THIRD ONCOLOGY SYMPOSIUM

 

Belgrade, 28 September 2012 – The third “ONCOLOGY SYMPOSIUM” 2012 organized under the patronage of Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine by the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia in conjunction with MSKCC (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) in New York, United States in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Serbia and co-organizers HRH Crown Princess Katherine Foundation opened officially today in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Belgrade.The aim of this Conference is to present the current situation inSerbia in terms of diagnostics and screening of most frequently occurring diseases: breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer as well as the latest medical innovations and experience in other countries.

The Royal couple organised at theRoyal Palace a Welcoming Reception last night for guests of the Conference followed by a tour of the Royal Compound.

During the opening ceremony speeches were delivered by:

·        HRH Crown Prince Alexander

·        HRH Princess Katherine

·        H.E. Prof. Dr. Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, Minister of Health,Republic of Serbia

·          Mr Adriano Martins, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation inSerbia

·        Dr Dorit Nitzan, Head of WHO Country Office inSerbia, Manager of Public Health Services forSouth Eastern Europe

·        Professor Hedvig Hricak, MD, PhD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Radiology,Memorial SloanKettering CancerCenter in New York,USA

·        Professor Zoran Rakocevic, PhD,  Head of Institute for Oncology and Radiology ofSerbia

Following the opening ceremony several plenary sessions took place on the topics “Oncologic Imaging” and “Value of Imaging in Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Management” presented by Professor Hedvig Hricak, Professor and Chairman of Radiology Department at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Center in New York, “Implementation of National Screening Program – Project Update” by Professor Dusan Keber, PhD, team leader of the project Technical Assistance for the Implementation of the national Cancer Screening Program in Serbia,“Managing Oncology Services-International Trends and controversies-Lessons for Health Care System and Institutions in Transition”, presented by Dr. Ivan Jekicfrom Clinical Center of Serbia, “The Role of PET in Oncology”, presented by Professor Jasna Mihailovic, Professor and Head of Department for Nuclear Medicine at the Oncology Institute of Vojvodina,.

 

Lectures were also held by other foreign lecturers on following subjects: “Update on Croatian Breast Cancer Screening Program” presented by Dr. Boris Brkljacic, Professor and Chairman of Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at the Dubrava University Hospital in Croatia, “Controversies in Breast Cancer Screening” and “Breast Imaging in Breast Cancer: Treatment and Follow Up” presented by Dr. David Dershaw, Professor at Department of Radiology at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, “Quality Control” and “Birads Update” presented by Dr. Carol Lee, professor at Department of Radiology at the memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, “Controversies in Colorectal Cancer Screening” presented by Professor Jean Faivre, Consultant of the projectTechnical Assistance for the Implementation of the National Cancer Screening Program in Serbia, “Imaging of Colorectal Cancer” presented by Dr. Natasa Prvulovic from Oncology Institute of Vojvodina.

 

The second day of the Symposium will be followed by the newest updates on Serbian Prostate Cancer presented by Professor Cane Tulic, Professor and Director of Clinic for Urology at Clinical Center of Serbia andon Serbian Colorectal Cancer Screening Programpresented by Mrs Milena Scepanovic, Member of the project team Technical Assistance for the Implementation of the National Cancer Screening Program in Serbia and workshopEssential Elements in setting up a Screening Program and Performing Quality Control .

 

The third day of the Symposium will start with a workshopHow to Write a Successful Grant by Ms. Sheila Fortunato and several lectures afterwards: “Tobacco Control in Serbia” presented by Professor Srmena Krstev, MD, Head of the National Committee for Tobacco Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Serbia, “Pilot Study of Low-dose CT Lung Cancer Screening” presented by Dr Sanja Stojanovic, Professor at Institute for Radiology at Clinical Center of Vojvodina, “Diagnostic Algorithms for Lesions found at Lung Cancer Screening” presented by Professor Christian J. Herold, Professor and Chairman of Radiology in Vienna General Hospital, “The role of omega-3 fatty acids and a healthy diet in cancer” presented by Professor Zacharoula Nikolakopoulou from Queen Mary University of London, “Genetic Risk of Breast and Ovarian Cancer” presented by Professor Tanja Pejovic, Associate Professor and Director Ovarian Cancer Research at the Oregon Health and Science University, “BRCA testing-experience of the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia” presented by Dr Mirjana Brankovic, Head of Department of Experimental Oncology at the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia.

 

At the end of the third day, before the final discussion, Professor Peter Bosnjakovic will the results of Mobile mammography screening in Serbia for the period 2009 – 2012. This mobile mammography was a donation of the Foundation of HRH Crown Princess Katherine.  Dr. Alexander Jaric will present mobile mammography screening results in Serbia for the period 2009 – 2012. That was donation of the B92 Foundation.