Just some of the many ECCO 15 - ESMO 34 Programme Highlights in this month's Congress Update Service include:

The Oncopolicy Track

Discover the topics of special interest to young cancer scientists and clinicians at ECCO 15 - ESMO 34.

Click on 'MORE >'  below to view the many track highlights!

The Oncopolicy Track

Special session: Cancer treatment in emerging countries

Debate Sessions

ESO/ACOE CME workshop: Towards a harmonized CME system in Europe

• The Oncopolicy Track

This new ECCO15 - ESMO 34 track has been introduced to help strengthen European policy on cancer and ensure it remains at the top of the EU health and research policy agenda.

Only through such a unified approach will European oncology professionals best engage with policymakers and all relevant stakeholders to promote the interest of cancer patients, those who care for them, and those without whose research there would be no advances in treatment and care.

Just some of the many highlights and discussion points will include:

• The latest initiatives to structure the oncology community's response to the challenge of cancer in Europe.

• Creation of a European Academy of Cancer Sciences hosted under the auspices of ECCO, that will strive for excellence, independence, leadership, diversity and flexibility to underpin policy for the prevention, the management and the palliation of cancer in Europe - The Creation of a world-class European Platform for Translational Cancer Research.

• The latest European Commission's new and experimental approach for a European Partnership against cancer aiming to turn existing initiatives such as cancer plans into reality.

• New approaches for sometimes conflicting challenges such as patient empowerment; equity of access to treatments; fostering innovation; cost containment; maintaining and improving healthcare systems.

• The role of politics and communication in the elaboration and implementation of national cancer plan strategies - critical success factors and importance of benchmarking.

• Contribute to the cancer community response to the conclusions and recommendations of the High Level Pharmaceutical Forum on information to patients, relative effectiveness of drugs and treatment and pricing and reimbursement issues. What adaptations should emerge to promote broader access for all, ensuring medicines are available in all countries and regions, taking into consideration the need to find a satisfactory agreement between patient needs, pharmaceutical companies and healthcare authorities?

• Drug and lifestyle mediated prevention initiatives in Europe. Do we have to face rationing in cancer related-healthcare? Could destructive lifestyle (obesity, smoking, etc) be denied healthcare?

• Key issues that academia, industry and regulatory bodies always wanted to address on optimising drug development.

• All you ever wanted to know about the technicalities of the next cancer call in FP7.

Emerging countries not only face the formidable Europe-wide challenge of the increasing costs of cancer care but also suffer through limited resources and an inequality in cancer treatment and care compared with other EU states.

Chaired by J. Jassem (Poland) this special session will address both issues in the regional context. M. Krzakowski (Poland) will present on the increasing costs of cancer care in Poland and A. Eniu (Romania) will discuss the management of breast cancer in limited-resource countries followed by discussion and roundup.

In the united efforts to improve cancer treatment, care, control and prevention across Europe, we hope that you will add Cancer treatment in emerging countries, 13:30 - 14:30, Monday 21 September 2009,  to your list of many 'must-attend' ECCO 15 - ESMO 34  sessions!

• Debate Sessions  

  
  Not to be missed – legendary oxford style debates!

  Controversy? Heated debate? Entertainment? We can guarantee all three as Speakers battle it out against each other to win the argument!

  Just some of the many debates to add to your ECCO 15 – ESMO 34 agenda include:
   

  Do patient advocacy groups represent the patients?

