Solange Peters, MD, PhD
THE EUROPEAN SOCIETY for Medical Oncology (ESMO) has announced that the President of the Society for the 2020–2021 term will be Solange Peters, MD, PhD, Head of the Medical Oncology Service and Chair of Thoracic Oncology, Oncology Department at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois in Lausanne, Switzerland. The ESMO President is elected by ESMO members, who choose between two candidates put forward by the ESMO Nominating Committee following recommendations from the Society’s Leadership.
“I would like to sincerely thank all those who put their trust in me. As ESMO President, I will dedicate my full energy to the well-being and the future of the Society and its members, as well as continuing to promote quality cancer care for all patients,” said Dr. Peters. “ESMO should continuously strive to learn about the needs of its members in order to adapt its activities to the distinct geographical and professional realities in their regions.”
Other priorities will be promoting education; fostering independent academic research; and supporting oncologists, at all stages of their careers, to broaden their professional horizons.
Other Responsibilities
DR. PETERS has long been involved in ESMO activities and is currently ESMO Executive Board Member, Women for Oncology Committee Chair, Press & Media Affairs Committee Chair, and ESMO 2018 Scientific Chair, among other responsibilities.
She is also active in the International Association of Lung Cancer (IASLC), where she is a Board Member. In addition, Dr. Peters is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer.
Dr. Peters has served as Associate Editor of Lung Cancer and became Deputy Editor of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the official journal of IASLC, in 2013. She was previously Editor-in-Chief of Cancer Treatment Communications.
“ESMO has become a global society. It needs to prioritize a greater integration of professionals from different geographic, socioeconomic, and ethnic backgrounds, aiming to create a vibrant community that considers relevant issues from a global perspective,” explained Dr. Peters. “I wish to guide the Society to be the promoter of an environment where equal access to information and optimal cancer treatment is a priority, at a time when these considerations might be weakened in several specific political and economic contexts. ESMO must become the primary platform for scientific exchange, encompassing the best science in all fields of oncology.” ■
