41st Congress of the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO 2022)

Dear colleagues,

Welcome to the 41st Congress of the European Society of Surgical Oncology, to be held on 19th-21st October 2022 in the elegant city of Bordeaux, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

As the first reunion of our surgical oncology community since the COVID-19 pandemic, the ESSO 40 Congress was a great success. With 857 delegates from 68 countries, we gathered for a fruitful and productive assembly last November in Lisbon. Meeting colleagues in person again was such an enjoyable moment! The ESSO 40 Congress restrengthened everyone’s confidence in the progress we have made during this difficult time, sending out a positive message that we are on track towards the recognition of surgical oncology in Europe, and towards a bright future for better cancer care.

Due to the pandemic restrictions, certain aspects were left out with regret. The ESSO 41 Congress will however offer a more comprehensive programme, reintroducing areas that were not covered in Lisbon. We also foresee an increasingly international participation from our global community.

Under the theme “Treatment tailoring in cancer surgery”, we aim to reinforce the benefits of cancer surgery by offering insights on how to tackle individual’s needs, and by deepening our understanding of personalisation in today’s cancer surgical treatment.

We share a common ambition: advancing the science and practice of surgical oncology for the benefit of cancer patients. This entails the recognition of surgical oncology as a speciality. In this regard, an open letter “Time for Change: Harnessing the full potential of surgical oncology for cancer patients in Europe” was released during ESSO 40 Congress, calling upon all European leaders for a joint effort in promoting high quality surgical oncology treatment for the benefit of every cancer patient in Europe. Concrete actions now must follow up to implement our initiative and we invite you to join us. Let the voice of our surgical oncology community be heard, and let’s meet in Bordeaux to share our recent achievements.

As always, the ESSO 41 congress will provide a valuable platform to interact with first-class experts as well as fellows from Europe and beyond. Here you will be able to find inspiration, exchange experience, and share expertise on the latest development within your speciality. The Congress Committee is already working on an exciting scientific programme. Do not hesitate to get your expectation high.

Being inspiring and be inspired!

We look forward to receiving you in October 2022 in France.