   

  Moderator: G. Feick (Germany)

   

  Speaker in favour: E. Verschuur-van der Voort (The Netherlands)

  Speaker against: T. Hudson (Ireland)

   

  Date: Monday 21 September 2009

  Time: 15:00 – 16:00

   

  This house believes that it is appropriate to give adjuvant chemotherapy for endocrine responsive tumours

   

  Moderator: F. Cardoso (Belgium)

   

  Speaker in favour: J. Crown (Ireland) Seconder: M. Gnant (Austria)

  Speaker against: A. Di Leo (Italy) Seconder: M. Untch (Germany)

   

  Date: Tuesday 22 September 2009

  Time: 17:00 – 18:00

   

  This house believes that we should abandon routine embedding of tumour tissues in paraffin

   

  Moderator: R. Bernards (The Netherlands)

   

  Speaker in favour: F. Ponten (Sweden) Seconder: L. J. van’t Veer (The Netherlands)

  Speaker against: I. Ellis (United Kingdom) Seconder: Sir N. Wright (United Kingdom)

   

  Date:Tuesday 22 September

  Time: 17:00 – 18:00

   

   

  This house believes that hypofractionation should be standard of care in breast cancer

   

  Moderator: H. Bartelink (The Netherlands)

   

  Speaker in favour: J. Yarnold (United Kingdom) Seconder: W. Budach (Germany)

  Speaker against: J. Overgaard (Denmark) Seconder: J. Jassem (Poland)

   

  Date: Wednesday 23 September 2009

  Time: 17:00 – 18:00

   

   

  This house believes that genomic signatures will be useful for personalised medicine

   

  Moderator: S. Rodenhuis (The Netherlands)

   

  Speaker in favour: R. Bernards (The Netherlands) Seconder: F. Cardoso (Belgium)

  Speaker against: K. K. Jain (Switzerland) Seconder: E. Domany (Israel)

   

  Date: Wednesday 23 September 2009

  Time: 17:00 – 18:00

   

   

  This house believes that targeted treatment should be used in all cases with lung cancer

   

  Moderator: R. Stahel (Switzerland)

   

  Speaker in favour: G. Giaccone (USA) Seconder: J. Soria (France)

  Speaker against: M. Reck (Germany) Seconder: C. Gridelli (Italy)

   

  Date: Wednesday 23 September 2009

  Time: 17:00 – 18:00

   

• ESO/ACOE CME workshop: Towards a harmonized CME system in Europe

Tuesday 22 September 2009, 11:00 - 18:15h

It is essential to develop European CME programmes that enable oncology health professionals to learn from each other, exchange good practices and benefit from networking opportunities to meet colleagues and peers from various European countries.

To ensure that the quality of these European CME programmes are recognised and their accreditation is validated in all European countries, the European School of Oncology (ESO) and the Accreditation Council of Oncology in Europe (ACOE) are determined to support the mutual recognition of CME credits in Europe and facilitate exchange between national CME competent authorities.

As a result, ESO and ACOE have jointly organised a CME workshop: Towards a harmonized CME system in Europe, that will take place during ECCO 15 - ESMO 34, Tuesday 22 September 2009, 11:00 - 18:15h - followed by dinner.

The workshop will seek to provide a platform for representatives from national CME competent authorities, oncology health professionals and representatives from European accreditation boards to appraise the disparities in CME principles between European countries, learn from each other, exchange views and practices.

The workshop will also include a session on the accreditation of e-learning CME materials for which the ACOE has already launched an on-line application process (www.acoe.be).

Representatives from national CME competent authorities from nine European countries (Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and the UK) will present on the rules, tools and procedures in place in their respective countries.

This workshop is organised under the auspices of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) and its Advisory Council on CME (EACCME) with whom the ACOE has worked very closely since it was established in 1999.

Attendance at the workshop is upon invitation only. For more information please contact Françoise Van Hemelryck at ECCO via Email: francoise.vanhemelryck@ecco-org.eu.

This exciting new track at the forthcoming ECCO15-ESMO34 Congress, developed by a multidisciplinary group of enthusiastic young oncologists from across Europe, will focus on topics of special interest to young cancer scientists and clinicians including:

Communicating with patients can be challenging, especially for trainees and junior staff. Leslie Fallowfield (Professor of Psychosocial Oncology at the University of Sussex, UK) is a pioneer and world expert in this field. In our first Teaching Lecture, she will discuss these challenges.

