Report on the EMSOS meeting

15 maggio 2015

by Ornella Gonzato“440 attendees from 45 different nations came to the 28th EMSOS meeting in Athens, from April 29th to May 1^st 2015. These meetings always represent a very important opportunity to update and compare results with  numerousexperts (oncologists, orthopaedics, surgeons, pathologists, radio therapists) dealing with musculoskeletal tumours. Promoting interdisciplinarity and mutual collaboration between specialists and institutes treatingmusculoskeletal tumours is, in fact, ESMOS's main purpose.Many interesting presentations/communications were given.  In particular, there are two pieces of good news for patients. The first one concerns the efficacy of the targeted therapy in some sarcomas when surgical treatment is not possible or is considered a high-risk treatment due to local complications. More in detail, there was discussion regarding the efficacy of denosumab in patients affected by Giant Cell Bone Tumour;  of cediranib and sunitinib in Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma; of sorafenib and sunitinib in Clear Cell Sarcoma; of imatinib in Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis  and of pazopanib in Extraskeletal MixoidchondrosarcomaThe second one refers to innovations in prosthesis design and manufacturing, which means the capability to provide patients with custom-made prostheses, using highly biocompatible materials, such as porous titanium, forskeletal segment reconstruction. These new technologies make it possible to manufacture implants in porous titanium mimicking cancellous bone structure, starting from a patient’s CT.In addition, there was a presentation featuring a prosthesis that enables the knee to be flexed/bent in patients with knee arthrodesis. At the moment, it is only at first prototype stage (work is in progress on the second prototype), but it certainly aims to improve patients’ quality of life. ESMOS communications abstracts may be consulted on the EMSOS website”.