It is close to 3 decades now that Surgical Oncology emerged as an important specialty of surgical practice in India. First CME programme in Oncology was held by Tata Memorial Hospital in 1975 attended by 200 surgeons from all over the country. Success of this programme led Dr B Ramamurthy, the then President of Association of Surgeons of India (ASI) to invite Dr Ashok Mehta to organize first CME in Oncology at Ahmedabad Conference in December 1975. Dr Ashok Mehta wrote to the ASI for starting Oncology Section of ASI after success of the CME. A resolution was passed and Oncology Section was created at the Annual ASI Conference in Delhi in 1976.
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It is an immense honour to serve as the President of the Indian Association of Surgical Oncology and on behalf of the IASO, it is my privilege to extend a warm and heartfelt welcome to each and every one of you. Our society has a rich history of fostering excellence in the field of cancer surgery and the phenomenal progress made by our society is a testament to our visionary leadership, commitment to sharing knowledge and promoting education and research.
Cancer is emerging as a global public health challenge. Surgery is a time tested highly effective and widely available intervention for cancer in diverse health care settings. As surgical professionals, we are constantly challenged to push the boundaries of what is possible, embracing new technologies and knowledge and that requires us to be on the forefront of learning and acquiring new skills. It is our duty to make the highest standard of care is accessible and affordable to all patients irrespective of socio-economic background.
The path you've chosen is not an easy one, but it's a noble and vital one. Remember, every patient you touch, every life you impact, is a beacon of hope and resilience in the fight against this formidable foe. Your impact on this world is immeasurable and your unwavering dedication is a source of inspiration for all.
As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of cancer, it is crucial to stay informed and engaged. IASO will serve as a hub for collaboration and networking amongst our members, various oncology societies and international scientific organizations. These efforts will enable us to advance our collective mission of education , research and patient care. Together, we can continue to shape the future of surgical oncology, share our experiences, and inspire one another to reach new heights in our profession.
Thank you for your dedication to the IASO, and we look forward to your active participation and involvement in this exciting journey ahead.
With profound gratitude,
Prof . SVS Deo
President, IASO
Department of Surgical Oncology
Hello Everyone,
Cancer is the new epidemic of the millennium. The number of patients diagnosed with cancer in India per year is reaching to almost fifteen lakh and more than half of these patients are dying of cancer sooner or later. One of the main reasons for high mortality from cancer is non-availability of treating facilities across the country. Majority of these cancers are solid cancers, and surgery is an important part of the treatment and contributes significantly to the survival of the patient. For the country at large, proper training in cancer surgery and availability of trained man power in cancer surgery are real needs of the hour.
At present per year nearly 250 new cancer surgeons are getting trained all across India. There are many roadblocks for creation and maintenance of adequately trained manpower. This include issues like inadequate distribution of the training facilities in the country, non-uniformity of training modules across various institutions, lacunae in skill and knowledge updation of the practising surgical oncologists and lack of job security for the freshly passing out cancer surgeons. But our fraternity is blessed with certain privileges as well; so many of our senior peers are top leaders in oncology : many are heading various major institutes, many are members in committees deciding the curriculum of medical education and public health care in the country and many are involved in training a large number of surgeons in Surgical Oncology. I strongly feel that it is the responsibility of IASO is to connect these leaders ,who are also international stalwarts in surgical oncology , to young budding onco-surgeons and use their collective opinions, power and actions to create better environment for the younger onco-surgeons and cancer surgery in the country .
I think IASO now with the vibrant leadership is progressing further, and spreading its wing across India and abroad , by it’s efforts and also collaborating with many national and international associations . I am sure all these attempts are going to brighten the scope of specialty of Surgical Oncology in the country. I am happy that I got the mandate to serve this association in a key role and I assure you that surgical oncology will prevail.
Thank you
Jai IASO
IASO is an organisation serving from past 50 years in spreading knowledge & creating awareness for cancer and its treatments.
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