Welcome Letters
From the IPOS President:
Dear Colleagues:
I am extremely honored, as the President of the International Psycho-Oncology
Society, to welcome you all to the 10th World Congress of Psycho-Oncology
in Madrid, Spain.
Advancing Culturally Diverse Approaches in Psycho-Oncology and Palliative
Care is the theme of this extremely important Congress, which will be a
platform for all the health professionals taking care of cancer patients
and their families to present their data of research, to share their clinical
experience, to work together and to reinforce the integration and the cooperation
IPOS has among its main objectives.
The outstanding scientific program both for the Congress and the intensive
workshops of the Psychosocial Academy confirms the maturity reached by our
field and but also underlines the potential we have to create a strong network
between the psycho-oncology societies throughout the world.
In fact, in the last few years, starting from the Congress in Venice in
2006 and working through it in London last year, we put our energies in
this potential, strongly believing that a new era had come; an era in which
the national psycho-oncology societies of the world could come together
as a powerful force to influence the growth of our field, not only around
the world but also in each of our individual countries and regions.
During the 10th World Congress of Psycho-Oncology, we will create the IPOS
Federation of the National Psycho-Oncology Societies. This will allow IPOS
to speak for the full membership of all the members of all the national
psycho-oncology societies around the world, thus having greater influence
in developing cancer treatment policies set by the WHO, the European Union
and other major regional organizations. In addition, IPOS can better support
the goals of individual national psycho-oncology organizations in their
efforts to establish psycho-oncology within their national health care structure,
as well as in helping establish standards of care and training.
It is with a lot of enthusiasm for this event that I invite you all to
come and join us and IPOS. Looking forward to meeting you in Madrid.
Best wishes,
Luigi Grassi MD
IPOS President
From the IPOS 10th World Congress Chair:
Dear friends and colleagues,
It is a great pleasure for me to warmly welcome you to the 10th World Congress
of Psycho-Oncology in Madrid, 9 - 13 June 2008, on behalf of IPOS´s
Board of Directors, 2008 Congress Committee members, and the Spanish Psycho-Oncology
Society (SEPO). Many years have passed since our first world congress of
psycho-oncology took place in Beaune, France in 1992. Valuable advances
have been made in both clinical and research areas of our field since then
that have contributed to the growth of IPOS as well as to the development
of new national psycho-oncology societies now actively participating in
our very successful world congresses. Psycho-oncology is now widely recognized
as an important part of cancer care which provides, among other things,
tools for the prevention of cancer as well as for the improvement of patients´ quality
of life along the disease continuum.
The 10th World Congress in Madrid will serve as a forum to present and
discuss current advances in the field; to improve interaction among professionals
and scientific societies; to promote the practice of psycho-oncology; to
provide education and training to all health professionals involved in the
care of cancer patients and their families; and to foster the careers and
interests of young professionals. It will include a number of exciting celebrations
that should not be missed!
The theme of our congress, Advancing Culturally Diverse Approaches in
Psycho-Oncology and Palliative Care, beautifully represented by our logo, accurately describes
two main objectives of this meeting: to further integrate psychological
aspects of advanced disease in our scientific programs, and to increase
participation of culturally diverse professionals in the congress, specifically
those from Spanish-speaking countries around the globe. The congress will
be enriched by the IPOS Psychosocial Academy, two days intensive training
workshops that will provide the opportunity to work on specific themes and
will include both new and returning speakers and topics this year.
Madrid is a friendly, modern city with a significant body of history and
art, which is undoubtedly one of its main attractions. Visits to
the Prado Museum, hosting one of the world´s largest collections of
paintings, the Reina Sofía modern art Museum or the Thyssen-Bornemisza,
the largest private art collection worldwide, are easily combined
with day trips
to historical and artistic gems declared World Heritage Sites by
UNESCO (Toledo, Segovia and Avila). Going around the tapas bars
and enjoying our
nightlife in a city that never sleeps can be exhausting but unforgettable.
The Congress gala dinner will provide you with a touch of our exquisite
recipes combined with flamenco entertainment. Don´t miss it!
I would like to thank all those who are making this congress possible:
IPOS Board members, SEPO, Francisco Gil, president of our Local Scientific
Committee, and all other National and International Committee members who
are significantly contributing to the expected success of our 2008 meeting,
thank you all. Thanks also to all those hundreds of professionals that have
submitted their work in order to share it with us.
It is an honour for me, as the 10th World Congress Chair, to personally
greet and welcome you all to a very promising scientific meeting that is
being prepared with much care and enthusiasm. I dearly hope that you enjoy
the meeting and get a glimpse of our beautiful country, Spain.
I look forward to seeing you in Madrid!
Maria Die Trill PhD
IPOS 10th World Congress Chair
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