Two-thirds of cancers occur in elderly patients; only a tiny percentage in children. Elderly patients may receive sub-optimal treatment; cure rates in children are 70-80%. These two groups of cancer patients represent opposite ends of the spectrum, but issues affecting them – and everyone in between – will be discussed at this year’s European Cancer Congress. Professor Riccardo Audisio is chair of the surgical oncology track and will be speaking on individualised treatment for older cancer patients. He is Consultant Surgical Oncologist at the University of Liverpool, UK. Professor Stefan Bielack is co-chair of the paediatric oncology track and Director of Paediatric Haematology, Oncology and Immunology at Klinikum Stuttgart-Olgahospital, Germany.

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Oncopolicy Forum, Sunday, 27 September, 13:00–14:30

– By Professor Riccardo A. Audisio, ESSO President and Session Chair 

The timebomb of cancer in the elderly is real. It is estimated that within 15 years, 12 million people will die of the disease on an annual basis, a majority in the over 65 age-bracket. This group of patients has special needs when it comes to obtaining information and high quality care, and therefore an approach tailored to their specific requirements is crucial.

Information that is readily accessible for younger patients may be less so for the elderly, who are often not as computer- and internet- literate. They may also be less forthcoming, or less able, to ask relevant questions to their doctors in order to be fully knowledgeable about their disease, treatment options and side-effects. Beside this, physicians are also unlikely to fully understand the implications of cancer treatment when administered to senior patients.

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Late-breaking abstracts describe the latest advances that will change our daily clinical practice. They highlight novel and practice-changing studies. Focus is placed on capturing abstracts with ground-breaking and unique data that would not otherwise have been presented at the Congress.

Examples of suitable late-breaking abstracts might include the results of a practice-changing prospective Phase III clinical trial; a Phase II study showing anti-tumour activity in a novel context; an early clinical trial with novel proof-of-principle data, or the demonstration of novel cancer biology with therapeutic implications – in each case the results should not have been fully available by the regular abstract submission deadline.

Submit your late breaking abstract here.

The European Cancer Congress is definitely the must-attend event for all young oncologists in Europe. The Congress is the leading European platform for presenting practice-changing scientific data and a unique multidisciplinary context where different areas of oncology converge to explore ground-breaking solutions to help cancer patients.

At #ECC2015 young oncologists will have the opportunity to strengthen their competences and knowledge whilst having a chance to network with other oncology professionals. The programme includes a dedicated track intended to provide a deeper understanding of wider aspects of cancer care and guidance on career development.

Furthermore, the Congress will host mentorship sessions where the most esteemed scientists will share their experience with the new generation of specialists.

For the first time, a special session will focus on the importance of providing future investigators with the essential educational training to design good clinical trials.

Since its beginning, the European Cancer Congress has seen exponential growth. The first ECCO – ESMO Congress in Berlin (2009) was one of several recent successes – 14,918 international attendees participated and 2,031 abstracts were submitted.

Two years later, in Stockholm (2011) the ECCO- ESMO Congress gathered even more participants from all over the world – including China and Japan. This Congress welcomed 15,931 participants and received 2,389 submitted abstracts.

Most recently, in Amsterdam (2013) the Congress reached its peak so far with 18,482 participants attending. The number of submitted abstracts reached 3,303 and the Congress app was downloaded by 6,547 delegates – a huge increase compared to 2,436 delegates downloading it in Stockholm just two years earlier.

Join us in Vienna and let’s register a new record together!

Dr. David Ashton has designed a series of three essential leadership workshops. Attend all three workshops and get your leadership certificate!

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Contact

ECCO18-ESMO40
Secretariat
Avenue E. Mounier 83
1200 Brussels
Belgium
Tel:  +32 2 775 02 01
Fax: +32 2 775 02 00

Email: [email protected]
Website: ECC2015
Hashtag: #ECC2015