Mission and Vision
Our Mission
The European School of Oncology is an independently funded non profit organisation dedicated to quality education and training, because we believe all patients deserve equal access to competent cancer care.
ESO was originally founded in 1982 by Umberto Veronesi and Laudomia Del Drago who were passionate about reducing the number of cancer deaths as a result of late diagnosis or inadequate treatment. Today we are continuing that passion by providing oncology education that helps improve the treatment of cancer patients. Through our extensive learning programmes, we’re reaching areas where education is most needed, both geographically and scientifically.
Our Vision
To ensure that all cancer patients have access to unbiased and evidence-based competent care from adequately trained health professionals.
Strategic plan 2023-2025
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Many things are changing in the global fight against cancer, ESO is looking ahead to the many opportunities to increase the knowledge of health professionals in all fields of cancer medicine. Many things are changing in the global fight against cancer, ESO is looking ahead to the many opportunities to increase the knowledge of health professionals in all fields of cancer medicine.
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Draft of the Strategic plan 2023-2025 is available HERE.
A PDF version of ESO's Code of Conduct is available HERE.
History
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Umberto Veronesi, Milan Founder |
In 1982 Umberto Veronesi, a visionary in cancer care and treatment, alongside Laudomia Del Drago, a distinguished member of the Roman aristocracy and a breast cancer survivor, founded The European School of Oncology. They believed through increasing access to oncology education, cancer could not just be diagnosed sooner but treatment could improve, and in turn reduce the number of deaths. |
Laudomia Del Drago, Rome Honorary President |
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Leading oncologists from around the world joined the cause, playing a key role in the founding of ESO. They include Sir Michael Peckham, then a UK-based international leader in radiotherapy, best known for pioneering the technique of mantle field radiation; Franco Cavalli, a Swiss haematologist who led efforts to develop medical oncology as a recognised discipline in Europe, and was a founder member of the European Society for Medical Oncology; Louis Denis a urologist from Antwerp, who had been instrumental in setting up the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer; and Bob Pinedo, who at the time was co-editing Cancer Chemotherapy with Bruce Chabner, deputy director of the US National Cancer Institute, and was practising translational research at his Utrecht base in the Netherlands long before there was a word for it. |
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Michael Peckham Founder |
Franco Cavalli Founder |
Bob Pinedo Founder |
Louis Denis Founder |
Today, ESO is the one of the most established organisations exclusively dedicated to increasing the knowledge of health professionals in all fields of cancer medicine with the support of an international scientific committee and advisory board. Our partners and staff in Milan and Bellinzona, along with our supporters from all over the world, including the more than 1000 lecturers and experts and 20,000 alumni, continue to be fundamental to the on-going success of ESO. A more detailed history of ESO’s first 30 years can be found in Learning to Care: ESO at 30, which can be downloaded as a pdf HERE (7.5MB).
Governance
Board of Directors
Ugo Rock, Milan
President
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| Marco Alloisio, Milan Alberto Azario, Milan Piergiuseppe Biandrino, Milan Donella Bossi Pucci, Rome Alberto Costa, Milan |
Paola Favati, Milan Vincenzo Finizzola, Milan Thomas Galdy, Florence Fedele Gubitosi, Milan (Vice President) Laura Pellegrini, Rome |
Marco B. Lovati, Milan (Chairman) Barbara Negri, Milan Stefano Sarubbi, Milan |
Scientific Committee 2020-2022
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Franco Cavalli, Bellinzona |
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Nicholas Pavlidis, Ioannina |
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Alberto Costa, Milan |
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Fedro A. Peccatori, Milan Scientific Director |
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Alexandru Eniu, Rennaz |
Members |
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| Matti Aapro, Geneva Adriana Albini, Milan Regina Beets Tan, Amsterdam Felipe A. Calvo, Pamplona |
Fatima Cardoso, Lisbon Tanja Cufer, Ljubljana Lesley Fallowfield, Brighton Enriqueta Felip, Barcelona |
Silke Gillessen, Bellinzona |
Demetris Papamichael, Nicosia |
Department Coordinators
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Nicholas Pavlidis, Ioannina |
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Fedro A. Peccatori, Milan |
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Alexandru Eniu, Rennaz |
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Franco Cavalli, Bellinzona |
Scientific Advisers
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Olivia Pagani, Bellinzona |
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Sara De Dosso, Bellinzona |
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Cristiana Sessa, Bellinzona Gynaecologic Cancers |
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Alessandra Curioni, Zurich |
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Emanuele Zucca, Bellinzona |
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Ursula Vogl, Bellinzona |
Disclosure of potential conflict of interest
ESO’s initiatives and activities are defined by the ESO Executive Committee, the Scientific Committee and by the Department/Programme Coordinators.
