Image-guided therapies for prostate, kidney cancers in ESUI’s Lisbon meeting

The 3rd Annual Meeting of the EAU Section of Urological Imaging (ESUI) in Lisbon, Portugal in November this year will present image-guided therapies for prostate and kidney cancers, complementing the comprehensive scientific programme of the 6th European Multidisciplinary Meeting on Urological Cancers (EMUC).

“The ESUI programme will cover in detail the hottest topics in imaging. We will especially address imaging and image-guided therapies, such as focal therapy, for the prostate and small renal masses,” said ESUI chairman Dr. Jochen Walz (Marseille, FR). “Other aspects of interventional and intraoperative imaging are also important topics. We will also examine the role of PET-CT in managing urological malignancies in a joint meeting with the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM).”

The ESUI’s meeting on November 13 will precede the 6th EMUC. From November 14 to 16. EMUC will hold 21 sessions in a compact scientific programme that features case discussions, debates, state-of-the-art lectures, updates, abstract presentations and symposiums.

In the ESUI’s day-long programme, topics such as PET-CT and future tracers and their role in managing urological malignancies will be carefully examined and discussed to guide practitioners on the benefits and impact of these techniques.

Walz noted the EMUC programme offers a suitable platform for the ESUI since their meeting agendas share the same goal to examine best practices among various disciplines, and how the various medical specialties can effectively link-up their management of urological cancers for them to offer optimal treatment.

“Imaging is a field predisposed for multidisciplinary collaborations. On a European level, as well as on national levels, different specialties add to the entire field of imaging. For instance, radiologists provide cross sectional imaging, while urologists or other specialists use ultrasound, conventional radiology or 3D-rendering imaging techniques for diagnosis and treatment,” he said.

The two-hour session with the EANM, according to Walz, will be one of the highlights of the ESUI meeting since it will cover the role of PET-CT in the management of urological diseases such as penile, testicular, prostate, kidney and bladder cancers. Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), computerized and contrast enhanced ultrasound as well as elastography for prostate cancer will be taken up in the latter part of the meeting.

Turf battle or collaboration?

Regarding collaboration, Walz said there is still some work for all specialists to further improve or consolidate the gains of multidisciplinary work.

“Many specialties see a multidisciplinary approach as a turf battle with the aim to perform a maximum of treatments within the reach of their own specialty. With this attitude a multidisciplinary approach is not possible,” he noted. “This attitude has to change and this applies not only to urologists but to other specialists as well who participate in multidisciplinary approaches.”

Hence, Walz reiterated the value of collaborative events like the EMUC since it offers a framework for specialists to come together and discuss major issues that are of crucial value to effective cancer management.

“We certainly recognize the goal to deepen the collaboration between the specialties on a European level and to increase the use of a multidisciplinary approach in current practice,” he said. ”If this goal is achieved this can only be for the benefit of our patients.”

For details on the ESUI’s scientific programme visit the meeting website. Additional information on registration, abstract submission and the EMUC scientific programme can be found on the EMUC meeting website.