Celebrating the new era of oncology

In recent years, major progress in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cancer has come through an in-depth understanding of the disease mechanisms, and the use of molecular and digital tools continues to gain momentum. “We are entering an era in modern oncology in which data on drugs must be integrated with precision medicine, biomarkers, digital tools and artificial intelligence, so it is really important that we as oncologists have discussions on how to optimise the implementation of these advances,” says Prof. Fabrice André, Institute Gustave-Roussy, Villejeuf, France, presenting the scientific programme of the ESMO Congress 2022 which he co-chairs with Prof. Charles Swanton, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.

After two years of virtual meetings and remote-based presentations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual ESMO meeting is back to an in person experience, taking place in Paris, France from 9 to 13 September 2022. The Paris Expo Porte de Versailles will open its doors to thousands of delegates coming from all over the world, and those who cannot attend in person will still have the opportunity to follow the event online: the innovative LIVE Plus format, piloted in 2021, will offer live streamed sessions and the opportunity to interact online through a fully featured virtual platform ccessible to all registered participants.

With 1,913 abstracts and 76 Late-breaking abstracts to be presented  - out of a total of almost 3,400 abstracts submitted - , the scientific programme makes this year’s tagline "Understanding the disease to provide better care for cancer patients" more than just a slogan, focusing in particular on new treatment paradigms and innovations which promise to improve cancer care in the next future, including developmental therapeutics, AI-driven tools, liquid biopsy and CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumours. “The ESMO Congress 2022 will be a great opportunity to interact with key opinion leaders and debate these burning topics in oncology,” says Swanton.

Sustainability of oncology will also be at the core of the event this year, showing the Society’s commitment to undertake action toward preventing the depletion of resources in healthcare, so that they remain available for the long term and make cancer care accessible to all who need it.

“The first important way in which ESMO can, and does, contribute to the sustainability of the overall healthcare system is by nurturing the professional development of oncologists, and supporting them in their daily practice,” says ESMO President Prof. Solange Peters, highlighting some resources developed by the Society, including the new Living Guidelines, Webinar Series and tools for clinical practice like the ESMO Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS) and the ESMO Scale for Clinical Actionability of molecular Targets (ESCAT). “However, initiatives to support doctors in their work cannot on their own guarantee the sustainability of our profession, if the number of oncologists in a given healthcare system is not in proportion to the needs of the patient population they serve. This is why ESMO is now acting to minimise the overall impact of cancer on healthcare resources by enforcing a tangible commitment to prevention and cancer screening and taking care of the environment in which every oncologist operates.” In this direction, the Society has been for several years the main strategic partner of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in developing and piloting the WHO-IARC National Cancer Control Priority Setting and Costing Tool that will be launched in 2023. The tool will help governments scale-up their national cancer control plans forming the backbone of cancer services which have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic globally. On challenges and lessons learnt from the pandemic era, an educational session will take place on Monday 12 September in collaboration with the WHO.

Among the immediate, easy actions which can contribute to making oncology sustainable is the digitalisation of the ESMO flagship journal, Annals of Oncology, and a contained use of paper and plastic at onsite events.

Starting on Thursday 9 September with the Opening Session, the ESMO Congress 2022 will dive deep into ground-breaking science over five days, with proffered paper and mini-oral sessions, keynote lectures and controversy sessions on hot topics in oncology.

Streaming of presentations with interactive chat and Q&A sessions will be accessible live to registered users, and scientific sessions, ePosters, satellite symposia and post-event resources will be available on demand through the OncologyPRO platform. The registration system will remain open for the duration of the Congress.