For transparency, the ESO core collaborators declare potential conflict of interest that might rise in general when programmes are defined and developed.
The disclosures’ list is available here.
Staff
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Accounting |
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Communication Manager
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Masterclass Programme - Executive Manager
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e-ESO - Podcasts and e-Courses Specialist |
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e-ESO - e-Sessions Specialist
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ESCO - Executive Manager External Communication |
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Cancer Disparities Programme - Executive Manager |
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Bellinzona Office Manager
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Management Committee Coordinator |
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Postgraduate Programmes - Certificate Organizer
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Patients' Initiatives Coordinator |
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Postgraduate Programmes - Executive Manager
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Collaborators
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Paola Favati Financial and Legal Adviser |
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Michele Guerrieri Legal Adviser
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Lorenzo Pini IT Manager |
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e-ESO Team
Advisory Board
 Dr Ramon Andrade Bezerra De Mello - Brazil |
 Dr Luca Bertolaccini - Italy |
 Dr Ilaria Colombo - Switzerland |
 Dr Iskra Daskalova - Russia |
 Dr Berardino De Bari - Switzerland |
 Dr Pierfrancesco Franco - Italy |
 Dr Wendy McInally - United Kingdom |
 Dr Astrid Pavlovsky - Argentina |
Team of Discussants
 Dr Jonas Feilchenfeldt - Switzerland |
 Dr Patricia Fox - Ireland |
 Dr Gilberto Morgan - Sweden |
 Dr Marco Siano - Switzerland |
 Dr Wojciech Wysocki - Poland |
Team of ESCO Graduates
 Dr Mohamed Emam Sobeih - Egypt |
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 Dr Ehab Mahmoud - Saudi Arabia |
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 Dr Assia Konsoulova - Bulgaria |
 Dr Simona Volovat - Romania |
 Dr Ana Tecic Vuger - Croatia |
 Dr Dorota Kwapisz - Poland |
 Dr Riham AbdelAziz - Egypt |
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Dr Hongcheng Zhu - China |
ESO Ambassadors
The European School of Oncology wishes to express its gratitude to the ESO Ambassadors below who have committed themselves to help promote the school’s activities in their respective country. Having already taken part in one or more of ESO’s activities, they are able to share their own personal experience and inform oncologists about future ESO events and deadlines.
