Andrés Cervantes, MD, PhD
Andrés Cervantes, MD, PhD, Scientific Chair of the 2016 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress, concluded the meeting earlier this month by recognizing a number of important take-home messages. At a closing press conference, Dr. Cervantes noted that the “ESMO 2016 Congress has broken records, not only of attendance, but in terms of the quality science being presented that will impact the practice of oncology.” The meeting was held October 7–11 in Copenhagen.
Dr. Cervantes announced there were 20,522 participants at ESMO 2016. “This is certainly a record number, but what is most important is the good news for physicians and patients in many areas of unmet needs,” he said.
Solange Peters, MD, PhD
Solange Peters, MD, PhD, ESMO 2016 Press Officer, shared the key points of the meeting: “The accent on immunotherapy that has changed the oncology landscape as well as targeted therapies and personalized medicine in general. The use of biomarkers for predicting response and outcomes is of huge benefit to patients.” She continued: “Beyond data, our preoccupation is about patients; that is why a study on quality of life, beyond survival, was included in a Presidential Symposium. That is also why we have a hugely successful Patient Advocacy Track, and we also publish guidelines for cancer patients.”
The top 10 countries in the number of delegates attending ESMO 2016 were the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, China, Japan, and Denmark.
Practice-Changing Data Presented and Published
There were over 1,640 studies presented at ESMO 2016, including 47 late-breaking trials and over 1,500 posters. A record number of research being presented at ESMO 2016 was published simultaneously in major medical journals. Some of these practice-changing studies include:
- ENGOT-OV16/NOVA, landmark study in recurrent ovarian cancer
- KEYNOTE-024/KEYNOTE-021, on new immunotherapeutic options in advanced lung cancer
- MONALEESA 2, on HER2-negative advanced breast cancer
- EORTC 18071, on stage III melanoma
- CheckMate 141, on patient-reported outcomes in head and neck cancer
Watch for coverage of these studies from the ESMO 2016 Congress in this and upcoming issues of The ASCO Post. Plus, visit ASCOPost.com/videos/ to view interviews with experts filmed live during ESMO 2016. ■
