More than 14,900 attendees joined the biennial meeting of the European CanCer Organization (ECCO) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Berlin, Germany from September 20 to 24, 2009. This combined ECCO/ESMO meeting is the largest multidisciplinary cancer congress in Europe and featured the presentation of many significant preclinical and clinical reports with the potential to influence oncology practice across Europe and worldwide. Among the organizing societies for ECCO/ESMO meeting is the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO), the sister society to the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

From the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Soren Bentzen chaired a session regarding Late Normal Tissue Damage after Radiotherapy, and participated in a Debate regarding the role of Traditional Phase II Clinical Trials in Cancer Therapy. Dr. Paul Harari was among three recipients of an Honorary ESTRO Membership Award and delivered a lecture on combining EGFR inhibitors with radiation. ESTRO awards Honorary Membership to persons “who have made a significant contribution to the achievement of the goals of the Society particularly in the field of interdisciplinary or international co-operation”.

The next combined ECCO/ESMO meeting will take place September 23-27, 2011 in Stockholm, Sweden.

ECCO/ESMO 2009 Scientific Program available at link below:
http://www.ecco-org.eu/binarydata.aspx?type=doc/Programme_Book_PartB.pdf