Conference 2010 Rio de Janeiro!

October 21-24, 2010

At the Pestana Rio Atlantic Hotel on Copacabana Beach.

Submitting Abstracts -- Preliminary Agenda -- Registration/Hotel/Touring

9th International Medical Symposium on VHL – this year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Our host, Dr. Jose Claudio Casali da Rocha, of the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA) has arranged beautiful conference space for us on Copacabana Beach, at the Pestana Convention Center. We look forward to seeing the many scientists from around the world who are working on VHL, and to meeting many newcomers, especially from Latin America, Spain, and Portugal, since this will be our first meeting with accommodation for speakers of Spanish and Portuguese. Papers may be presented in English, Spanish, or Portuguese, as there will be simultaneous translation available to ensure that all can understand and participate.

The goals of this meeting are:

• 1. To provide a forum where physicians and researchers from all over the world can gather to discuss their work, share ideas, recruit collaborators, and generally advance our knowledge and understanding of VHL
• 2. To engage physicians and researchers from throughout Latin America, providing simultaneous translation of the conference in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

In order to meet these goals, the language of the meeting will be technical – doctor to doctor. Patients and family members are welcome to attend on this understanding. On Sunday there will be a meeting designed for families, which physicians and researchers are welcome to attend, where the language will be appropriate for family members.

• October 21 – pre-meeting working groups:
  - proposed changes for the Handbook, especially to the screening protocol and requirements for imaging
  - discussion of the pros and cons of sub-classifying VHL, adding at least one additional Type.
  Feel free to send a message to conf2010@vhl.org to join one or both of these working groups.

Scientists and physicians are invited to submit abstracts for presentation at the following three days of the meeting:

• October 22 – Advances in basic research, drug development and testing
• October 23 – Advances in clinical care (diagnosis and treatment) of VHL disease manifestations.
• October 24 – Living with VHL, where families with VHL and their concerns will be the primary focus. There will be time for families to meet one another, share their experiences, and interact with physicians offering new treatments and clinical trials of new drugs.

INCA has provided a very informative website for the meeting at http://www.inca.gov.br/ie_eventos/eventos_hotsite.asp?id=26&id_idioma=2

By clicking the flag symbols in the upper right-hand corner you can see this material in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. The registration fees are very modest, encouraging everyone to attend this unique meeting, in one of most beautiful cities in the world. "Residents" includes patients and family members.

Please note that the Brazilian currency (reales) uses the $ symbol. Check the notations on each page to see which country’s currency is used in quoting prices. One US$ is approximately 1.8 R$.

The conference hotel has excellent conference facilities and has a beautiful view of the ocean. If it is too expensive for your budget, there are many other hotels in easy walking distance of the Pestana Convention Center. See http://www.regencyeventos.com.br/admin/evento.php?cod_evento=10&cod_conteudo=53 (scroll down for English).

We hope that you will join us! It is always a wonderful, friendly group. We all learn from each other – we need YOU to make the experience complete!

ABSTRACTS

Abstracts are brief summaries of the talk or poster presentation proposed. Patients do not need to submit abstracts, these are for the doctors and scientists to prepare.

Patients and family members, please encourage your physicians to come, share what they have learned, and help us all learn more together.

Click here for instructions on submission of abstracts.

J. Claudio Rocha, M.D., Ph.D., Oncology
Medical Director Nat Tumor Bank
INCA Rua Andre Cavalcanti,37-2andar
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Brazil
Tel: +55-21 3233-1338
E-mail: casali@inca.gov.br
Website: http://www.inca.org.br/