ICHNO 2011 - 3rd International Conference on Innovative Approaches in Head and Neck Oncology

Over the last decade tremendous achievements have been made in the management of patients with Head & Neck Cancer. Advancements in the understanding of the pathogenesis of Head & Neck malignancies could rapidly lead to the elaboration of tailored treatments. Functional imaging has emerged as a complementary modality to anatomic imaging methods for better staging, treatment response evaluation and optimal treatment targeting. Surgery has markedly improved, in particular with better reconstruction techniques moving further the limit of operability. Randomised studies have demonstrated the increasing role of combined modality approaches with chemotherapy and biological targeted therapies. New radiation techniques, expected to impact on survival and quality of life of Head & Neck patients, have taken off the ground and are being validated... And this is just the beginning with many more challenges ahead of us!

In this thrilling environment, the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO), the European Head and Neck Society (EHNS), and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in collaboration with other European partners, had the pleasure of inviting you to participate to the INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INNOVATIVE APPROACHES IN HEAD AND NECK ONCOLOGY that was held in Barcelona (Spain) on the 24th -26th February 2011.

ICHNO 2011 programme highlights

• Biological patient profiling and risk factors
• Emerging diagnostic and therapeutic tools
• Functional outcome of treatments
• Management of elderly patients
• Recurrent and metastatic disease
• Clinical controversies based on case discussions, such as sequential vs concomitant chemotherapy vs concomitant targeted agents, post-chemo-radiotherapy neck dissection, etc.

The format of the meeting has combined “state of the art lectures”, lectures on innovative approaches and proffered papers. Ample time was given to discussions to allow in-depth interactions among the various disciplines and the participants.