Collaborations
| The European School of Oncology is a proud member of the European Cancer Organisation in Europe and of UICC internationally: | |
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European Cancer OrganisationThe European Cancer Organisation aims to reduce the burden of cancer, improve outcomes and the quality of care for cancer patients, through multidisciplinarity and multiprofessionalism. |
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Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) unites and supports the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, to promote greater equity, and to ensure that cancer control continues to be a priority in the world health and development agenda.www.uicc.org |
| The ESO Partners for the masterclasses are: | |
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European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With more than 25,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 160 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information.www.esmo.org |
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European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS)The European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) is a pan-European membership organisation for cancer nurses with a current membership of almost 28,000 cancer nurses from all over Europe, the largest group of healthcare workers in the oncology workforce. |
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International Society of Paediatric Oncology - Europe (SIOPE)The European Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOP Europe or SIOPE) is the only pan-European organisation representing all professionals working in the field of childhood cancers. With more than 2000 members across 36 European countries, SIOPE is leading the way to ensure the best possible care and outcomes for all children and adolescents with cancer in Europe.www.siope.eu |
| The ESO Partner for activities in a rare cancer is: | |
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Rare Cancers Europe (RCE)Rare Cancers Europe (RCE) has been established as a partnership of cooperating organisations that work together to place the issue of rare cancers firmly on the European policy agenda, to identify and promote appropriate solutions and to exchange best practice.www.rarecancerseurope.org |
| The ESO Partner for educational activities on cancer in the elderly is: | |
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International Society for Geriatric Oncology (SIOG)The International Society of Geriatric Oncology, also called SIOG (Société Internationale d’Oncologie Gériatrique), is a multidisciplinary membership-based society with members engaged in more than 80 countries around the world. The goal of SIOG is to strenghten the capacity of health professionals in the field of geriatric oncology, in order to optimise treatment of older adults with cancer.www.siog.org |
| The ESO Partner for educational activities on Gynae-oncology is: | |
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European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO)The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) is a growing not-for profit organisation and forum of more than 3,400 professionals from across Europe and all around the world, dedicated to promoting the highest quality of care for women with gynaecological cancers.www.esgo.org |
| The ESO Partners for the Medical Students Courses are: | |
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European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO)ESSO’s supports its members in advancing the science and practice of surgical oncology for the benefit of cancer patients. The Society aims to achieve this through a range of activities related to education, research and leadership in multidisciplinary care.www.essoweb.org |
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European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO)ESTRO fosters radiotherapy in all its aspects by setting standards in education and practice, facilitating research, stimulating exchange of scientific knowledge and promoting collaboration in radiotherapy in Europe and beyond as well as with other professions involved in cancer treatment.www.estro.org |
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European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With more than 25,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 160 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information.www.esmo.org |
| ESO reccomends and supports the educational activites of: | |
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FOUNDATION SONK (St. Gallen Oncology Conferences)Foundation SONK organises the St. Gallen Oncology Conferences in close cooperation with the ZeTuP Tumour and Breast Centre, a specialised non-profit centre for prevention, detection and treatment of cancer, especially breast cancer of the breast. ZeTuP is based in St. Gallen, Switzerland and is actively engaged in preventative and clinical cancer research. |
Advocacy
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ESO is proud of its on-going role in the development of cancer patient advocacy in Europe. ESO launched two of the main breast and prostate cancer patient organisations in Europe. Our relationship continues to be an open, constructive collaboration with full mutual independence. We have also supported the European Cancer Patients Coalition and EuropaColon on different occasions, contributing to the establishment of Lung Cancer Europe. |
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Europa DonnaEuropa Donna, the European Breast Cancer Coalition, is an independent non-profit organisation whose members are affiliated groups from countries throughout Europe. The Coalition works to raise awareness of breast cancer and to mobilise the support of European women in pressing for improved breast cancer education, appropriate screening, optimal treatment and increased funding for research. Europa Donna currently has 46 member countries.www.europadonna.org |
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Europa UomoEuropa Uomo (Italian for Europe man) is a European advocacy movement representing 27 prostate patients’ groups in countries across Europe.www.europa-uomo.org |
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European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC)With over 400 members, the European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC) is proud to be the largest European cancer patients’ association. Covering all 28 Member States, and many other European and non-European countries, ECPC represents those affected by all types of cancers, from the rarest to the most common.www.ecpc.org |
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Digestive Cancers EuropeDigestive Cancers Europe (DiCE) is the European umbrella organisation of a large group of national Members representing patients with digestive cancer – colorectal, gastric, pancreatic and rare cancers.www.digestivecancers.eu |
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Lung Cancer EuropeLuCE aims to raise awareness about inequities regarding the access to lung cancer treatment and care in Europe.www.lungcancereurope.eu |