Growing Attendance for International GI Cancer Congress Demonstrates Importance and Increased Impact.

The 11th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer, organized by ESMO, the European Society for Medical Oncology, opens today in Barcelona, Spain, with a substantial increase in registered attendees over previous years.

The conference is expected to provide 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.”

Researchers will present studies indicating prolonged progression-free survival and focusing on the importance of personalized cancer care.

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 nearly 800,000 deaths each year worldwide.

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.

The conference has received endorsements from leading professional societies and organizations, solidifying the reputation of the Congress as the premier platform for specialists in cancer research, leading oncologists and practicing clinicians to review the state-of-the-art advances in gastrointestinal cancer and share the latest information on its multidisciplinary management. Specialized sessions for nurses, surgeons and young medical oncologists provide enhanced educational opportunities.

The 11th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer Congress is endorsed by:

• The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation
• ENETS (European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society)
• EONS (European Oncology Nursing Society)
• EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer) – GI Tumor Group
• ESO (European School of Oncology)
• ESSO (European Society of Surgical Oncology)
• Europacolon

For more information:

• 11th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer.
• ESMO: The European Society for Medical Oncology

For more information, read these PubMed abstract:

• ESMO Conference: 11th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer, 24-27 June, 2009, Barcelona, Spain. Abstracts. Ann Oncol. 2009 Jun;20 Suppl 7:vii7-127 (Annals of Oncology Online)
• Abstracts of the ESMO International Symposium: 10th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer. June 25-28, 2008. Barcelona, Spain. Ann Oncol. 2008 Jun;19 Suppl 6:vi9-105 (Annals of Oncology Online)
• Koh HC, Page B, Black C, Brown I, Ballantyne S, Galloway DJ. Ectopic pancreatic-type malignancy presenting in a Meckel's diverticulum: a case report and review of the literature. World J Surg Oncol. 2009 Jun 22;7(1):54. [Epub ahead of print]
• Beswick EJ, Reyes VE. CD74 in antigen presentation, inflammation, and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. World J Gastroenterol. 2009 Jun 21;15(23):2855-61.
• Caracino V, Maggi G, Altobelli S, Lambiase C, Danza C, D'Amico G. Voluminous bleeding stomach GIST: reflections on aetiopathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy. Chir Ital. 2009 Mar-Apr;61(2):255-9.
• Schulze-Bergkamen H, Weinmann A, Moehler M, Siebler J, Galle PR. Novel ways to sensitise gastrointestinal cancer to apoptosis. Gut. 2009 Jul;58(7):1010-24.

Photos courtesy of the American Society of Clinical Oncology