Previous Newsletters
Newsletter No. 2
The International Society of Gastroenterological Carcinogenesis
Number 2, 1998
The Second International Conference of the International Society of Gastroenterological Carcinogenesis (ISGC)
March 25 (Thu) -27 (Sat), 1999, Ulm, Germany
Congress Center of the City of Ulm
Organized in cooperation with the German Cancer Center DKFZ, Heidelberg, the German Association of Molecular Oncology, and the Tumor Center of the University of Ulm
Professor Dr. Hans G. Beger, President of the ISGC is organizing a truly outstanding meeting of the ISGC at Ulm, Germany
The Scientific Program features:
Two Plenary Lectures
Main Topics for the Scientific Program:
| 1. | Esophageal carcinogenesis - From reflux esophagitis to Barrett carcinoma - |
| 2. | Gastric carcinogenesis - Helicobacter and gastric malignancy - |
| 3. | Pancreatic carcinogenesis - Chronic pancreatitis - A risk for ductal pancreatic cancer? |
| 4. | Liver carcinogenesis - Hepatitis B and C and hepatocellular cancer - |
| 5. | Colorectal carcinogenesis - Hereditary cancer syndromes |
| 6. | Bile tract carcinogenesis |
| 7. | Tumor immunology |
| 8. | Genetic changes during carcinogenesis Experimental models for carcinogenesis Invasion and metastasis Dysplasia-carcinoma sequence Tumor biology |
| 9. | Extracellular matrix and micro-environment |
| 10. | Molecular biological approaches Diagnosis GI-tract malignancy Gene therapy Tumor promotion and drug resistance |
| 11. | Clinical pathologic studies in gastrointestinal carcinogenesis |
| 12. | Prevention of carcinogenesis Symposium A: Nutrition and cancer Symposium B: Alcohol and cancer Symposium C: Tabacco and cancer |
The first circular of the Announcement and call for Abstracts will appear in August, 1998.
Important Date
Deadline for Abstract submission: December 1, 1998
Headquarters:
Department of General Surgery
University Hospital of Ulm
Steinhoevelstrasse 9, 89075 Ulm, Germany
Fax: +49-731-502-7209
E-mail: hans.beger@medizin.uni-ulm.de
Review
Recently, Dr.Takashi Sugimura and Dr. Masaaki Terada reported an exciting review on experimental chemical carcinogenesis in the stomach and colon in the Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology, of which the contents were presented in part as a Keynote Presentation at the First International Conference of the ISGC, October 22-24, 1996 in Hiroshima, organized by Professor Takeshi Oohara and me. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Sugimura, President Emeritus, National Cancer Center, for his consideration.
by Eiichi Tahara
Secretary General of the ISGC
Experimental Chemical Carcinogenesis in the Stomach and Colon
Takashi Sugimura and Masaaki Terada
National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
Jpn J Clin Oncol, 28(3): 163-167, 1998
Experimental chemical carcinogenesis in the digestive tract is reviewed, mainly on the basis of information obtained in the laboratories of the National Cancer Center Research Institute. It is generally accepted that cancer is the outcome of DNA damage, resulting in mutation, loss, amplification and the recombination of genes. Gastric cancer is no exception. It was shown very early that cancer of the grandular stomach can be produced in rats by administration of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), a widely used mutagen. However, this depends on the genotype. Whereas the ACI rat is susceptible to MNNG, the Buffalo rat is resistant and this is a dominantly inherited trait. Genes responsible for the sensitivity to gastric cancer induction are at present under investigation by linkage analysis of rat genome markers. With regard to cancer in humans, our findings that cooked proteinaceous foods can give rise to a series of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) is of major significance. 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), one of the most abundant, causes of colon cancers in male rats, whereas in females it induces breast cancers.
The colon cancers induced by PhIP feature a deletion of G as represented by 5-GGGA-3 -> 5-GGA-3 in the Apc gene, resulting in a truncated Apc molecule. Microsatellite mutations have also been found in PhIP-induced colon tumors, as in human hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer cases. Similarly to the case of gastric cancer production by MNNG, there is a genetic component and F344 rats are more susceptible to PhIP colon carcinogenesis than the ACI/N strain and the gene responsible is being sought. Since carcinogenesis proceeds with accumulation of genetic alteration, often involving genomic instability, exposure to any kind of carcinogenic substances, either xeno- or autobiotics, needs to be reduced as far as possible, taking account of inconvenience at the individual and socio-economical levels.
Hiroshima Conference A Great Success
The First International Conference of the ISGC was held at the Hiroshima International Conference Center from 22 (Tue) to 24(Thu), October 1996 (Organizing Committee Chairman: Dr. Eiichi Tahara, Hiroshima University). Over 600 cancer researchers and oncologists from 28 countries around the world took part in the conference. Research presentations and discussions covered over 400 topics, focusing on the molecular mechanism of the development and progression of gastroenterological cancer, and the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease
At an International Organizing Committee meeting held during the course of the conference, a decision was made to set up an International Society of Gastroenterological Carcinogenesis. Dr. Tahara was appointed Chairman of the Nominating Committee. The Second International Conference of the ISGC will be held in Ulm, Germany, in 1999 and the Third International Conference will be held in Oxford, England UK, in the year 2000.
Message From the Secretary General Eiichi Tahara
On the occasion of the second Newsletter of the ISGC, it is my pleasure and privilege to reflect on our origins and recognize our tremendous accomplishments. The society came into the world from a small but very distinguished group gathered in 1996 at Hiroshima, in order to exchange he most stimulating and farsighted information and integrate cancer research with cancer therapy and cancer prevention. The First International Conference of the ISGC had more than 600 participants from 28 countries around the world. Surely the Society is growing from the support of the Japanese Society for Gastroenterological Carcinogenesis (President: Professor T. Oohara). The Society boasts a distinguished board of directors from many countries representing research in oncology and will hold an international conference every two years. The journal of the ISGC is now being prepared
Next year, the Second International Conference will be held in Ulm Germany. Our conference organizer, President Beger has worked vigorously to make the Ulm conference a huge success. Let us the members support his efforts by going to Ulm.