Lugano, Switzerland, 28 June 2017 – ESMO, the leading European professional organisation for medical oncology announced today that the President for 2020-2021 is Professor Solange Peters, MD, PhD, head of the Medical Oncology Service, Chair of Thoracic Oncology, Oncology Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
“I would like to sincerely thank all those who put their trust in me. As ESMO President, I will dedicate my full energy to the well-being and the future of the Society and its members, as well as continuing to promote quality cancer care for all patients,” says Peters.
“ESMO should continuously strive to learn about the needs of its members in order to adapt its activities to the distinct geographical and professional realities in their regions,” says Peters. Other priorities will be education, fostering independent academic research and supporting oncologists, at all stages of their careers, to broaden their professional horizons.
Peters has long been involved in ESMO activities and is currently ESMO Executive Board Member, Women for Oncology Committee Chair, Press & Media Affairs Committee Chair and ESMO 2018 Scientific Chair, among other responsibilities.
She is active in IASLC where she is a Board Member. Peters is also a member of AACR (American Association for Cancer Research) and EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer).
Peters has served as the associate editor of ‘Lung Cancer’ and became Deputy Editor of the ‘Journal of Thoracic Oncology’ (JTO), the official journal of IASLC, in 2013. She was Editor in Chief of Cancer Treatment Communications. In addition, she acts as Associate Editor for ‘Frontiers in Pharmacology of Anti-Cancer Drugs’ and Review Editor for ‘Frontiers in Thoracic Oncology’. She is the author of numerous articles in peer-reviewed publications as well as book chapters and abstracts.
The ESMO President is elected by ESMO members, who can choose between two candidates put forward by the ESMO Nominating Committee following the recommendations from the Society’s Leadership.
“ESMO has become a global society. It needs to prioritise a greater integration of professionals from different geographic, socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, aiming to create a vibrant community that considers relevant issues from a global perspective,” explains Peters.
“I wish to guide the Society to be the promoter of an environment where equal access to information and optimal cancer treatment is a priority, at a time when these considerations might be weakened in several specific political and economic contexts. ESMO must become the primary platform for scientific exchange, encompassing the best science in all fields of oncology. I am determined to work to achieve these objectives with the support of our members, officers and staff,” Peters concluded.
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About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With more than 15,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 130 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. We are committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment.