selected trainees delivering oral abstracts. Winners were chosen based on written responses to essay questions on the future of haematology and clinical research
Unique to SOHO UK will be a leadership in healthcare session led by Prof. Amanda Goodall and a career-focused meet-the-expert discussion led by Prof. Goldstone. These elements are intended to complement the main scientific sessions and provide practical guidance for trainees.
Real-world data and systems shaping care
The programme also includes a keynote address from Prof. Sir Bruce Keogh, KBE, on the emerging value of real-world data to the NHS and its role in shaping clinical research and care delivery. In a letter to delegates, he writes “real-world data can be used to bridge the gap between the restrictive ‘efficacy’ of randomized controlled trials and the broader ‘effectiveness’ of routine clinical practice.”
The topics of registries, access to trials, and how new therapies are implemented across the UK will be featured in several sessions, reflecting the growing interest in how evidence is generated outside traditional trials and how data can be used to improve care delivery and support decision-making.
SOHO UK is intended to set a precedent as the start of a continuing platform that will return at regular intervals and provide a forum for UK clinicians, trainees, and researchers to engage with international colleagues, according to meeting organisers.
“SOHO UK is truly an innovative crucible of thought about delivering the best possible haematologic oncology care to UK patients,” Prof. Craddock said.
