EAU 4th North Eastern European Meeting

With Riga in Latvia as venue and host city, the latest treatment issues in uro-oncology, reconstructive surgery and upper tract diseases will take centre stage during the forthcoming two-day EAU 4th North Eastern European Meeting (NEEM) scheduled on September 10 and 11.

“We have prepared an exciting programme that will present and closely examine issues in prostate, renal and bladder cancers such as managing complications, lymph node dissection, urinary diversion following cystectomy and urethral strictures, to name a few,” said Dr. Alvis Laukmanis, local organiser and president of the Latvian Urological Association.

Laukmanis added he also expects the meeting to take up controversies in kidney cancer, the most recent developments in medical and surgical options in treating renal cell carcinoma and the therapeutic management of upper tract TCC.

Since it’s first meeting in Tampere, Finland in September 2007, the annual NEEM, has also presented some of the most exciting and innovative work coming from young urologists in the region. Particularly participants from Finland, Poland and Lithuania have actively taken part in previous meetings joining their colleagues coming from and outside Europe.

“In previous years, we have seen that the meeting has gathered both young and expert urologists. Definitely the NEEM is an annual event that urologists from the region look forward to since they anticipate the benefits of getting the latest updates on various issues. A dynamic exchange in best practices and skills is therefore made possible through a meeting like NEEM,” explained Laukmanis.

By far the biggest attendance took place in 2008 in Vilnius, Lithuania during the 2nd NEEM with more than 250 participants. Prof. Michael Marberger, chairman of the EAU Regional Office, said that aside from the professional exchange and networking amongst urologists in the region, meetings like the NEEM has become a platform to identify or nurture original work.

“We have seen an increase not only in terms of participation but also in the quality of work and abstracts submitted to these meetings. For young urologists and even to veteran surgeons this meeting plays a central role in enhancing contacts and supporting clinical work,” Marberger said.Laukmanis added that he also believes that by assembling experts from across Europe and at the same time highlighting regional work in a scientific gathering, promising urologists would be encourage to pursue or boost clinical and research work.

“We have seen the talent coming from various countries in the region. But by exposing these urologists to other practices and viewpoints will only contribute to improving our own work,” he added.