Welcome Letter

Dear colleagues,

Welcome to the 42nd Congress of the European Society of Surgical Oncology, to be held on 25th-27th October 2023 in the fantastic Florence, Italy – city of dreams.

ESSO 41 in Bordeaux last November was a fruitful reunion filled with fresh ideas and stimulating exchanges. We are thrilled to have received 947 delegates from 70 countries. And with 770 abstract submissions, a new record was hit. We welcomed ESSO new board of directors (2022-2024) and announced the society’s new vision and mission. What an event!  So, what to expect this year?

2023 marks a brand-new chapter for ESSO. Under the guidance of our new vision and vision, we are highly motivated to achieve improvement in every aspect of our work, for the benefit of cancer patients in Europe. We have developed a strategic plan which highlights the priorities in the coming years. Top on the list are: to modernize ESSO educational activities, to promote recognition of Surgical Oncology as a speciality across the EU, and of course, to offer quality Congress programs that best reflect our ambition.

It’s not a coincidence that the journey begins in Italy, the birthplace of human anatomy and hence the cradle of modern surgery and medicine. Somehow, we wish ESSO42 will be a similar ground-breaking milestone, paving the way for better outcomes of cancer surgery.

The theme of this year is “Maximizing benefits of cancer surgery”. Our Congress Committee is currently working on an exciting scientific programme, which will cover 8 disease tracks: Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Hepatobiliary Cancer, Upper GI Cancer, Peritoneal Surface Malignancies, H&N/Thyroid Cancer, Melanoma and Sarcoma. Several cross-specialty sessions on topics such as Robotic Surgery, Early Detection (joint session with the European Society of Radiology), Artificial Intelligence, Clinical research in surgical oncology (Dragon’s Den) will complete the scientific programme. The Congress will also include roundtable discussions on Women in Surgery, the need of surgical oncology specialization across Europe, a young mentorship session and a joint session with the Italian Society of Surgical Oncology (SICO) focusing on the congress theme.

As the first Congress inspired by our new vision- Cure Cancer Together, we would like to bring together all stakeholders – patients, surgeons, organ-based societies, companies and decision-makers, to discuss innovative solutions that reinforce the advantage of cancer surgery and concrete actions that reassure them to be delivered to all cancer patients.

We have recently released an open letter “Time for action: Maximizing the benefits of surgical oncology for cancer patients in Europe”. Supported by 33 Members of Parliament, it represents the unified voice of the surgical oncology community and patients’ organisations and urges the EU Commission to act on recognition of Surgical Oncology across Europe. Hopefully, we will be able to share some good news with you by then.

As always, ESSO42 will be a valuable platform to interact with first-class experts as well as fellows from Europe and beyond. Meet us in Florence for an unforgettable experience!  

We look forward to receiving you this October in Italy.