Celebrated this week during a gala event at the National Royal Academy of Medicine in Madrid, the Fundación para la Excelencia y la Calidad en la Oncología (ECO) presented this year’s recipients with its annual awards. Now in its seventh edition, this accolade recognizes the outstanding contributions of individuals, bodies, societies and institutions to advancing the oncology field.
VHIO’s Director and Head of the Medical Oncology Department at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital (HVUH – Vall d´Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus), Josep Tabernero, was among the twenty awardees for 2018. To inaugurate the award ceremony, Josep was also invited to deliver an opening lecture on The Future of Oncology in Europe.
During his presentation he highlighted just some of the various challenges that the cancer community currently faces in collectively solving cancer sooner. More specifically, in relation to the profession and practice of medical oncology he observed, “Regarding the future of our profession globally, we must continue to offer the up-and-coming generation of young medical oncologists the very best mentorships, trainings and guidance. We are seeing that the risk of burn-out of our younger colleagues is very real. More should and can be done to relieve the burdens that they face.”
He continued, “While the practice of medical oncology is both a privilege and a greatly rewarding occupation, we must find ways to better respond to the needs of our young professionals today or else we are risk losing some of our brightest future talents from the profession.”
Emphasizing the continued need to foster and expand valuable partnerships across borders, he also discussed the essential multidisciplinary approach in progressing precision science and medicine against cancer, “The future of medical oncology in Europe and throughout the world will continue to demand an increasingly multidisciplinary approach driven by strong collaborations and teamwork with other disciplines as well as the broad spectrum of professionals who care for our patients. I believe that we can more rapidly advance our field and accelerate discovery towards improved cancer treatment and care by combining our strengths and overcoming current and emerging challenges together.”
As a timely example, in his capacity as President of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and Congress Chair of its forthcoming annual meeting, Josep highlighted that at next month’s ESMO Congress, October 19-23, Munich, the scientific program will for the first time feature a dedicated three-day nursing track. This important development is the result of a newly cemented collaboration between ESMO and the European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS).
“As we seek to ensure equal access to optimal care for all our patients, the conversations triggered by this essential addition will enhance the contribution of oncology nurses as part of our multidisciplinary teams,” he said.
Importantly, ECO also recognized the tremendous successes marked to-date of the recently created Center for the Biomedical Research Network in Oncology (CIBERONC), which is expertly directed by Joaquín Arribas, Director of Preclinical Research at VHIO and ICREA Professor. This virtual hub, incorporating and connecting fifty of the most renowned national research groups in cancer, promotes excellence in oncology throughout Spain and seeks to more swiftly and collectively translate new findings to clinical practice. Dedicated to education, CIBERONC also seeks to further enhance the quality of its researchers by means of a transversal training and mobility program.
In the company of one hundred invited guests, just some of the many other prize winning individuals and entities included Manel Esteller, Head of the Epigenetics and Cancer Biology Program at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), the Senate Committee on Health, renowned cooperative research groups in oncology including SOLTI and GEICAM to name but two, and the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM).
To discover more and consult the full list of thoroughly deserving ECO prize recipients, please see the press release issued by the ECO Foundation in Spanish: NP_PremiosFundaciónECO
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