Oncology experts to discuss latest developments in head and neck cancers

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Feb 1 2011

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, have the pleasure of inviting you to report on the 3rd International Conference on innovative approaches In Head and Neck Oncology that will be held in Barcelona (Spain) on the 24th -26th February 2011.

With major emphasis on multidisciplinarity and innovation, this meeting will specifically cover the main following topics:
•    Biological patient profiling and risk factors
•    Emerging diagnostic and therapeutic tools
•    Functional outcome of treatments
•    Global care of patients (cultural issues, psychosocial support, what do patients expect, etc)
•    Clinical controversies based on case discussions such as Evidence-based medicine or practice based medicine, etc

More information on the conference: http://www.estro-events.org/Pages/ichno2011.aspx
More information on Head & Neck cancers on the Radiotherapy Information Centre: http://www.estro-ric.org/media/Pages/HeadandNeckCancer.aspx#Head%20&%20Neck%20cancers

Tremendous achievements in Head & Neck cancers
Head and neck cancers together make up 5% of all cancers diagnosed each year - 120,000 across Europe. The most common head and neck cancers are:
•    the mouth and tongue (oral cavity)
•    the back of the throat (pharynx)
•    the voice box (larynx)
•    the sinuses
Oral cancers represent 3% of new cases in the UK and 6% in France; while in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, oral cancer is the most common cancer in men and may account for up to 30% of all new cases of cancer.

But 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 are evolving,
•    Surgery has improved markedly, in particular with better reconstruction techniques moving the limit of operability further.
•    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 this is just the beginning, with many more challenges ahead of us.

http://www.esmo.org/events/head-and-neck-2011-ichno.html