Ecancermedicalscience
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Ecancermedicalscience · Jan 2013
ReviewThe role of the robotic technique in minimally invasive surgery in rectal cancer.
Laparoscopic rectal surgery is feasible, oncologically safe, and offers better short-term outcomes than traditional open procedures in terms of pain control, recovery of bowel function, length of hospital stay, and time until return to working activity. Nevertheless, laparoscopic techniques are not widely used in rectal surgery, mainly because they require a prolonged and demanding learning curve that is available only in high-volume and rectal cancer surgery centres experienced in minimally invasive surgery. Robotic surgery is a new technology that enables the surgeon to perform minimally invasive operations with better vision and more intuitive and precise control of the operating instruments, promising to overcome some of the technical difficulties associated with standard laparoscopy. The aim of this review is to summarise the current data on clinical and oncological outcomes of minimally invasive surgery in rectal cancer, focusing on robotic surgery, and providing original data from the authors' centre.
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Ecancermedicalscience · Jan 2013
Report on the 2013 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress-ECC 17, Amsterdam, 27 September-1 October 2013: nursing highlights.
The European Cancer Organisation (ECCO) was founded on the ideas of the former Federation of European Cancer Societies (FECS). The ECCO was officially announced at the European Cancer Conference in Barcelona in September 2007, replacing the FECS as a dynamic new entity. Through its members, the ECCO represents the interests of over 50,000 professionals in oncology. ⋯ The main challenge for nurses is to meet the needs of a rapidly changing society with some European peculiarities, such as the ageing population, the escalating costs of healthcare in a period of economic crises, fast changing treatments, changes in cancer services and the way nurses deliver care, and multidisciplinary empowerment as a modern concept of care. In this landscape, we also have to consider that cancer often becomes a chronic disease with an increasing number of treatment lines, an increasing number of survivors, and more conscious and exigent patients. We also have to consider the importance of diversity in cancer care.
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Ecancermedicalscience · Jan 2010
Something going on in Milan: a review of the 4th International PhD Student Cancer Conference.
The 4th International PhD Student Cancer Conference was held at the IFOM-IEO-Campus in Milan from 19-21 May 2010 http://www.semm.it/events_researchPast.phpThe Conference covered many topics related to cancer, from basic biology to clinical aspects of the disease. All attendees presented their research, by either giving a talk or presenting a poster. This conference is an opportunity to introduce PhD students to top cancer research institutes across Europe. ⋯ It would be beyond the purposes of this report to summarise all 26 talks, which touched many different and specific topics. For further information, the Conference Abstract book with all the scientific content is available on the conference Web site (http://www.semm.it/events_researchPast.php). In what follows, the special sessions and the keynote lectures will be discussed in detail.