The 8th World Congress of Melanoma 2013.

USPA NEWS - From 17 July to 20 July 2013 was the 8th World Congress of Melanoma in CCH in Hamburg.
The 7th Interdisciplinary Melanoma/Skin Cancer Centers Meeting, the 3rd European Post-Chicago Melanoma Meeting 2013 and the 9th Congress of the European Association of Dermato-Oncology.

From 17 July to 20 July 2013 was the 8th World Congress of Melanoma in CCH in Hamburg.
The 7th Interdisciplinary Melanoma/Skin Cancer Centers Meeting, the 3rd European Post-Chicago Melanoma Meeting 2013 and the 9th Congress of the European Association of Dermato-Oncology. Accordingly, was to more than 1,500““1,800 participants and a great scope of sponsors and exhibitors. The conjunction of all four parties gives the unique opportunity to combine knowledge of different fields and topics and centralize it on one Congress. The main topics was be amongst others the non-melanoma skin cancer, cutaneous lymphomas light protection, early diagnosis of skin tumors and more.

This gives a good opportunity to present therapeutics for first-line treatment, equipment for early detection of skin tumors, medication and more. The high standard of the scientific program was attractive for doctors around the world. The opportunity to have such extraordinary faculty together at one time is very rare. The World Congress of Melanoma was first held 1985 in Venice, and every four years since then it has attracted the international melanoma community of basic researchers and clinicians. The last World Congress of Melanoma took place in 2009 in Vienna and was attended by 1,000 participants.

In July 2013 was the 8th World Congress of Melanoma organized in conjunction with the World Meeting of Melanoma Centers, the Post-Chicago Melanoma Meeting 2013 and the 9th Congress of the European Association of Dermato-Oncology. The latter event was held at the end of the congress and includes non-melanoma skin cancer and cutaneous lymphomas as topics of this meeting. This congress was cover the entire field of melanoma and other cutaneous malignancies. Epidemiology, prevention and early detection of skin cancer are important fields in order to reverse the current trend of increasing incidences. New diagnostic devices and optical approaches have improved the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity and was discussed extensively.

Patient management issues including psychosocial aspects and the follow-up for high risk patients are aspects of the program, too. Furthermore, basic science results for melanoma and other skin cancers was be presented in plenary lectures and during symposia. This is an exciting time for the development of new drugs for melanoma treatment. New immunotherapies, selective kinase inhibitors, new vaccination approaches, and other innovative drugs and technologies are under development. Some have already been approved in 2011 and 2012 and others have a great potential to gain approval in the near future.

The leading experts and the entire community dedicated to melanoma treatment are highly excited about these innovations and are very interested in discussing further scenarios of drug development in melanoma. Other cutaneous malignancies are the main topic during the EADO sessions. Exciting new drugs and procedures have been developed for the treatment of actinic keratosis, which is the most frequent malignant lesion in man worldwide. Molecular targeting of the hedgehog pathway revolutionized the therapeutic approaches for basal cell carcinomas. Different novel strategies have been inaugurated for therapy of cutaneous lymphomas and for rare tumors like Merkel cell carcinoma and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Thus, the congress addresses to the whole field of dermato-oncology. The lively interaction between clinicians, experts in translational and basic research, and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry guarantees a successful outcome for every participant. International key opinion leaders was invited to give overview presentations, to present the latest clinical trial results, and to discuss exciting new drugs with the audience. In addition to the scientific value of this meeting, every participant may seize the given opportunity to interact with experts in a familiar setting in one of the most interesting cities of Germany.
Prof. h.c. Dr.h.c. Natalia Eitelbach of Philosophy of European Science NCLC Institute (USA)