The International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology

IPSO currently runs a surgical oncology course at the annual meeting of EUPSA (The European Paediatric Surgeon's Association) and usually holds a pre-conference course at the annual joint congress with SIOP

Pre-conference course at annual SIOP congress

In 2009 there was a one day course in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and in 2010 a course is planned for 20th October in Boston. Details are found on the conferences page of this website, and enrollment will be available through the 2010 congress website

IPSO course at annual EUPSA congress

The content of the course is structured as a three year cycle, with the aim that a participant who attends for three consecutive years will cover the full curriculum in paediatric surgical oncology.

The outline content of each year in the cycle will include:

• Year 1 nephroblastoma; neuroblastoma; genito-urinary rhabdomyosarcoma; chemotherapy for surgeons
• Year 2 liver tumours; thoracic tumours; germ cell tumours
• Year 3 sarcoma; endocrine tumours; thoracic wall tumours

Each year of the course can be taken independantly, and will include discussion sessions, and an MCQ exam. Successful completion of each year of the course will earn the participant a certificate, but completion of all three components will result in an additional certificate of completion of the full course.

The 3 year cycle has recently been completed at the 2010 EUPSA meeting in Berne. The next course will run in conjunction with the 2011 EUPSA congress, which is due to be held in Barcelona, Spain. The congress will run from 15th to 18th June 2011, and it is likely that the course will be held on the day before the congress starts

The course in Barcelona will be Year 1 on the course programme

When details are confirmed enrollment for the 2011 course will be carried out on-line, through the EUPSA website, which already contains some preliminary information about the meeting