MEDICA EDUCATION CONFERENCE -
Topic of focus "Personalised Medicine"
This year once again, from 20 - 23 November, the world's largest medical trade fair medical in Düsseldorf, MEDICA, comprising more than 4,500 exhibitors from over 60 nations, is going to be offering a comprehensive conference program in addition to numerous presentations on product innovations in the medical technology industry. Furthermore, in addition to the German Hospital Day and the biennial EUROPEAN HOSPITAL CONFERENCE, the MEDICA EDUCATION CONFERENCE is also going to be included as a core element. With its extensive offering of certified training, it is primarily appealing to physicians.
One of year's topic of focus at the MEDICA EDUCATION CONFERENCE, having been newly conceived at a strategic level, deals with what personalised medicine can already achieve today with respect to early detection, diagnosis and treatment of certain cancers. "It is about solid findings that might (and should) lead to improved and personalised patient medical care. Although, these findings have also not yet been implemented in such a way for one reason or another," explained Professor Dr. med. Gabriela Möslein, speaker for the working group "Hereditary Gastrointestinal Tumours" of the DGAV (German Society for General and Visceral Surgery). "As a leading international market and information platform, the MEDICA is capable of enabling knowledge transfer in daily clinical practice by interlinking conference programs and trade-fair offerings. Here, the manufacturers' development experts come together with the scientists to drive projects and to implement the use of new findings to the benefit of their patients," added Joachim Schäfer, managing director of Messe Düsseldorf.
On the first day of the conference (20/11), molecular markers for tumours are being dealt with. Microsatellite instability serves to assess a tumour with respect to inherited predisposition by means of a defect in the so-called "DNA mismatch repair system" and varied responsiveness to forms of chemotherapy. Detection of the first patient within a family (the so-called index patient) should lead to the examination of further family members for the possibility of a likewise high risk of cancer and provide them with consultation. This examination of the blood at a molecular-genetic level is an established practice that is however used too seldom in suggesting the possibility of intensified preventive measures - or in the well-known case of Angelina Jolie - in advising the implementation of appropriate risk assessment activities and the option of a preventive operation.
The MEDICA EDUCATION CONFERENCE will have the opportunity to welcome the German reference pathologists, Professor Josef Rüschhoff (Kassel) and Professor Rainer Büttner (Cologne) as speakers on the topic of microsatellite instability. In the days that follow, along with other renowned national and international speakers, Professor Sir John Burn (Newcastle) as a renowned international human geneticist, will present the latest state of the art in science and technology and call attention to current and future procedures.
The second day of the conference is highlighted by a newly founded international association of top-ranking scientists who are committed to this topic as a global alliance. The objective of the association is to find ways for a responsible exchange of genetic and clinical data on an international level. On the third day, specific technologies will be on the agenda at the Congress Center Düsseldorf including stem-cell research, "exon skipping" and inoculations as prophylaxes against different forms of cancer.
The event is appealing to national and international experts as well as, especially on the first day, to clinically active doctors of all disciplines, above all gynaecologists, gastroenterologists, surgeons, pathologists and human geneticists.
MEDICA 2013
from 20 to 23 November 2013, Fair ground Dusseldorf (Germany)
Images: R. Eberhard, messekompakt.com, EBERHARD print & medien agentur gmbh
Source: Messe Düsseldorf