CONGRESS NEWS

The 6th International Conference on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Issues in Cancer

It has become a tradition to hold the biennial International Conference on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Issues in Cancer (ICTHIC) in Bergamo. Bergamo is a quiet town in Northern Italy located on a hilltop beyond the Alps. Over 700 physicians with different backgrounds but the same interest attended the meeting this year from April 20th to April 22nd. The meeting provides a unique opportunity for reviewing the different molecular and clinical findings on thrombosis and haemostasis issues in cancer and for updating the guidelines on prophylaxis and treatment of Venous Thrombo-Embolic Events (VTE) in cancer patients. This congress report covers several key topics: duration of prophylaxis in cancer patients undergoing surgery, prevention in medical cancer patients, type and duration of VTE treatment in cancer patients, place of the newer anti-thrombotic agents in cancer patients and survival advantage of Low-Weight Molecular Heparins (LWMH). (BELG J MED ONCOL 2012;6:140–143)

The 8th European Breast Cancer Conference

From the 21^st till the 24^th of March, Vienna formed the spectacular background for the 8^th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC). The EBCC was jointly organised by the EORTC, EUSOMA and EUROPA DONNA and welcomed over 3500 participants. This report does not pretend to summarise the entire meeting but aims at discussing the most important take-home messages from the congress. (Belg J Med Oncol 2011;6:106–108)

The 34th San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

From the 6^th – 10^th of December, San Antonio, TX was again transformed into the world’s capital in the fight against breast cancer. The Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) were the joint organisers of this 34^th edition of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. This year’s meeting attracted nearly 8,000 participants from over 90 countries and again proved to be the number 1 breast cancer meeting in the world. This report does not aim to summarise the entire meeting but aims at discussing the highlights of the meeting. (BELG J MED ONCOL 2011;6:73–76)

The 2011 International Society of Geriatric Oncology Meeting

SIOG, the international organisation of geriatric oncology, organised its annual congress this year in Paris. Over 300 health care workers from all over the world participated in this meeting.

(BELG J MED ONCOL 2012;6:37)