Rising Attendance For GI Cancer Congress Attests To Importance And Impact

Main Category: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 18 Jun 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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The ESMO Conference: 11th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer opens next week in Barcelona, Spain with a substantial increase in registered attendees over previous years, providing important practice updates and promising new research into the numerous types of cancers that affect the gastrointestinal tract. "Ongoing study and changing standards in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers have made it mandatory for clinicians to continually update their knowledge to keep up with advances in the field," says Congress co-chair Dr. Eric Van Cutsem. "The World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer addresses the immediate practice implications of these changes."

Over 400 studies will be presented at the world's largest GI cancer conference and published in the Annals of Oncology, the official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), outlining research taking place across the globe. Some of the most important work in the field outlines improved patient outcomes through novel drug therapies including combination therapies and new applications of existing therapies.

Six abstracts have been selected by the congress chairs as "top abstracts". A common thread of these recognized papers is prolonged progression-free survival, enabling patients to live longer with the disease and with a better quality of life. Moreover, the experts will discuss the changing paradigm in gastrointestinal cancer toward a more personalized treatment approach for patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

Also being recognized at the congress are researchers from developing nations who received grants based on the scientific merit of their submitted work.

The ESMO Conference: 11th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer, developed and managed by Imedex, will be held from 24-27 June at the CCIB convention center in Barcelona. The internationally recognized faculty will include 72 experts, chaired by Mario Dicato, MD of the Luxembourg Medical Center in Luxembourg and Eric Van Cutsem, MD, PhD of the University Hospital Gasthuisberg in Leuven, Belgium. 3,500 people from nearly 100 countries are expected to attend.

Designed to promote a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, the scientific agenda offers targeted sessions for oncology surgeons and nurses as well as a comprehensive range of topics for researchers, gastroenterologists, as well as medical and radiation oncologists. Registration is available onsite. http://www.worldgicancer.com

Gastrointestinal Cancers: Gastrointestinal cancers include anal cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, gallbladder cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer (hepatoma), pancreatic cancer, and small intestine cancers. The most prevalent of these is colorectal cancer in the Western world and gastric cancer in Eastern World. Colorectal cancer is a major public health problem in Western countries, with the highest incidence rates in North America, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. It is the third most common cancer in both men and women, and the third most common cause of cancer death in both sexes. About 630,000 deaths from colorectal cancer are expected this year worldwide, accounting for 8% of all cancer deaths. Gastric is the second most frequent cause of cancer related mortality, accounting for +/- 800,000 deaths each year worldwide.

Source
Imedex