ASCO MCMC Conference

American Society of Clinical Oncology Multidisciplinary Course in Management of Cancer: Focus on Genitourinary & Thoracic Malignancies
was held at the Vineyard Hotel, Cape Town on 26 and 27 April 2008.

The Talks are now also available for Download.

From Left to Right: Derek Raghavan, Bishop Tutu, Wanda, Raymond Abratt, Joan Schiller.

Around 180 people attended the meeting. We had the great privilege of having Archbishop Desmond Tutu welcome the attendees. He talked with candour, dignity and courage of his own illness. He also made very welcome comments about the spiritual dimension of Health care and called on us to make patients whole.

There was a number of care presentations, largely from Registrars , to complement the formal presentation of studies by the Teaching Faculty.

The treatment of both localised and metastatic disease was discussed.
Day 1 had a Genito-urinary focus e.g. Tumours of the Prostate, Bladder and Kidney
Also: The genome and cancer – implications for new treatment protocols.
Day 2 had a Thoracic focus e.g. Tumours of the Lung (small cell and non small cell), Mediastinum and Oesphagus.
The Course consisted of teaching lectures, case discussions and general discussion to address local issues.

ASCO Course Director:
Derek Raghavan. Director, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, USA
Local Course Director:
Raymond Abratt, Professor and Head, Radiation Oncology, Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town, RSA
Additional Teaching Faculty:
Joan Schiller: Director, Medical Oncology, and Associate Director of UT Southwestern
Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA

Andrew Stevenson
Andrew Stephenson: Professor of Urology, USC Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA
Bryan Burmeister: Professor and Director of Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, President of Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group, Australia
Gabi Walther: Head of Thoracic Surgery, Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town.

The Course was held in collaboration with:
SA Society of Clinical and Radiation Oncology (SASCRO)
SA Society of Medical Oncology (SASMO)
SA Thoracic Society
SA Urological Association
African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer