Rolf A. Stahel
It gives me great pleasure to invite you to ESMO 2014 in Madrid 26- 30 September 2014.
I am particularly looking forward to this Congress, because it continues the powerful momentum established at our ESMO 2012 meeting in Vienna, which broke so many records for European oncology conferences: 16,394 delegates, 140 scientific and educational sessions, and a remarkable 30% rise in the number of abstract submissions – 1,238, of which 31 were late-breaking. ESMO 2012 set the standard for what a congress should be: deep, comprehensive, and up-to-the-minute. ESMO 2014 will raise that standard to a new level.
As the leading network for medical oncologists in Europe, ESMO takes very seriously its responsibility to inform, educate, and support each individual practitioner and researcher in our fast-evolving discipline.
The theme for ESMO 2014 is ‘Precision Medicine in Cancer Care’, an ideal that has rapidly shifted from “in some distant future” to “just around the corner.” We are looking forward to presentations of some of the most recent research and trials including targeted therapies and immunotherapeutic approaches, joint symposia with representatives of all cancer specialities, and robust debates on the clinical challenges of supplying genuinely personalised cancer treatment across Europe. We are also, naturally, looking forward to yet another record-breaking crop of abstracts!
ESMO is committed above all to supporting each medical oncologist with the best and most up-to-date information and educational materials. ESMO’s Clinical Practice Guidelines, OncologyPRO online educational and scientific resources, and our scientific journal Annals of Oncology give practitioners across Europe and around the world access to the scientific and medical knowledge that supports best practice.
A congress is most of all about interaction, and ESMO 2014 will offer both the clear and efficient organisation that attendees have come to expect from ESMO as well as plentiful opportunities to make new contacts, discuss new findings, learn from experts, and review presentations – both at the Congress itself and online.
All this will take place in Madrid in late summer: one of Europe’s most beautiful and vibrant cities, with a proud medical tradition and a wealth of cultural and gastronomic delights – only minutes away from the Congress venue.
Patients are waiting for delivery on the promise of precision medicine. We oncologists still have much to do to further improve cancer care. I look forward to seeing you in Madrid and helping to accelerate our profession into its next phase.