The FLIMS Symposium, Chaired by Professor Will Steward, will showcase the annual FLIMS workshop  - Methods in Clinical Cancer Research, Flims, Switzerland - which is jointly organised by ECCO - the European CanCer Organisation, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

To demonstrate the value of this educational opportunity for young oncologists to develop their own research protocol with the help of an internationally renowned faculty, two Flims studies will be presented. Participants will also learn about the FLIMS Alumni Club and have the opportunity to meet and interact with former FLIMS students.

The programme also includes the ECCO - EJC Young Investigator Award honoring a young cancer scientist or clinician for original work in cancer research who will give an oral presentation.

Membership fees to scientific societies can be expensive..., but are they good value for money? Attend the Special Session "Oncology Societies: Why?" chaired by Michel Ballieu (ECCO's Chief Executive Officer) and discover the advantages of membership from young members of EACR, ESSO, ESTRO and ESMO. They will show what your Society can do for you ..., and also what you can do for your Society!

If you are not sure what a Phase 0 clinical trial is, do not know how to run a Phase I trial, you will certainly benefit from attending the Symposium on Innovations in Early Clinical trials. Professor Chris Twelves (former Chair of the EORTC New Drug Development Group) will lead this session on advances in early phase trials methodology, with particular emphasis on the development of biological therapies.

EONS: Wednesday 23 September, 14:45 - 16:45               

ESMO: Tuesday 22 September, 09:00 - 11:00

ESSO: Wednesday 23 September, 09:00 - 11:00

ESTRO: Monday 21 September, 11:00 - 13:00

SIOPE: Monday 21 September, 11:00 - 13:00

EONS’ Society Session (in collaboration with KOK): Wednesday 23 September, 14:45 - 16:45

The Future is Ambulatory Care

Chair: Sultan Kav (EONS President-Elect)
Chair: Rolf Bäumer (EONS Treasurer & KOK President)

14:40 EONS Distinguished Merit Award Winner: J. Foubert (Belgium)

15:15 Introduction: S. Kav (Turkey)

15:20 Home care: A. Molassiotis (United Kingdom)

15:45 Supportive care: P. Riemer-Hommel (Germany)

16:10 Ambulatory care: L. Imhof (Switzerland)

16:35 Concluding remarks: R. Bäumer (Germany)

The Distinguished Merit Award is presented in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the art and science of cancer nursing within Europe.

This year, in recognition of his outstanding work in promoting European cancer nursing Mr. Jan Foubert will be the recipient of the 2009 EONS Distinguished Merit Award. Mr Foubert has served European cancer nursing in many roles over the years; not least as an EONS Board member, EONS President and EONS Executive Director. He has developed international links and been instrumental in supporting accession EU countries in developing their cancer nursing programmes.

Under his guidance, the Society and its Members have developed an exciting series of highly productive and innovative educational training programmes. Two such projects were TITAN and TARGET. These programmes were developed with the support of local National Oncology Societies and have had a significant impact in delivering enhanced nursing practice throughout Europe. As EONS editor in chief, Mr. Foubert contributed greatly to the establishment of the EONS Newsletter and EONS website as the means to communicate not only to the EONS membership but also to reach practising cancer nurses throughout Europe.

We invite you to join with us as we congratulate Mr Jan Foubert and share his European cancer nursing experiences over the past 15 years.

Other Un-missable Presentations include:

Monday 21 September 13:50 Using Evidence to Assess Complex Situations M. Krishnasamy (Australia)

Tuesday 22 September 17:00 Targeted Therapies (new programme) A. Margulies (Switzerland)

Thursday 24 September 11:15 Prostate Cancer D. Kelly (United Kingdom)

Also: Visit us at our stand in Society Village to obtain a copy of the EONS Breast Care Nursing Post-Basic Curriculum & Lung Cancer Nursing Post-Basic Curriculum and join us at our General Assembly in Hall 10 at 18:00 on Tuesday 22 September to participate in decision-making for the future of EONS.

Society Profiles:

The European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) was established in 1984 and is registered as a not-for-profit organisation. Our goal is to develop and promote the practice and recognition of high-quality cancer nursing in Europe through education, research, and practice-based initiatives.

For more information about EONS or information on how to join, please contact the EONS Secretariat at: eons.secretariat@cancernurse.eu or visit us at: www.cancernurse.eu

 The Konferenz Onkologischer Kranken- und Kinderkrankenpflege (KOK) was founded in 1987 as a working group of the German Cancer Society with the goal of improving nursing and outpatient care for people suffering from cancer in Germany. The KOK now has a membership of approximately 1,000. Educational projects such as TITAN and TARGET were carried out successfully in collaboration with EONS and integrated into the educational program of the KOK. Cooperative work exists between the German Society for Nursing Research and the KOK. The goal of this working group is to improve the quality of nursing care long term.

Further information concerning the KOK is available at: www.kok-krebsgesellschaft.de

ESTRO's Society Session: Monday 21 September, 11:00 - 13:00

The Scientific Programme for this multi-disciplinary congress provides a host of interesting sessions for the radiation oncology community together with the opportunity to network with colleagues in medical oncology and debate issues of mutual interest.

Fist of all, don't miss the ESTRO Society Session on Monday 21 September, 11:00 - 13:00. The Klaas Breur and Emmanuel Van der Scheuren lectures will be given during the session by the recipients of these prestigious ESTRO awards. The new Honorary Members will also give a lecture. We hope we can count on you to honour your colleagues who have made a significant contribution to the Radiation Oncology community.

Symposia:

• Targeting in radiotherapy

• Biological imaging for adaptive radiotherapy

• Prostate cancer - therapeutic options after relapse

• Management of malignant mesothelioma

• Can there be generalised recommendations for multimodality treatment in Stage III NSCLC?

• GENEPI: Genetic prediction of radiation damage

• Clinical management of the elderly

• Multidisciplinary teams in cancer care

Teaching Lectures:

• How to use functional imaging information for radiotherapy planning
  

• The value of new imaging technology for target volume delineation
  

• Hadron therapy
  

• Personalised radiotherapy - what is evidence-based?

• IMRT and biological approaches in radiotherapy for prostate cancer

Special Sessions:

• New approaches for evidence generation of novel radiation technologies

• DNA repair of radiation damage

• Very late normal tissue damage after radiotherapy

• Cancer stem cells and radiation resistance

Debate:

This House believes that hypofractionation should be the standard of care in breast cancer

There will also be sessions of particular relevance to young oncologists as well as plenty of time for discussion with colleagues

SIOP Europe, the European Society for Paediatric Oncology, has been heavily involved in the scientific programme design and coordination of ECCO 15-ESMO 34, specifically in this year’s comprehensive Paediatric Oncology Track.

The programme includes an update from each of the major paediatric trial groups in Europe, teaching lectures including new approaches to clinical trial design for rare tumours and childhood cancer, a special session on advances in fertility preservation for children and adolescents, as well as scientific or symposia on how to select a new drug in paediatric oncology, lessons from soft tissue sarcoma in young people, new imaging approaches and advances in Leukaemia. This is the ideal forum to obtain a ‘state of the art’ update on novel anti-cancer therapies and all that is happening in paediatric oncology, on your doorstep in Europe!

Chaired by eminent paediatric oncologists and SIOPE board members, Professor Kathy Pritchard-Jones and Dr. Ruth Ladenstein, this session will feature the pick of the submitted abstracts with a paediatric oncology theme and will commence with the biennial SIOPE award. For 2009, the award will be presented to Professor Helmut Gadner, Head of the Children’s Cancer Research Institute and St. Anna Children’s Hospital, for his internationally recognized work on Histiocytosis.

Background: SIOP Europe, the European Society for Paediatric Oncology, promotes optimal standards of care for children and young people with cancer. It is the only multidisciplinary society dedicated to childhood cancer in Europe.

For further information please contact: