Rahul Kumar, DM Medical Oncology Trainee at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, shared on LinkedIn:
“A rewarding week at the ESMO – European Society for Medical Oncology– Medical Oncology Group of Australia ACORD Workshop 2026 in Sydney comes to an end.
I came in with an idea that I had been working on for sometime: to evaluate Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP) as an immunomodulatory strategy alongside first-line chemoimmunotherapy in advanced NSCLC.
I leave with much more than a refined protocol. My initial ‘dream castle’ was challenged and dismantled but what is now being rebuilt is stronger, more rigorous and far more realistic.
Over the week, discussions with faculty, statisticians and fellow investigators pushed me to re-examine almost every aspect of the study: the biological rationale, endpoints, safety, feasibility, eligibility, treatment schedule and statistical assumptions and, most importantly, whether the trial can truly answer the question it sets out to address.
My biggest takeaway from ACORD: a good clinical trial is not just about an interesting hypothesis; it is about repeatedly challenging your assumptions until the study is both scientifically rigorous and practically deliverable.
I am deeply grateful to my Protocol Development Group faculty: Linda Mileshkin, Haryana Dhillon, Christina Yap for their thoughtful guidance and constructive feedbacks, and to Patricia LoRusso, Aron Tan, Chris Karapetis, AMITESH Roy, Herbert Loong for the valuable small-group discussions.
Equally grateful to my fellow PDG members Thiti Susiriwatananont, Rachel, Nicholas, Anisha Navkudkar, Julia, Nacy and Jan for the questions, discussions and feedbacks throughout the week. Being part of the best team was a pretty good bonus too!
Beyond the protocol, one of the most rewarding parts of ACORD was the friendships and mentorships that grew along the way. I am especially grateful to Dr.Sai Prasath Janaarthanan, Antonio Ahumada-Canale, Rohan Kapoor, Pankaj, Dr Adarsh Das and many others for the conversations, support and memories that made the week even more meaningful.
Thank you to ESMO – European Society for Medical Oncology for the scholarship support and to Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) for supporting my travel. I am also grateful to my mentors Deepam Pushpam, Sachin Khurana, Aparna Sharma, Atul Batra, Shuvadeep Ganguly and Prof Sameer Bakhshi for consistently encouraging my ideas, big or small.
Finally, sincere thanks to the organisers for putting together such a thoughtful and intensive programme. Katrin Sjoquist, Jia Jenny Liu, Martin Stockler.
I return to AIIMS with a stronger protocol, new collaborations, lasting connections and, most importantly, a much clearer framework for developing investigator-initiated clinical trials.
A week very well spent.”
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