The highlights in the 11th International Gastric Cancer Congress
The 11th International Gastric Cancer Congress (IGCC) was held from June 4-6, 2015 in São Paulo, Brazil (1).
As an international event promoted by the International Gastric Cancer Association (IGCA), IGCC is held biennially. And 20 years ago, the 1st IGCC was held in Japan in 1995. These multidisciplinary conferences focused on both educational and scientific developments for gastric cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, well-spread new advices, educational methods and techniques as well.
The 11th conference held in São Paulo (Figure 1), gathered more than 2,000 experts from 70 countries, including 275 elite speakers, to discuss and share their new experience. A total of 706 abstracts were brought together, including 406 posters, 41 videos and 254 oral presentations, to present leading research and the cutting-edge technology in the field of gastric cancer (2).
Opening of the conference
The opening ceremony began at 18:00 on Jun 3, 2015. Prof. Bruno Zilberstein, President of this IGCC, opened the ceremony with warm words to extend his great welcome to the attendees. We also received the great hospitality from the Brazilians (Figure 2).
Invited video session
Surgeons are always longing for advanced surgical techniques and being better and better, which is beneficial to both themselves and their patients. It is so exciting that experts from Brazil, China, Japan, Korea, USA, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Chile, Argentina and so on, carried with their surgical videos to display during this conference. This is an event for mutual learning.
The most impressive thing was that the 3D surgical videos from the Chinese experts. Prof. Xiangqian Su showed the LN dissection in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy and Prof. Jianping Gong showed the 3D gastrectomy. Someone from the ground said “It’s amazing”.
Chinese Gastric Cancer Association
During the 11th IGCC, more than ten Chinese speakers were invited to share their medical ideas. All of them are the leading persons or representatives in China in the field of gastric cancer, including the president of the next IGCC, Prof. Jiafu Ji. Two sections were arranged to the Chinese Gastric Cancer Association to illustrate Chinese experience and conditions (Figure 3). People from all over the world were hearing the voice of China.
Translational Gastrointestinal Cancer (TGC) journal exhibited in IGCC
The editorial team of TGC attended the 11th IGCC to promote this journal and introduce TGC to more experts. We also caught this opportunity to meet our distinguished editorial board members, authors and readers during this conference. In the 11th IGCC, we met and talked to our editorial board members Prof. Ariel Halevy from Tel-Aviv University, Israel, Prof. Daniele Marrelli from University of Siena, Italy, Prof. Han-Kwang Yang from Seoul National University, Korea and Prof. Paul F. Mansfield from MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA. We also met some new friends, such as Dr. Daniel Coit from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, USA and Dr. Heike Grabsch from University of Leeds, UK (Figures 4,5).
Gastric Cancer exhibited in IGCC
The book Gastric Cancer published by AME Company was exhibited in this conference, which arose great attention during the conference (Figure 6).
Gastric Cancer (Figure 7) is edited by Prof. Jiafu Ji from the Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, China, and associate edited by Guy D. Eslick from The University of Sydney Nepean Hospital, Australia and Prof. Hyung-Ho Kim from Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Korea. Comprised of 285 outstanding authors from 15 countries, this book illustrates from the basic science of gastric cancer to the most advanced therapeutic technique. There are ten chapters, focusing respectively on diagnosis, chemotherapy, surgical techniques and multidisciplinary research, etc., which would like to provide the readers with a most comprehensive analysis.
The 12th IGCC (IGCC 2017)
Prof. Jaifu Ji headed the team to help China earn the right to host the 12th IGCC, in the 10th IGCC. In the closing ceremony of this year’s IGCC, Prof. Bruno Zilberstein transferred the flat of “International Gastric Cancer Association” to Prof. Jiafu Ji, meant that the next IGCC would be held in China (Figure 8). At the end of the closing ceremony, Prof. Ji briefly introduced the plan and general situation of the next upcoming IGCC. At the same time, he showed his warm welcome to the experts from all over the world by demonstrating the Beijing city (Figure 9).
Hosting the 2017 IGCC will encourage Chinese doctors and researchers in this field, and also this is a chance for us to develop the Chinese gastric cancer research. We look forward to meeting you in the 2017 IGCC in Beijing!
Acknowledgements
None.
Footnote
Conflicts of Interest: The author has no conflicts of interest to declare.
References
- The program of the 11th International Gastric Cancer Congress. Available online: http://www.11igcc.com.br/ingles/programacao/index3.php#menuprogramacao
- The home page of the 11th International Gastric Cancer Congress. Available online: http://www.11igcc.com.br/ingles/index.php
