VIENNA, October 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Central Nervous System tumors are considered to be among the most devastating of all neoplasms and the therapeutic options are still limited. The Serono Symposia International Foundation (SSIF) conference "Central Nervous System (CNS) Malignancies", that starts today in Vienna, will examine the present therapeutic options and identify the critical points of their failure.
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The conference will bring together experts from different disciplines, such as neurologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and neurosurgeons with experience in brain tumours.
The meeting is held under the auspices of the Society of Austrian Neurooncology and the European Association of Neurooncology.
Among CNS tumours, glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and deadliest of malignant primary brain tumours. The incidence, or the number of new diagnoses made annually, is 2 to 3 per 100,000 people in the United States and Europe[1]. A session of the SSIF conference will be dedicated entirely to the many aspects of this disease and its treatment.
"Glioblastoma is a very aggressive, fast-growing tumour that shows an infiltrative growth, making local therapies of very limited efficacy - says Wolfgang Wick from the Department of Neuro-oncology, National Tumour Centre, University Clinic of Heidelberg, Germany and Scientific Organiser of the conference -. We are constantly committed to finding new therapeutic approaches, and in recent years some important results have been reached in terms of improved survival and quality of life of patients."
Another important topic of the meeting will be brain metastases, as these are becoming more common than primary CNS tumours.
"The standard treatment in most cases of brain metastases is radiotherapy, which is associated with certain risks and possible side effects - explains Matthias Preusser from the Department of Medicine I and Comprehensive Cancer Centre, CNS Tumour Unit, Medical University of Vienna, Austria and the other Scientific Organiser of the conference- Our research is now addressed to finding more specific and also preventive treatments for patients."
"Central Nervous System Malignancies are still one of the major oncologic challenges - claims Christoph Zielinski, member of the Scientific Committee of Serono Symposia International Foundation - We are now focused on the molecular targets of these tumors: it is a first step towards novel therapies that could represent a hope for patients and a new horizon of research."
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Serono Symposia International Foundation is a non-profit organization which was founded to disseminate the most innovative achievements and potential developments of medical and scientific research through Continuing Medical Education programs to improve the life of patients.
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