Japan | Italy

Italy

International Report from Italy
CNS Meeting 2007

The 56th Annual Meeting of the Italian Neurosurgical Society took place in Rome, Italy, July 24th - 26th , 2007. Since the meeting was held in conjunction with the CNS, many Colleagues from the United States effectively contributed to the success of the event.  The two organizations worked very closely together for this official "joint" meeting in Rome, which was intended to reciprocate the one previously held in San Francisco in 2004 (2004 CNS Annual Meeting).

Following the Rome meeting, a satellite International Symposium "Updates in Neuro-Oncology" was held in the beautiful Etruscan town of Cortona, in the heart of Tuscany, between June 28 and June 30th, 2007. The meeting was part of a series of collaborative symposia of the Istituto Neurologico Besta of Milan, Italy, the Semmes-Murphey Clinic at the University of Tennessee, Ohio State University, and the Johns Hopkins University. The meeting was also supported by the WFNS, the Joint Section on Tumors of the AANS/CNS, and the Italian Neurosurgical Society (SINCH).  The Joint Section on Tumors has actively been involved in the organization of the meeting by contributing with both speakers and assistance in setting up what resulted in an exceptionally interesting scientific program.

The outstanding international speakers' panel and the topics covered by the meeting provided a comprehensive review of the most recent advances in the field of neuro-oncology including extensive insights on the role of stem cells in the pathogenesis of gliomas and their implications for future therapies. In addition, the picturesque and historically stunning setting of Cortona, coupled with the traditional Italian convivial atmosphere, greatly contributed to the success of the meeting.

The Italian Neurosurgical Community feels that both Meetings have provided an exceptionally fertile ground to enhance their pre-existing ties and to establish productive future collaborations not only with the Northamerican Neurosurgical Community but also among the entire International Neuro-Oncological community.

A list of forthcoming Meeting in Europe is listed below:
October 23-26 2007 International Syringomyelia Symposium 2007
Rugby, United Kingdom; e-mail: admin@syringomyelia2007.org
  
November 15-17, 2007 First Congress International Society of Intraoperative Neurophysiology Lucerna, Switzerland;  e-mail: Karl.Kothbauer@ksl.ch

January 17-19, 2008 V Congress EURONEURO 2008
Maastricht, Netherlands;  e-mail: info@euroneuro.eu

Japan

Report from JAPAN, September 2007              
Fumio Yamaguchi, MD, PhD

Topics in the previous Japanese meetings
The 8th annual meeting of The Japan society of molecular neurosurgery is held in Aug 31 and Sep 1, Hyogo, Japan. This meeting is very unique since neurosurgeons discuss all molecular research on tumor, vascular, trauma, gene therapy and regenerative medicine. The roles of EGFRvIII, CD24, HIF-1alpha, HMGA1, Notch signaling, Nox4, REIC, NK4, PML protein, etc in brain tumors are reported.  25th annual meeting of The Japan Society of Brain Tumor Pathology was held in Apr19-20, Kumamoto. Topics in symposium were AT/RT (atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor) and oligodendroglioma. The diagnosis, molecular characteristics and therapies were discussed. In 16th annual meeting of Conference on Neurosurgical techniques and tools in Tokyo, “What is safe and certain surgical radicality?” was one of the topics. Its meaning in skull base meningioma, craniopharyngioma, pituitary adenoma, acoustic neurinoma and glioma is discussed. It is important discussion since incidence of lawsuit is getting frequent in these days also in Japan.

Future meetings on brain tumors in Japan

• 66th annual meeting of the Japan neurosurgical society
  Oct 3-5, 2007, Tokyo, Japan
  
  
• 12th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Congress for Brain Tumor Surgery
  Nov 2-3, 2007, Kobe, Japan
  
  
• World Federation of Neurosurgical Society, 13th Interim Meeting / 12th Asian-Australasian Society of Neurological Surgeons Congress, Nov 18-21, 2007, Nagoya, Japan
  
  
• 25th annual meeting of The Japan Society for Neuro-Oncology
  Dec 9-11, Tokyo, Japan
  
  
• 31st annual meeting of Japan Society for CNS Computed Imaging
  Feb 21-22, 2008, Tokyo, Japan
  
• 18th annual meeting of the Japan society for hypothalamic and pituitary tumors
  Feb 29-Mar 1, 2008, Fukui, Japan