Presidential welcome

Building on the success of the ESMO Milan 2010 Congress, the 37th ESMO Congress, to be held in Vienna, 28 September – 2 October 2012, is definitely THE
European medical oncology meeting to attend. ESMO is proud of its reputation for excellence in outstanding congress programs and superior congress organization; you can only expect the best from ESMO Vienna 2012.
The most outstanding speakers have been selected to offer unmissable educational lectures to improve your professional practice. Through collaborations with our leading partner societies we are also able to present a number of Special Joint Symposia dealing with topics that reflect the daily needs of oncology practitioners, reflecting the holistic approach that ESMO is developing and willing to offer to the whole oncology community. Importantly, ESMO Vienna 2012 will also be the first time a Congress solely dedicated to medical oncology will host a community of specialists whose shared discipline has been recognized at European level.
The ESMO Congress next year will retain its long-standing tradition of providing a unique forum for presenting both the latest research results and less obvious or more controversial topics: from translational research advances to innovative trial design, from powerful diagnostic technologies to side-effects management. It will also focus on the recent evidence-based advances with an immediate impact on cancer management. In addition, the benefits of attending ESMO Vienna 2012 continue after the Congress ends. Thanks to the congress webcast you will be able to view sessions you may have missed, and to review individual presentations. Consequently, Vienna is certainly your travel destination next year: an enchanting city where cosmopolitan bustle and buzz combine with warm welcomes at every turn. A city hosting important oncology organizations and individuals, including the local community that ESMO is partnering with to offer a program of excellence, in one of Europe’s most vibrant cities.
Excellence is clearly a value for ESMO and Vienna 2012 will unquestionably meet that standard.
I look forward to welcoming you in Vienna for an outstanding ESMO Congress!

Welcome from the Program Chairs

Cancer is a highly complex disease that must be tackled in a complex way. This is exactly the approach that we have taken in developing a strong Scientific and Educational Program for the 2012 ESMO Vienna Congress: a 360° medical oncology perspective into cancer management, from translational research
advances to side-effect management and so much more.
ESMO Vienna 2012 will offer a program of excellence -remaining faithful to the proven winning formula of previous congresses while also introducing new sessions and improving the format of existing ones. Our goal is to trigger the conversations that will help us all prepare for – and respond to – the rapidly changing times which are in many respects as daunting as they are promising. Simply put, ESMO Congresses are moving with the times, our times. As medical oncologists we form part of a multidisciplinary cancer team involving as many different specialists as required to get the right treatment to the right individual at the right time. To achieve this, it is critical for our community to keep fully updated on the latest breakthroughs at the basic, translational and clinical research
levels. We must also connect and network with colleagues to guarantee the widest possible exchange and dissemination of information.
As our knowledge of cancer biology improves and new approaches to treatment and diagnosis develop, the management of cancer patients will continue to change substantially. The identification of new biomarkers is increasingly supporting the development of targeted drugs, which pose crucial challenges for the daily practice:
Who will really benefit from them? Can we manage all possible side-effects? Are these new drugs affordable? How can we best respond and adapt to new and emerging treatment approaches and paradigms? These are just some of the many questions that will be addressed during our discussions at ESMO Vienna 2012, with state-of-the-art education and best practices, presentations and conversations with top experts from various disciplines, controversial debates and, of course, the very latest cutting-edge research. For the advancement of our field, we also need you! We are looking forward to reviewing your inspiring research that will benefit the treatment and care of our patients today, the future of those tomorrow. Whichever stage your study has reached, the ESMO Congress offers you the definitive platform upon which to join us in collectively shaping the future of medical oncology.
In so few words it is impossible to capture the promise of the forthcoming ESMO Vienna Congress. Suffice it to say, there is something new in store for all and, most importantly, the ESMO Congress provides an unparalleled opportunity for us to come together, debate, exchange and engage.
Join us, colleagues and friends for what promises to be the next ESMO Congress of firsts, another of excellence.

Location