Dear colleagues, dear friends,

A full year has passed since our last congress, a year full of unexpected events, new rules and habits, new knowledge and remedies, old and new diseases. We have all acquired new habits, and lost some old ones in our daily professional and private lives, but the same has happened to our patients and their families. Malignant diseases do not rest and do not recognize SARS-CoV-2…

Despite everything, we are witnessing further progress in oncology, we have learned to follow the results of research virtually, and this will be our congress for the first time. Although we will have to postpone socializing and personal meetings for other times, I hope next year, this year we will dedicate five days to learning and exchanging experiences, news and dilemmas in oncology, virtually – “online”. We will nurture a multidisciplinary approach in oncology and during this Congress, and I sincerely believe that by actively participating, listening, asking questions, and giving answers, we will learn and profit from each other. We will try to ensure that this Congress, given the “virtual” epidemiological situation, ensures the continuity of progress in oncology care.

We have tried not to deprive our patients of their treatment due to the COVID19 pandemic during the past period, and while Zagreb is still recovering from the consequences of the devastating earthquake that damaged almost all health care facilities. Despite that, we tried to find ways to take care of our patients, and I believe that I share the opinion of all of you, that we have succeeded in that.

Of course it can always get better. Therefore, this year we will dedicate some lectures and discussions to the organization of the health system in new circumstances, and remind of the projects we started at the beginning of the year, and on which we should continue to work in adapted circumstances and unwanted “new normal”.

The future is today, and all our efforts contribute to better treatment and a longer and better life for our cancer patients.

Welcome to the 12th Congress of the Croatian Society of Medical Oncology in virtual form!

Cordially,

Professor Stjepko Pleština, PhD, MD
President of the Croatian Society of Medical Oncology
and President of the Organizing Committee of the Congress