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Every two years, during the ECCO conference, the European Society of Surgical Oncology confers the ESSO Award in recognition of significant achievements in basic or translational research in oncology, clinical and educational contributions to oncology in general and surgical oncology in particular.
On the occasion of ECCO 15 - ESMO 34, the ESSO Award will be presented toProfessor Theo Wiggers (NL) during a special ESSO award session on 23rd September from 9.00 to 11.00. The session, chaired by the ESSO President, C. van de Velde, will discuss the management of patients who present with stage IV Colorectal Cancer. The award lecture, by Professor Theo Wiggers, will address the role of the colorectal surgeon. The role of the medical oncologist will be presented by R. Glynne-Jones whereas V. Valentini will give the point of view of radiation oncologist. R. Adam will focus on the role of the liver surgeon. A panel discussion on the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach and moderated by I. Taylor will conclude the session. Previous recipients of this award have been J. Oldhoff (1991), F.J. Lejeune (1993), J.A. van Dongen (1995), W. Mattheiem 1997), C.J.H. van de Velde (1999), A.E.M.R. Lerut (2001), L. Cataliotti (2003) and L. Pahlman (2005) and Irving Taylor (2007). Introduction to the 2009 ESSO Award session: Treatment of colorectal cancer is largely standardized and written down in guidelines. However 25% of the patients have metastatic disease at initial presentation. Due to modern imaging techniques this is discovered preoperatively in most cases. This leaves the oncologic specialist with the great challenge which treatment should be offered and in which order. All disciplines involved in the treatment of cancer play an important role. Induction chemotherapy as a first treatment? What to do with a locally advanced rectal cancer in combination with disseminated disease? Should the primary tumour be resected before systematic treatment starts? How far can you go with a radical surgical approach of the primary tumor and liver metastases? Which is the best order of treatment: liver or primary tumor first. Is HIPEC as initial treatment possible? No surgery at all if the primary tumor is asymptomatic? All these options are not yet covered by guidelines but interesting new studies are performed that may help to find solutions applicable in daily practice. Since these patients require a multimodality approach the speakers in this session are from the different disciplines involved in the treatment of colorectal cancer. A colorectal surgeon, a liver surgeon, a radiation oncologist and a medical oncologist will present from their own point of view the search to an optimal strategy.Finally we will pay attention to the way they have to cooperate and come to an optimal conclusion. In this way we offer the patient a change for curative treatment and if not achievable an optimal quality of life for the remaining life period.
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