Dear Colleague: It is with great pleasure that we invite you to participate in the 9th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer to be held 27 June to 30 June 2007 at the Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB) in Barcelona, Spain.

The World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer continues to serve as a forum at which leading oncologists, practicing clinicians and specialists in cancer research review the state of the art and share the newest information on the management of gastrointestinal cancer. The Congress is built around a multi-disciplinary approach provided in plenary lectures by widely recognized experts, complemented with presentations of selected controversial topics, meet the expert sessions, case discussions, and satellite symposia on specific topics.
Since its inception in 1999, the Congress has strived to increase its educational quality and scope for attendees. It has grown into an event that encompasses malignancies affecting every component of the gastrointestinal tract and aspects related to the care of all gastrointestinal cancer patients, including screening, diagnosis, and the latest management options (prevention, treatment, and supportive care) for common and uncommon tumors. At the end of 2004, an agreement was reached between the organizers and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) to collaborate on the development of the Congress, further increasing the educational value of this event and increasing exposure to a wider audience. In 2006, the Congress was host to more than 3000 attendees from around the world with 98 countries represented and was recorded for post-conference webcasting. The 2007 World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer promises to continue the tradition of excellence and stimulate the interest of its participants. Once again, the 2007 accepted abstracts will be published in a special supplement of Annals of Oncology. A special Nursing Session has also been added to the program for Friday morning.

Join us and your colleagues in Barcelona, 27 June to 30 June 2007 for the 9th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer. We are sure you will appreciate the scientific presentations, the opportunity to exchange ideas with world renowned opinion leaders, as well as enjoy the multicultural heritage of Barcelona.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Mario Dicato, MD
Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Eric Van Cutsem, MD, PhD
Leuven, Belgium